Start Menu - Startup Folder - Startup Tab

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim Slager
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Jim Slager

I have a Start Menu which contains a Programs folder which contains several
things including a Startup folder. I can also do Start->Programs->Startup
and see several things which are all different from those in the Start Menu.
I also have a Startup Tab in the System Configuration Utility which contains
a bunch of things all different from the other two Startups.

Can anyone explain why there are three Startups and what is different about
them and, generally, just make sense of this?
 
In a default Windows 2000 configuration, you will have at least two startup
directories:

C:\Documents and Settings\[username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Shortcuts in your startup folder are specific to you and will only startup
for you (unless these same shortcuts exist in other users' startup folders
as well).

Shortcuts in the All Users startup folder will startup for anyone who logs
onto the computer.

When you view the Startup folder from your Start menu, Windows 2000 combines
the contents of the two for display purposes. If you've ever used a Windows
NT machine, you may have noticed a horizontal separator in the programs
menu. NT listed the two things separately, so you'd see two startup folders
in the Start menu, and any other duplicates would also appear twice.

As far as the system config utility, I can only theorize about that, since I
don't know what utility you're talking about. Chances are its displaying
entries from the Run keys in the Windows registry. In the registry, there
is a "startup" type of folder in there as well.
\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run. I believe that by default,
this key only exists under HKLM but it can be added to HKCU and be
functional there as well. Applications in this key run at logon as well.
Why is there a startup folder and also this run key? Well, I guess you
could say that the startup FOLDER is a place for you, the user, to put stuff
that you'd like to startup automatically, and the registry is the place for
your system to put things, and the egotistcal software makers who all feel
that everyone needs nine hundred system tray icons for their ever-so
important software.
 
-----Original Message-----
In a default Windows 2000 configuration, you will have at least two startup
directories:

C:\Documents and Settings\[username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Shortcuts in your startup folder are specific to you and will only startup
for you (unless these same shortcuts exist in other users' startup folders
as well).

Shortcuts in the All Users startup folder will startup for anyone who logs
onto the computer.

When you view the Startup folder from your Start menu, Windows 2000 combines
the contents of the two for display purposes. If you've ever used a Windows
NT machine, you may have noticed a horizontal separator in the programs
menu. NT listed the two things separately, so you'd see two startup folders
in the Start menu, and any other duplicates would also appear twice.

As far as the system config utility, I can only theorize about that, since I
don't know what utility you're talking about. Chances are its displaying
entries from the Run keys in the Windows registry. In the registry, there
is a "startup" type of folder in there as well.
\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run. I believe that by default,
this key only exists under HKLM but it can be added to HKCU and be
functional there as well. Applications in this key run at logon as well.
Why is there a startup folder and also this run key? Well, I guess you
could say that the startup FOLDER is a place for you, the user, to put stuff
that you'd like to startup automatically, and the registry is the place for
your system to put things, and the egotistcal software makers who all feel
that everyone needs nine hundred system tray icons for their ever-so
important software.

--

Ray at home
Microsoft ASP MVP


Jim Slager said:
I have a Start Menu which contains a Programs folder
Click to expand...
which contains
several
things including a Startup folder. I can also do Start- Programs->Startup
and see several things which are all different from
Click to expand...
those in the Start
Menu.
I also have a Startup Tab in the System Configuration
Click to expand...
Utility which
contains
a bunch of things all different from the other two Startups.

Can anyone explain why there are three Startups and
Click to expand...
what is different
about
them and, generally, just make sense of this?
Click to expand...


.
My question is "How do you control what programmes are
Click to expand...
loaded at startup in Windows 2000 professional?" Or can
you control this function? I have recently changed from
Windows Millenium Edition to Windows 2000 Pro. With ME I
could type 'msconfig' and use that to control what was
loaded up in startup, but with 2000 pro there is
no 'msconfig' Any clues would be very gratefully accepted.
 
I think what you want to so is

Start > Settings >control Panel ( you might want to make a quick launch Icon for control panel, seeing how you tend to use it alot.) > System and I belive you can change what runs at start up through that. Also many programs have the option that you set through the program it self weather or not it stars upon start up. Its usually under Preferences or Options. I also think that the comand prompt you may be looking for is "mmc
good luck
 
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