Startup cleanup process

[Guest]

Have begun helping a friend cleanup her system ... we're removing a bunch of
unnecessary processes that load during startup by editing the Registry and
removing things from the Startup folder (and yes, we made backups!)

We ran into a couple lines listed on the Startup page of MSCONFIG that make
calls to programs that were uninstalled a long time ago; the lines say these
objects should be located in one of the Startup folders (specific users &
common) but they're not there. So how can we remove these lines?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no path in Value Data, the item shows up blank in
msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under Data is blank (nothing
there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller won't
know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if the
uninstaller deletes the target file then the startup becomes an orphan.
Orphans can also occur if you rename or move the target file elsewhere.
Where an orphan is also enabled you may see missing file reports at
startup. In the case of menu startups (shortcuts), the shell will
attempt to resolve the target by a brute-force search for the file based
upon the information stored in the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next, use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups -
if that is an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being
equal, the startups should be gone, along with the software that used
them. If not...]]


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

Wes:
Thanks for the detailed explanation, it was excellent ... however as I
stated in my original post MSCONFIG lists the path to these missing processes
as "Common Startup" and "Startup" which I believe means they should be
located in those folders and as such there wouldn't be any registry listing
for them, correct? How does one deal with these kinds of orphans?

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no path in Value Data, the item shows up blank in
msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under Data is blank (nothing
there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller won't
know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if the
uninstaller deletes the target file then the startup becomes an orphan.
Orphans can also occur if you rename or move the target file elsewhere.
Where an orphan is also enabled you may see missing file reports at
startup. In the case of menu startups (shortcuts), the shell will
attempt to resolve the target by a brute-force search for the file based
upon the information stored in the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next, use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups -
if that is an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being
equal, the startups should be gone, along with the software that used
them. If not...]]


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Have begun helping a friend cleanup her system ... we're removing a bunch
of unnecessary processes that load during startup by editing the Registry
and removing things from the Startup folder (and yes, we made backups!)

We ran into a couple lines listed on the Startup page of MSCONFIG that
make calls to programs that were uninstalled a long time ago; the lines
say these objects should be located in one of the Startup folders
(specific users & common) but they're not there. So how can we remove
these lines?

 

[Guest]

Wes,
Once again you provide this individual with an awesome answer & education.

I had never heard of StartMan so I Googled it and nothing but warnings
against installing/using the software came up. Ex.:

Bleeping Computer -> Startup Programs Database -> startman.exe Information
This is an undesirable program.

This file has been identified as a program that is undesirable to have
running on your computer. This consists of programs that are misleading,
harmful, or undesirable.

If the description states that it is a piece of malware, you should
immediately run an antivirus and antispyware program. If that does not help,
feel free to ask us for assistance in the forums.

& from SpywareInfo.com:
Our apologies. The author of this software has not been heard from in
several months, his web site has been removed, and users are emailing
questions about errors in the program which the operators of SpywareInfo are
unable to answer.

Until the author is heard from again and continues development of Startman,
this mirror is temporarily suspended.

In the meantime, we recommend an alternative program that is very similar
and just as free called Codestuff Starter.
--
What do you think and have you ever heard of Codestuff Starter?

I hope people appreciate what you're doing for them!
--
Peter D. Sheran

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no path in Value Data, the item shows up blank in
msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under Data is blank (nothing
there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller won't
know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if the
uninstaller deletes the target file then the startup becomes an orphan.
Orphans can also occur if you rename or move the target file elsewhere.
Where an orphan is also enabled you may see missing file reports at
startup. In the case of menu startups (shortcuts), the shell will
attempt to resolve the target by a brute-force search for the file based
upon the information stored in the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next, use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups -
if that is an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being
equal, the startups should be gone, along with the software that used
them. If not...]]


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Have begun helping a friend cleanup her system ... we're removing a bunch
of unnecessary processes that load during startup by editing the Registry
and removing things from the Startup folder (and yes, we made backups!)

We ran into a couple lines listed on the Startup page of MSCONFIG that
make calls to programs that were uninstalled a long time ago; the lines
say these objects should be located in one of the Startup folders
(specific users & common) but they're not there. So how can we remove
these lines?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Oops. Didn't see "Common Startup" and "Startup".

Common Startup is
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Startup is
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Paste into Start | Run the following two lines, one at a time and click
OK...

%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Delete the antisocial shortcuts.
-----

Here's a little more info about the System Configuration Utility
(msconfig.exe). And about %allusersprofile% & %userprofile%.

Msconfig.exe can handle startups from these locations...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

msconfig Startup Item, Command & Location

In the System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe), items in the column
Startup Item get their names from:

1. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. From the Value Name under the Name column in the registry under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, items in the column Command get their names from:

1. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. The path to the startup item in the Data column in the registry under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, Common Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

In msconfig, Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

As far as I know anything else listed under the Location column refers to
whatever startup registry key...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

For any logged on user, Start button\All Programs\Startup contains whatever
is in both
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
and
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
-----

%userprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the user's home
folder.

Typing or pasting %userprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to the
Documents and Settings folder on whatever drive it is located on for the
logged in user.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here

%allusersprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the All
Users folder.

Typing or pasting %allusersprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to the
Documents and Settings\All Users folder on whatever drive it is located on.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Wes:
Thanks for the detailed explanation, it was excellent ... however as I
stated in my original post MSCONFIG lists the path to these missing
processes as "Common Startup" and "Startup" which I believe means they
should be located in those folders and as such there wouldn't be any
registry listing for them, correct? How does one deal with these kinds of
orphans?

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no path in Value Data, the item shows up blank in
msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under Data is blank (nothing
there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller won't
know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if the
uninstaller deletes the target file then the startup becomes an orphan.
Orphans can also occur if you rename or move the target file elsewhere.
Where an orphan is also enabled you may see missing file reports at
startup. In the case of menu startups (shortcuts), the shell will
attempt to resolve the target by a brute-force search for the file based
upon the information stored in the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next, use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups -
if that is an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being
equal, the startups should be gone, along with the software that used
them. If not...]]


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Have begun helping a friend cleanup her system ... we're removing a
bunch of unnecessary processes that load during startup by editing the
Registry and removing things from the Startup folder (and yes, we made
backups!)

We ran into a couple lines listed on the Startup page of MSCONFIG that
make calls to programs that were uninstalled a long time ago; the lines
say these objects should be located in one of the Startup folders
(specific users & common) but they're not there. So how can we remove
these lines?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Hi Peter,

StartMan is an *excellent* program. One of the MVPs that I know corresponds
with Peter Forrest (aka PCForrest) by E-mail.

startman.exe mentioned at Bleeping Computer is not the same program. That
one is part of the Wareout infection...
http://research.sunbelt-software.com/threatdisplay.aspx?name=Misc.WareOut&threatid=40280

Doxdesk is on vacation or something.
http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/WareOut.html

from...
Bleeping Computer - startman.exe - File Information
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/startman.exe-14201.html

What spywareinfo.com says is true. About not being heard from, anyway.
http://www.spywareinfo.com/downloads/startman/

My version, the latest version of startman.exe, is Copyright ©2002,
PCForrest.

I never heard of Codestuff Starter. And I am not going to investigate. I
just use StartMan & Startup Control Panel to find out where something starts
from after I install a program. Then I remove the registry entry myself.

I recommend StartMan & Startup Control Panel. Both are free. I have both.

StartMan has a deal where you right click the startup entry, click on
Identify and IE takes you to http://www.sysinfo.org/startupinfo.html

And I have learned a lot from StartMan Help. A good resource. So is Help
and Support in Windows for that matter.

[[StartMan is an extended 'msconfig' Startup Manager, designed to take
control of all those pesky programs and background services that load and
run at logon - most of which you probably don't need. As well as providing
the usual trouble-shooting options to enable or disable startups, StartMan
also permits the removal of startups.
Duplicate Detection and Removal, a unique feature of StartMan, can be
configured to remove all duplicates automatically, with or without
prompting.
Orphan Detection and Removal. As above, for orphaned startups.
Executable Detection and Removal. As above, for executables.
Includes a full range of sorting options to make it easier to locate a
specific startup - by name, by filename - even by command line parameter! ]]

StartMan v1.3.96
http://www.pt.lu/comnet/desc/startman.html

StartMan v1.3.96 Direct download
http://www.pt.lu/comnet/files/utils/startman10396.exe
-----

Startup Control Panel is another pretty good application.

[[Startup Control Panel is a nifty control panel applet that allows you to
easily configure which programs run when your computer starts. It's simple
to use and, like all my programs, is very small and won't burden your
system. A valuable tool for system administrators!]]

Download the EXE Version and just extract the executable wherever you want.

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

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Wes,
Once again you provide this individual with an awesome answer & education.

I had never heard of StartMan so I Googled it and nothing but warnings
against installing/using the software came up. Ex.:

Bleeping Computer -> Startup Programs Database -> startman.exe Information
This is an undesirable program.

This file has been identified as a program that is undesirable to have
running on your computer. This consists of programs that are misleading,
harmful, or undesirable.

If the description states that it is a piece of malware, you should
immediately run an antivirus and antispyware program. If that does not
help, feel free to ask us for assistance in the forums.

& from SpywareInfo.com:
Our apologies. The author of this software has not been heard from in
several months, his web site has been removed, and users are emailing
questions about errors in the program which the operators of SpywareInfo
are unable to answer.

Until the author is heard from again and continues development of
Startman, this mirror is temporarily suspended.

In the meantime, we recommend an alternative program that is very similar
and just as free called Codestuff Starter.
--
What do you think and have you ever heard of Codestuff Starter?

I hope people appreciate what you're doing for them!
--
Peter D. Sheran

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no path in Value Data, the item shows up blank in
msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under Data is blank (nothing
there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller won't
know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if the
uninstaller deletes the target file then the startup becomes an orphan.
Orphans can also occur if you rename or move the target file elsewhere.
Where an orphan is also enabled you may see missing file reports at
startup. In the case of menu startups (shortcuts), the shell will
attempt to resolve the target by a brute-force search for the file based
upon the information stored in the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next, use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups -
if that is an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being
equal, the startups should be gone, along with the software that used
them. If not...]]


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Have begun helping a friend cleanup her system ... we're removing a
bunch of unnecessary processes that load during startup by editing the
Registry and removing things from the Startup folder (and yes, we made
backups!)

We ran into a couple lines listed on the Startup page of MSCONFIG that
make calls to programs that were uninstalled a long time ago; the lines
say these objects should be located in one of the Startup folders
(specific users & common) but they're not there. So how can we remove
these lines?

 

[Guest]

Wes:
Oops again for you, I'm afraid. I know where the "Common Startup" and
"Startup" folders are located ... and the problem I stated is that MSCONFIG
contains lines pointing to objects that DON'T exist in those folders. The
icons were already removed (I'm not sure how or when) and now I'd like to
remove the lines in the start process. I know I can "disable" the lines by
unchecking them in MSCONFIG but that option can be problematic since the
system then boots in a "modified" manner and seeing that message appear would
unsettle this novice user. Any suggestions?

Oops. Didn't see "Common Startup" and "Startup".

Common Startup is
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Startup is
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Paste into Start | Run the following two lines, one at a time and click
OK...

%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Delete the antisocial shortcuts.
-----

Here's a little more info about the System Configuration Utility
(msconfig.exe). And about %allusersprofile% & %userprofile%.

Msconfig.exe can handle startups from these locations...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

msconfig Startup Item, Command & Location

In the System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe), items in the column
Startup Item get their names from:

1. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. From the Value Name under the Name column in the registry under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, items in the column Command get their names from:

1. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. The path to the startup item in the Data column in the registry under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, Common Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

In msconfig, Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

As far as I know anything else listed under the Location column refers to
whatever startup registry key...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

For any logged on user, Start button\All Programs\Startup contains whatever
is in both
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
and
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
-----

%userprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the user's home
folder.

Typing or pasting %userprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to the
Documents and Settings folder on whatever drive it is located on for the
logged in user.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here

%allusersprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the All
Users folder.

Typing or pasting %allusersprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to the
Documents and Settings\All Users folder on whatever drive it is located on.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Wes:
Thanks for the detailed explanation, it was excellent ... however as I
stated in my original post MSCONFIG lists the path to these missing
processes as "Common Startup" and "Startup" which I believe means they
should be located in those folders and as such there wouldn't be any
registry listing for them, correct? How does one deal with these kinds of
orphans?

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no path in Value Data, the item shows up blank in
msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under Data is blank (nothing
there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller won't
know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if the
uninstaller deletes the target file then the startup becomes an orphan.
Orphans can also occur if you rename or move the target file elsewhere.
Where an orphan is also enabled you may see missing file reports at
startup. In the case of menu startups (shortcuts), the shell will
attempt to resolve the target by a brute-force search for the file based
upon the information stored in the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next, use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups -
if that is an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being
equal, the startups should be gone, along with the software that used
them. If not...]]


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In JamesP <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Have begun helping a friend cleanup her system ... we're removing a
bunch of unnecessary processes that load during startup by editing the
Registry and removing things from the Startup folder (and yes, we made
backups!)

We ran into a couple lines listed on the Startup page of MSCONFIG that
make calls to programs that were uninstalled a long time ago; the lines
say these objects should be located in one of the Startup folders
(specific users & common) but they're not there. So how can we remove
these lines?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Use msconfig to disable the items.

Disabled items are in >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupfolder

Delete the disabled items from the above key.

Heading to a remedial English class...

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Wes:
Oops again for you, I'm afraid. I know where the "Common Startup" and
"Startup" folders are located ... and the problem I stated is that
MSCONFIG contains lines pointing to objects that DON'T exist in those
folders. The icons were already removed (I'm not sure how or when) and
now I'd like to remove the lines in the start process. I know I can
"disable" the lines by unchecking them in MSCONFIG but that option can be
problematic since the system then boots in a "modified" manner and seeing
that message appear would unsettle this novice user. Any suggestions?

Oops. Didn't see "Common Startup" and "Startup".

Common Startup is
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Startup is
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Paste into Start | Run the following two lines, one at a time and click
OK...

%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Delete the antisocial shortcuts.
-----

Here's a little more info about the System Configuration Utility
(msconfig.exe). And about %allusersprofile% & %userprofile%.

Msconfig.exe can handle startups from these locations...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

msconfig Startup Item, Command & Location

In the System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe), items in the column
Startup Item get their names from:

1. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. From the Value Name under the Name column in the registry under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, items in the column Command get their names from:

1. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. The path to the startup item in the Data column in the registry under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, Common Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

In msconfig, Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

As far as I know anything else listed under the Location column refers to
whatever startup registry key...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

For any logged on user, Start button\All Programs\Startup contains
whatever is in both
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
and
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
-----

%userprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the user's
home folder.

Typing or pasting %userprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to the
Documents and Settings folder on whatever drive it is located on for the
logged in user.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here

%allusersprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the All
Users folder.

Typing or pasting %allusersprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to the
Documents and Settings\All Users folder on whatever drive it is located
on.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Wes:
Thanks for the detailed explanation, it was excellent ... however as I
stated in my original post MSCONFIG lists the path to these missing
processes as "Common Startup" and "Startup" which I believe means they
should be located in those folders and as such there wouldn't be any
registry listing for them, correct? How does one deal with these kinds
of orphans?

:

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no path in Value Data, the item shows up blank in
msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under Data is blank (nothing
there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller
won't know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if
the uninstaller deletes the target file then the startup becomes an
orphan. Orphans can also occur if you rename or move the target file
elsewhere. Where an orphan is also enabled you may see missing file
reports at startup. In the case of menu startups (shortcuts), the
shell will attempt to resolve the target by a brute-force search for
the file based upon the information stored in the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next, use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups -
if that is an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being
equal, the startups should be gone, along with the software that used
them. If not...]]


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In JamesP <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Have begun helping a friend cleanup her system ... we're removing a
bunch of unnecessary processes that load during startup by editing the
Registry and removing things from the Startup folder (and yes, we made
backups!)

We ran into a couple lines listed on the Startup page of MSCONFIG that
make calls to programs that were uninstalled a long time ago; the
lines say these objects should be located in one of the Startup
folders (specific users & common) but they're not there. So how can
we remove these lines?

 

[Guest]

Wes:
Thanks much for all the info and assistance.

Use msconfig to disable the items.

Disabled items are in >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupfolder

Delete the disabled items from the above key.

Heading to a remedial English class...

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Wes:
Oops again for you, I'm afraid. I know where the "Common Startup" and
"Startup" folders are located ... and the problem I stated is that
MSCONFIG contains lines pointing to objects that DON'T exist in those
folders. The icons were already removed (I'm not sure how or when) and
now I'd like to remove the lines in the start process. I know I can
"disable" the lines by unchecking them in MSCONFIG but that option can be
problematic since the system then boots in a "modified" manner and seeing
that message appear would unsettle this novice user. Any suggestions?

Oops. Didn't see "Common Startup" and "Startup".

Common Startup is
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Startup is
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Paste into Start | Run the following two lines, one at a time and click
OK...

%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Delete the antisocial shortcuts.
-----

Here's a little more info about the System Configuration Utility
(msconfig.exe). And about %allusersprofile% & %userprofile%.

Msconfig.exe can handle startups from these locations...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

msconfig Startup Item, Command & Location

In the System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe), items in the column
Startup Item get their names from:

1. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. From the Value Name under the Name column in the registry under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, items in the column Command get their names from:

1. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. The path to the startup item in the Data column in the registry under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, Common Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

In msconfig, Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

As far as I know anything else listed under the Location column refers to
whatever startup registry key...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

For any logged on user, Start button\All Programs\Startup contains
whatever is in both
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
and
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
-----

%userprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the user's
home folder.

Typing or pasting %userprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to the
Documents and Settings folder on whatever drive it is located on for the
logged in user.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here

%allusersprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the All
Users folder.

Typing or pasting %allusersprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to the
Documents and Settings\All Users folder on whatever drive it is located
on.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In JamesP <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Wes:
Thanks for the detailed explanation, it was excellent ... however as I
stated in my original post MSCONFIG lists the path to these missing
processes as "Common Startup" and "Startup" which I believe means they
should be located in those folders and as such there wouldn't be any
registry listing for them, correct? How does one deal with these kinds
of orphans?

:

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no path in Value Data, the item shows up blank in
msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under Data is blank (nothing
there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller
won't know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if
the uninstaller deletes the target file then the startup becomes an
orphan. Orphans can also occur if you rename or move the target file
elsewhere. Where an orphan is also enabled you may see missing file
reports at startup. In the case of menu startups (shortcuts), the
shell will attempt to resolve the target by a brute-force search for
the file based upon the information stored in the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next, use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups -
if that is an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being
equal, the startups should be gone, along with the software that used
them. If not...]]


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In JamesP <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Have begun helping a friend cleanup her system ... we're removing a
bunch of unnecessary processes that load during startup by editing the
Registry and removing things from the Startup folder (and yes, we made
backups!)

We ran into a couple lines listed on the Startup page of MSCONFIG that
make calls to programs that were uninstalled a long time ago; the
lines say these objects should be located in one of the Startup
folders (specific users & common) but they're not there. So how can
we remove these lines?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Keep having fun.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Wes:
Thanks much for all the info and assistance.

Use msconfig to disable the items.

Disabled items are in >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupfolder

Delete the disabled items from the above key.

Heading to a remedial English class...

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Wes:
Oops again for you, I'm afraid. I know where the "Common Startup" and
"Startup" folders are located ... and the problem I stated is that
MSCONFIG contains lines pointing to objects that DON'T exist in those
folders. The icons were already removed (I'm not sure how or when) and
now I'd like to remove the lines in the start process. I know I can
"disable" the lines by unchecking them in MSCONFIG but that option can
be problematic since the system then boots in a "modified" manner and
seeing that message appear would unsettle this novice user. Any
suggestions?

:

Oops. Didn't see "Common Startup" and "Startup".

Common Startup is
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Startup is
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Paste into Start | Run the following two lines, one at a time and click
OK...

%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Delete the antisocial shortcuts.
-----

Here's a little more info about the System Configuration Utility
(msconfig.exe). And about %allusersprofile% & %userprofile%.

Msconfig.exe can handle startups from these locations...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

msconfig Startup Item, Command & Location

In the System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe), items in the column
Startup Item get their names from:

1. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. From the Value Name under the Name column in the registry under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, items in the column Command get their names from:

1. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. The path to the startup item in the Data column in the registry
under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, Common Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

In msconfig, Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

As far as I know anything else listed under the Location column refers
to whatever startup registry key...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

For any logged on user, Start button\All Programs\Startup contains
whatever is in both
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
and
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
-----

%userprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the user's
home folder.

Typing or pasting %userprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to the
Documents and Settings folder on whatever drive it is located on for
the logged in user.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here

%allusersprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the
All Users folder.

Typing or pasting %allusersprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to
the Documents and Settings\All Users folder on whatever drive it is
located on.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In JamesP <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Wes:
Thanks for the detailed explanation, it was excellent ... however as I
stated in my original post MSCONFIG lists the path to these missing
processes as "Common Startup" and "Startup" which I believe means they
should be located in those folders and as such there wouldn't be any
registry listing for them, correct? How does one deal with these kinds
of orphans?

:

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target
file. A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no path in Value Data, the item shows up blank in
msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under Data is blank (nothing
there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller
won't know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if
the uninstaller deletes the target file then the startup becomes an
orphan. Orphans can also occur if you rename or move the target file
elsewhere. Where an orphan is also enabled you may see missing file
reports at startup. In the case of menu startups (shortcuts), the
shell will attempt to resolve the target by a brute-force search for
the file based upon the information stored in the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups
are enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be
located. Next, use the program's own options to disable or remove
the startups - if that is an option. Finally, uninstall the
software. All things being equal, the startups should be gone, along
with the software that used them. If not...]]


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In JamesP <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Have begun helping a friend cleanup her system ... we're removing a
bunch of unnecessary processes that load during startup by editing
the Registry and removing things from the Startup folder (and yes,
we made backups!)

We ran into a couple lines listed on the Startup page of MSCONFIG
that make calls to programs that were uninstalled a long time ago;
the lines say these objects should be located in one of the Startup
folders (specific users & common) but they're not there. So how can
we remove these lines?

 

[Guest]

HELP... I do not understad what HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupfolder. I have about 10 programs that start
when I turn on the computer and need to get rid of some... most I do not even
use. The problem is I am do not understand some of the steps listed to do
this. Is there a way for me to do this myself??

Use msconfig to disable the items.

Disabled items are in >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupfolder

Delete the disabled items from the above key.

Heading to a remedial English class...

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Wes:
Oops again for you, I'm afraid. I know where the "Common Startup" and
"Startup" folders are located ... and the problem I stated is that
MSCONFIG contains lines pointing to objects that DON'T exist in those
folders. The icons were already removed (I'm not sure how or when) and
now I'd like to remove the lines in the start process. I know I can
"disable" the lines by unchecking them in MSCONFIG but that option can be
problematic since the system then boots in a "modified" manner and seeing
that message appear would unsettle this novice user. Any suggestions?

Oops. Didn't see "Common Startup" and "Startup".

Common Startup is
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Startup is
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Paste into Start | Run the following two lines, one at a time and click
OK...

%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Delete the antisocial shortcuts.
-----

Here's a little more info about the System Configuration Utility
(msconfig.exe). And about %allusersprofile% & %userprofile%.

Msconfig.exe can handle startups from these locations...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

msconfig Startup Item, Command & Location

In the System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe), items in the column
Startup Item get their names from:

1. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. From the Value Name under the Name column in the registry under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, items in the column Command get their names from:

1. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. The path to the startup item in the Data column in the registry under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, Common Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

In msconfig, Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

As far as I know anything else listed under the Location column refers to
whatever startup registry key...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

For any logged on user, Start button\All Programs\Startup contains
whatever is in both
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
and
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
-----

%userprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the user's
home folder.

Typing or pasting %userprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to the
Documents and Settings folder on whatever drive it is located on for the
logged in user.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here

%allusersprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the All
Users folder.

Typing or pasting %allusersprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to the
Documents and Settings\All Users folder on whatever drive it is located
on.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In JamesP <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Wes:
Thanks for the detailed explanation, it was excellent ... however as I
stated in my original post MSCONFIG lists the path to these missing
processes as "Common Startup" and "Startup" which I believe means they
should be located in those folders and as such there wouldn't be any
registry listing for them, correct? How does one deal with these kinds
of orphans?

:

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no path in Value Data, the item shows up blank in
msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under Data is blank (nothing
there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller
won't know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if
the uninstaller deletes the target file then the startup becomes an
orphan. Orphans can also occur if you rename or move the target file
elsewhere. Where an orphan is also enabled you may see missing file
reports at startup. In the case of menu startups (shortcuts), the
shell will attempt to resolve the target by a brute-force search for
the file based upon the information stored in the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next, use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups -
if that is an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being
equal, the startups should be gone, along with the software that used
them. If not...]]


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In JamesP <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Have begun helping a friend cleanup her system ... we're removing a
bunch of unnecessary processes that load during startup by editing the
Registry and removing things from the Startup folder (and yes, we made
backups!)

We ran into a couple lines listed on the Startup page of MSCONFIG that
make calls to programs that were uninstalled a long time ago; the
lines say these objects should be located in one of the Startup
folders (specific users & common) but they're not there. So how can
we remove these lines?

 

[Joe Grover]

This is a registry key. The registry is accessed by clicking on Start ->
Run and typing regedit.exe.

However, the registry is not something to be messed with lightly. Changes
made to the registry are real-time--there's no "do you want to save changes"
or "cancel". If you delete something there, it's gone. If you don't feel
comfortable going in there, then you may want someone with a little more
experience to help you out.

HELP... I do not understad what HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupfolder. I have about 10 programs that start
when I turn on the computer and need to get rid of some... most I do not
even
use. The problem is I am do not understand some of the steps listed to do
this. Is there a way for me to do this myself??

Use msconfig to disable the items.

Disabled items are in >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupfolder

Delete the disabled items from the above key.

Heading to a remedial English class...

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Wes:
Oops again for you, I'm afraid. I know where the "Common Startup" and
"Startup" folders are located ... and the problem I stated is that
MSCONFIG contains lines pointing to objects that DON'T exist in those
folders. The icons were already removed (I'm not sure how or when) and
now I'd like to remove the lines in the start process. I know I can
"disable" the lines by unchecking them in MSCONFIG but that option can
be
problematic since the system then boots in a "modified" manner and
seeing
that message appear would unsettle this novice user. Any suggestions?

:

Oops. Didn't see "Common Startup" and "Startup".

Common Startup is
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Startup is
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
usually
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Paste into Start | Run the following two lines, one at a time and
click
OK...

%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Delete the antisocial shortcuts.
-----

Here's a little more info about the System Configuration Utility
(msconfig.exe). And about %allusersprofile% & %userprofile%.

Msconfig.exe can handle startups from these locations...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

msconfig Startup Item, Command & Location

In the System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe), items in the
column
Startup Item get their names from:

1. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The name of the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. From the Value Name under the Name column in the registry under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, items in the column Command get their names from:

1. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. The path to the startup item in
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
or %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. The path to the startup item in the Data column in the registry
under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and other various startup locations in the registry.

In msconfig, Common Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

In msconfig, Startup listed in the Location column, refers to
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

As far as I know anything else listed under the Location column refers
to
whatever startup registry key...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Load and Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

For any logged on user, Start button\All Programs\Startup contains
whatever is in both
%userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
and
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
-----

%userprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the
user's
home folder.

Typing or pasting %userprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to the
Documents and Settings folder on whatever drive it is located on for
the
logged in user.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here

%allusersprofile% is an environment variable that is the path to the
All
Users folder.

Typing or pasting %allusersprofile% into the Start | Run box opens to
the
Documents and Settings\All Users folder on whatever drive it is
located
on.

I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In JamesP <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Wes:
Thanks for the detailed explanation, it was excellent ... however as
I
stated in my original post MSCONFIG lists the path to these missing
processes as "Common Startup" and "Startup" which I believe means
they
should be located in those folders and as such there wouldn't be any
registry listing for them, correct? How does one deal with these
kinds
of orphans?

:

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target
file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no path in Value Data, the item shows up blank in
msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under Data is blank (nothing
there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at
a
later date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller
won't know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if
the uninstaller deletes the target file then the startup becomes an
orphan. Orphans can also occur if you rename or move the target file
elsewhere. Where an orphan is also enabled you may see missing file
reports at startup. In the case of menu startups (shortcuts), the
shell will attempt to resolve the target by a brute-force search for
the file based upon the information stored in the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups
are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next, use the program's own options to disable or remove the
startups -
if that is an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things
being
equal, the startups should be gone, along with the software that
used
them. If not...]]


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In JamesP <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Have begun helping a friend cleanup her system ... we're removing a
bunch of unnecessary processes that load during startup by editing
the
Registry and removing things from the Startup folder (and yes, we
made
backups!)

We ran into a couple lines listed on the Startup page of MSCONFIG
that
make calls to programs that were uninstalled a long time ago; the
lines say these objects should be located in one of the Startup
folders (specific users & common) but they're not there. So how can
we remove these lines?

 

[ajrfman]

I tried finding StartMan from the URL that you gave, but reached an error
code. I found out that the URL has changed to:
http://comnet.pt.lu/files/utils/startman10396.exe

Hi Peter,

StartMan is an *excellent* program. One of the MVPs that I know corresponds
with Peter Forrest (aka PCForrest) by E-mail.

startman.exe mentioned at Bleeping Computer is not the same program. That
one is part of the Wareout infection...
http://research.sunbelt-software.com/threatdisplay.aspx?name=Misc.WareOut&threatid=40280

Doxdesk is on vacation or something.
http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/WareOut.html

from...
Bleeping Computer - startman.exe - File Information
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/startman.exe-14201.html

What spywareinfo.com says is true. About not being heard from, anyway.
http://www.spywareinfo.com/downloads/startman/

My version, the latest version of startman.exe, is Copyright ©2002,
PCForrest.

I never heard of Codestuff Starter. And I am not going to investigate. I
just use StartMan & Startup Control Panel to find out where something starts
from after I install a program. Then I remove the registry entry myself.

I recommend StartMan & Startup Control Panel. Both are free. I have both.

StartMan has a deal where you right click the startup entry, click on
Identify and IE takes you to http://www.sysinfo.org/startupinfo.html

And I have learned a lot from StartMan Help. A good resource. So is Help
and Support in Windows for that matter.

[[StartMan is an extended 'msconfig' Startup Manager, designed to take
control of all those pesky programs and background services that load and
run at logon - most of which you probably don't need. As well as providing
the usual trouble-shooting options to enable or disable startups, StartMan
also permits the removal of startups.
Duplicate Detection and Removal, a unique feature of StartMan, can be
configured to remove all duplicates automatically, with or without
prompting.
Orphan Detection and Removal. As above, for orphaned startups.
Executable Detection and Removal. As above, for executables.
Includes a full range of sorting options to make it easier to locate a
specific startup - by name, by filename - even by command line parameter! ]]

StartMan v1.3.96
http://www.pt.lu/comnet/desc/startman.html

StartMan v1.3.96 Direct download
http://www.pt.lu/comnet/files/utils/startman10396.exe
-----

Startup Control Panel is another pretty good application.

[[Startup Control Panel is a nifty control panel applet that allows you to
easily configure which programs run when your computer starts. It's simple
to use and, like all my programs, is very small and won't burden your
system. A valuable tool for system administrators!]]

Download the EXE Version and just extract the executable wherever you want.

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

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Wes,
Once again you provide this individual with an awesome answer & education.

I had never heard of StartMan so I Googled it and nothing but warnings
against installing/using the software came up. Ex.:

Bleeping Computer -> Startup Programs Database -> startman.exe Information
This is an undesirable program.

This file has been identified as a program that is undesirable to have
running on your computer. This consists of programs that are misleading,
harmful, or undesirable.

If the description states that it is a piece of malware, you should
immediately run an antivirus and antispyware program. If that does not
help, feel free to ask us for assistance in the forums.

& from SpywareInfo.com:
Our apologies. The author of this software has not been heard from in
several months, his web site has been removed, and users are emailing
questions about errors in the program which the operators of SpywareInfo
are unable to answer.

Until the author is heard from again and continues development of
Startman, this mirror is temporarily suspended.

In the meantime, we recommend an alternative program that is very similar
and just as free called Codestuff Starter.
--
What do you think and have you ever heard of Codestuff Starter?

I hope people appreciate what you're doing for them!
--
Peter D. Sheran

This is known as a startup orphan.

A startup orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

If there is no path in Value Data, the item shows up blank in
msconfig | Startup. Also if Default under Data is blank (nothing
there at all) instead of (value not set).

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |
Navigate to >>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

What do you see in the right hand pane?
Do you see an entry with blank (nothing there at all) in the Data
column?

From StartMan HELP:
[[An orphan is a startup item that has a non-existent target file.
A target is the file which a startup will run when invoked.

How do they occur?

They primarily occur because you've disabled a startup and then, at a
later date, uninstalled the program that uses it. The uninstaller won't
know about the disabled startup so it gets left behind. And if the
uninstaller deletes the target file then the startup becomes an orphan.
Orphans can also occur if you rename or move the target file elsewhere.
Where an orphan is also enabled you may see missing file reports at
startup. In the case of menu startups (shortcuts), the shell will
attempt to resolve the target by a brute-force search for the file based
upon the information stored in the shortcut.

How do I avoid creating orphans when uninstalling software?

Firstly, before uninstalling any software, ensure all its startups are
enabled with StartMan. This ensures all its startups can be located.
Next, use the program's own options to disable or remove the startups -
if that is an option. Finally, uninstall the software. All things being
equal, the startups should be gone, along with the software that used
them. If not...]]


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In JamesP <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Have begun helping a friend cleanup her system ... we're removing a
bunch of unnecessary processes that load during startup by editing the
Registry and removing things from the Startup folder (and yes, we made
backups!)

We ran into a couple lines listed on the Startup page of MSCONFIG that
make calls to programs that were uninstalled a long time ago; the lines
say these objects should be located in one of the Startup folders
(specific users & common) but they're not there. So how can we remove
these lines?