startup?

[Param R.]

Hi all, I have a Windows XP Pro SP2 Dell laptop and I un-installed some
programs that came with it and now everytime windows starts up it
automatically launches Windows Explorer and I get an error message saying
the path/file cannot be found. I have checked msconfig and disabled
eveything in startup and I still get it. I also searched the registry and
deleted all occurences of the file it is trying to launch during startup.
But it still happens. Any ideas? Where else could startup info be stored?

TIA!

 

[Charlie Tame]

Have you tried searching for a folder called "Startup"

There are probably several if you have more than one user, and there's one
for "All users" so it is possible Msconfig has missed something. You need to
let the search complete and see if any of them contain anything that looks
relevant.

When searching the registry I often use "Runonce" which takes you close to
the "Run" keys. Searching for "Run" is a bit hopeless since you get too many
hits. Just be careful what you remove from the run keys, again there's more
than one.

If in doubt ask before doing anything and maybe someone will recognize the
problem.

Searching for the filename may not locate the startup method because the
program being called could be getting called by something else.

Charlie

 

[Peter Foldes]

It is a Dell OEM . The programs or one of the programs you deleted was probably tied to the Start up. Try re-installing those programs one by one and see which one will make this error stop. Another thing you might want to try is to call Dell if you are still covered by their plan.

BTW. How and which method did you use to delete those programs?