Need help with MSCONFIG!!

[bob943]

I'm trying to troubleshoot our laptop using MSCONFIG. Why is is that for some items in the Startup list, even if you uncheck them and reboot the system, they come back in MSCONFIG as checked items?

[Steve R Jones]

Might be a shortcut in a StartUp folder that keeps launching it.

[Midknyte]

things like spyware and viruses will repopulate the startup. some files, like the nvidia cpl will also reload automatically.

[bob943]

There are no item in the Startup folder.

As to viruses and spyware, I guess I'm wondering how Windows XP fires off applications when it boots. I know that anything in the Startup folder gets started, as well as stuff in the various Startup areas in the Registry. How else can a spyware/virus application fire off automatically when Windows boots?

[Steve R Jones]

Backing up the story a little bit-> What programs are re-appearing in msconfig?

[steves]

If you haven't already looked the start-up areas in the registry are the Run/RunOnce/RunOnceEx etc keys under

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion

[Tweb]

This may not be the problem.

Some may load as hiden services in device manager. The files can be in Windows or the sub folders Systen32 or system an can't be disabled by msconfig.