Item in Startup list can't be deleted

[norel]

I've had this one item in my Startup list for a long time now and it won't delete. It can be enabled and disabled but it's blank under "Key" "Program" and "File" so I'm not sure what it is. I've had it disabled for a long time and my system works just fine so I don't think it's anything crucial. I'd like to be able to see what it is and delete it if possible. Anyone happen to know what this weirdness is about?

 

Thanks.

[Andavari]

The bottom part of your screenshot is cut off so it's impossible to see what's in the list.

[norel]

The item I'm asking about is shown at the top of the list and has gray highlighting. Under "Enabled" it says NO. The rest of the items as you look across the row are blank. Normally there would be info in the other columns under "Key" "Program" and "File" but for this particular entry they're all blank.

 

All the other items in the list have information about the files and are just fine. What I would like to know is why this one has no information and why it can't be deleted.

 

Thanks.

[hazelnut]

If you do start and type in msconfig where it says 'start search' and then press enter. Then press the startup tab when the configuration utility appears. Is there a ''blank'' entry there also?

[Nergal]

you also may be able to use http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/what_run_in_startup.html and delete the entry. . . that said, it might (though I doubt it as it is disabled) be related to your antivirus solution

[norel]

I have 14 items in the Windows Startup list, all enabled. And the same 14 are in the CCleaner list plus the rogue one. I tried the NirSoft utility you suggested Nergal and it doesn't show the rogue one, just the 14.

 

I tried removing every trace of CCleaner from my system and reinstalling from scratch but when I reinstalled it was still there. I uninstalled CCleaner with Add/Remove Programs then deleted every file and folder I could find named "CCleaner" or "Piriform." I purged the registry in the same way. So unless there's some CCleaner file with an oddball name that's retaining old data I'm out of ideas. It may be one of those things that'll just have to be lived with.

[Andavari]

You could check in the Startup folder and see if it has any attributes on it like read-only, or hidden, that is if it's a standard shortcut.

[norel]

The problem is there's no information about it whatsoever. It says "NO" for Enable and that's it, and I can't get it to enable. If it showed a location I could track it down in the registry. I think it might actually be a glitch somewhere in the registry, maybe a leftover key from when I uninstalled something. CCleaner appears to be picking it up for some reason. I searched through the registry to see if there was anything resembling a Startup list among the various CCleaner entries but couldn't find anything.

[ident]

The problem is there's no information about it whatsoever. It says "NO" for Enable and that's it, and I can't get it to enable. If it showed a location I could track it down in the registry. I think it might actually be a glitch somewhere in the registry, maybe a leftover key from when I uninstalled something. CCleaner appears to be picking it up for some reason. I searched through the registry to see if there was anything resembling a Startup list among the various CCleaner entries but couldn't find anything.

 

Try adding a screen shot that serves a purpose or giving us the .exe name,

[hazelnut]

Please tell me if there is also a ''blank'' entry in msconfig startups.

[Nergal]

the screen shot actually does serve a purpose (yes it took me a while too)

The shot he provided the highlighted thing (in grey) only says "no" (under enabled) there is no title to it, there is no reg key or registration. it is a completly empty line in ccleaner that says no i am not enabled.

 

I've no Idea why/where this would be happening(it does not appear to exist in the nirsoft program nor in msconfig)

 

this could be one of three things (that come to mind)

 

1) Ccleaner is makeing a mistake

 

2) (as suggested above) there might be some sort of startupfile to which the current computer user has no access to but is in an all user folder or HKLM

 

3) Poster has rootkit or malware that has been programmed with nirsoft (type apps) and msconfig in mind but ccleaner is looking at it differently and thus sees it

[Willy2]

When a startup item (stored in the registry) is disabled (NOT removed !!) then it's moved from either

 

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

or

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

 

to

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\Startupreg

 

(When an item is enabled then it's moved the other way.) So, one should remove some info from that last registry key. Since CC doesn't provide any name, my best guess is that there's a empty key/value in that last registry key that needs to be removed. And perhaps the CC registry tool can remove that empty key as well. Otherwise use a registry cleaner that's cleans the registry more thoroughly.

[norel]

Thanks a lot Willy2.

 

I found all the enabled items where you said they should be. In HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\Startupreg there's only an ab(Default) key with no value set and it won't delete. I guess that could be it but what's really weird is no other Startup tool shows it.

 

I've used WhatInStartup by NirSoft, Glary Utilities, Comodo System Cleaner and the Windows "msconfig" Startup Utility. Only CCleaner shows it. Strange indeed. I have Vista 32 bit for whatever it's worth, I don't know if it matters.

 

Thanks everyone for your ongoing support.

[Willy2]

In that key, ...../Startupreg, there should something like this:

 

ab (Default) REG_SZ (No value)

 

This is quite normal and shouldn't be deleted.

 

When an item is disabled from the startlist then there's a new subkey created under ......./Startupreg. I have such a subkey called ""D066UUtility"" (see attachment) and that key contains all the relevant info in order for that item to be ""enabled"" again. Do you have such a subkey under ...../Startupreg ? That info/subkey could be the cause of that blank line in CC.

[norel]

Nope, no subkey.

[Willy2]

My last suggestion: Perhaps there's a subkey under Startupfolder (just above Startupreg) that could cause the problem ?

 

Perhaps CC comes up with more startup items than Msconfig. Below some links to additional info, what to look for.

http://www.bleepingc...tutorial44.html

http://www.tweaksfor...StartupLoc.html

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Startup.htm

 

Let me know if this helps because I am curious whether or not CCleaner digs deeper than e.g. Msconfig.

[norel]

Willy2 you fixed it dude!

 

It was a subkey in Startupfolder. It was from some Logitech mouse software I uninstalled awhile back.

 

I really appreciate it!