Windows 7: How to remove unwanted startup entries in msconfig?

I've done this in every version of windows, and i found the following in 7 which seems o be the same place in the registry that i'd delete them in other versions...



HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupreg

Found it by doing a search in regedit for one of the msconfig entries. I exported one of them so i could add it back in case this was a mistake, then deleted it from the registry. Opened msconfig and startup tab and sure enough it was gone. However, I stopped short of removing all the unwanted stuff because i noticed there were only about 1/2 as many things there as i have in the msconfig startup. Theres even at least one thing listed in that registry folder thats NOT in msconfig, further making me hesitant to do this. So i figured that might be the wrong place to delete them from. Whats up here? If that IS the right place why so many things missing? If it isn't the right place, where IS the right place? (my search found nothing else tho so i can't see how it can't be the right place)

Hi dazco

You could just use CCleaners start-up tab to enable/disable or remove start-up entries.

Danny

I dont know whether this answers your question but I think only the unchecked msconfig entries are stored under that reg key (startupreg). The active (checked) entries are located under:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE – Software – Microsoft – Windows – CurrentVersion – Run

HKEY_CURRENT_USER – Software – Microsoft – Windows – CurrentVersion – Run

HKEY_CURRENT_USER – Software – Microsoft – Windows NT – CurrentVersion – Windows

Hello Dazco,

I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for either, but it may help.

Startup Programs - Change

Maybe it's just me but I've read various things that seem to imply there's some dependency issues that could come into play when deleting startup entries in the registry. Delete "A" and "G" might not work. Delete "T" and maybe "K" gets borked.

With Danny's idea above (to use CCleaner) you could disable startup items rather than delete them from the registry. Wouldn't that be a safer approach? Especially considering that Windows 7 seems to do a much better job of optimizing itself without a lot of user tweaking in the registry.

I prefer Autoruns to CCleaner for disabling 3rd party start-up items but both are valid options

Hello dazco

The advantage of Ccleaner come into its own for deleting those start up keys that sometimes get left behind after uninstalling a program, and are now redundant, without messing through the registry for them.
Anything thats still in use/installed I would do what marsmimar suggested and just disable them with this or in msconfig, that way if you need them again they are there waiting.

Danny

I think i figured it out, and yes, you are right about the checked items. But there were more unchecked entries in msconfig than in that reg folder. However, i found the missing ones in the folder that the startupreg folder is in called "startupfolder". In other words, the startupreg folder is a subfolder to that one and the missing entries are in that. Why, i don't know. And i will export them before i delete them just to be safe.

I would use that cc cleaner, but i hate installing yet another app just to do one thing lie this.

Yes, that startupfolder key also comes into place though IDK how the entries get distributed between startupfolder and startupreg.

i couldnt find this key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupreg

I am running on Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit.

I havent tried looking in regedit 64 bit only the 32 bit version and the key is no where to be found. I even tried searching "msconfig" but the above key didnt show up