Start Programs

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J

JF

I would like to stop some programs from starting when I boot Windows. I know
I can do this though msconfig but is there a start folder or registry key I
can modify as well?
Thanks
 
With Windows XP, There are 13+ places that programs can start from and
they are executed in the following order:

Before Logon
1)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce
2) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices

After Logon
3)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\Setup
4) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
5) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx
6) WIN.INI [Windows] Load
7) WIN.INI [Windows] Run
8) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
9) HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
10) C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
11) C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %homepath%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
12) HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
13) As a Scheduled Task set to run at startup.

[[Startups in groups 6 to 11 all run at the same time (more or less).
However, the groups themselves are triggered in the order shown above. In
other words, the next group can begin launching while the previous group is
still loading its startups. Due to timing issues it is impossible to say
what order these items will finish loading, thus it is impossible to
predict the exact order of execution for individual startups. For instance,
you may notice two or more system tray icons changing position with each
boot - even when no changes have been made to the order.]]

[[The order of items within a group is not necessarily the final order, as
some programs take longer than others to load, and synchronous groups can
overlap each other.]]

Items in 10 and 11 execute alphanumerically. You can change the order in 10
and 11 by moving the items from 11 to 10. Also, you can rename the
shortcuts in 10 and/or 11.

For example; dfg.exe, fgh.exe and ghj.exe would start in that order. To
change the order rename to 1ghj.exe, 2dfg.exe and 3fgh.exe. They would then
start in that order.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
JF said:
I would like to stop some programs from starting when I boot
Windows. I know I can do this though msconfig but is there a
start folder or registry key I can modify as well?
Thanks

Take your pick.

Option #1.
Run msconfig.
Note the registry key listed in the Location column next to the
program you want to remove from the startup list.
Run regedit and navigate to that key in the registry and delete
the entry in the right hand pane.

Option #2.

Download and run one of the following programs:

Autoruns
http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Autoruns.html

Startup Control Panel
http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

Startup Inspector
http://www.windowsstartup.com/

Good luck

Nepatsfan
 
JF said:
I would like to stop some programs from starting when I boot Windows. I know
I can do this though msconfig but is there a start folder or registry key I
can modify as well?
Thanks

First step should be to check in the options for the program you don't
want to start and see if there is a setting to tell it not to run at
startup. The next step is to remove any entries you don't want from the
two startup folders:

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

For anything else uncheck their entries in the startup tab of msconfig:
Start | Run | Msconfig | Ok

Another option is to remove the reference to them from one of these keys
in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

Make sure you have a backup of the registry using a program like ERUNT
before making any changes to the registry.

http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/erunt.txt

Installing & Using ERUNT
http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_eruntuse.html
http://www.winxptutor.com/regback.htm
http://www.aumha.org/downloads/erunt.zip
http://www.aumha.org/downloads/erunt-setup.exe
 
JF said:
I would like to stop some programs from starting when I boot Windows. I know
I can do this though msconfig but is there a start folder or registry key I
can modify as well?
Thanks


In most cases, with "well-mannered" applications, it's usually as
simple as opening the undesired program and deselecting the option to
"display icon in the system tray" or to "start when Windows starts."

Additionally, Look in the C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Start Menu\Programs\Start Up and C:\Documents and
Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Start Up folders, and in the
system registry, primarily in the
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run keys.

How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310560



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
JF said:
I would like to stop some programs from starting when I boot Windows. I know
I can do this though msconfig but is there a start folder or registry key I
can modify as well?

Run the program(s) in question and look for tab in
utils/setup/config/whatever and tell them to NOT load when windows
loads.
 
Bruce Chambers said:
In most cases, with "well-mannered" applications, it's usually as
simple as opening the undesired program and deselecting the option to
"display icon in the system tray" or to "start when Windows starts."

Additionally, Look in the C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Start Menu\Programs\Start Up and C:\Documents and
Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Start Up folders, and in the
system registry, primarily in the
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run keys.

Hi JF

You might like to consider using a startup manager, which is the easiest
way to do as Bruce suggests. It will show you the apps that are starting
under those keys, and allow you to stop them temporarily or permanently.

Startup Control Panel by Mike Lin is small, free, can live in the
Control Panel or run independently:
http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

I use it and also, for an occasional deeper dig, Codestuff Starter:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/ed/2003/05/1.php

Hope this helps.
 
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