Odd Windows start up behaviour

[TooNice]

Hi,

For some unexplainable reason, whenever I start my computer, Windows would navigate itself to C:\Program Files\Common (in a "My Computer" style window). This happened in my old PC everytime, and as annoying as I thought it was something I'll get rid of someday by reformatting my HD.

However, one of my storage HD half died on me, and I moved it to my new PC to run some data recovery tools. Anyway, not very relevant, except that the same bahaviour would happen on my new PC now (and it still happens on my old PC).

Even more strangely, I found new entries in my MSConfig under startup (that existed in my old PC, but not my new one). For instance, I get an "Elby Check" (from CloneCD), even though I never installed that on my new PC.

So my first question is, can I get rid of those entries? (I don't mean disabling by unticking the box, I mean removing it completely).

And my second question is, what controls which windows open up during start up? So that I can stop Windows navigating to that directory every time. It seems to be that the Intervideo WinCinema Manager could be culpit of doing something to my Windows setting. Because under C:\Program Files\Common , is a sole "bin" directory, which contains the Intervideo WinCinema Manager files (executable, dll etc.). I have disabled that from the msconfig though, so I don't know what else to try...

Thanks.

[EvilMunky]

get a program called winxp manager or Tune up utilities 2004 - (there are others but i like them).

These are programs that can both sort out your startup. You can add things, remove thigns, disable them etc with ease. I use this to remove all entries to things like realplayer and quicktime which insist on sitting in my damn system tray.

[Blub2k]

Hi TooNice,
you could open regedit and have a look under
HKey_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Run and see is there anything there pointing to the program path which opens, chances are it is not finding a program it is trying to start. If you see it there you can generally delete it, BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FIRST by exporting the keys that you are about to change to a floppy in case anything goes wrong, although if you use common sense the registry is your friend. Any questions feel free to ask.