Need to find out where programs launch themselves from? Check out the following
or if you want to know for without a lot of searching. A good solution is to
download AutoStart Guard, the Freeware Autostart Viewing, Alerting
& Control System for Window.
- RunServiceOnce subkey : designed to start service programs before user logs
on and before other registry subkeys start.
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce
registry key
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce
registry key
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce
- RunServices subkey : loads immediately after RunServicesOnce and before user
logon.
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
registry key
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
registry key
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
- Run subkey : The Run subkey in HKLM runs immediately before the Run subkey
in HKCU.
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
registry key
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
registry key
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- RunOnce subkey : primarily used by Setup programs. The HKLM subkey version
of RunOnce runs programs immediately after logon and before other registry Run
entries. The HKCU subkey version of RunOnce runs programs after Run subkeys and
after the Startup folder.
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
registry key
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
registry key XP also has RunOnceEx:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx
registry key
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- RunOnce\Setup subkey : specifies programs to run after the user logs on
- Explorer\Run subkey :
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run
registry key
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run
registry key
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run
- Userinit subkey : there is an entry for userinit.exe but subkey can accept
multiple comma- separated values. Can’t find where program starting? Look here.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit registry key
- load subkey :
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\load registry key
- All Users Startup folder : very common place to find autostart programs for
whoever logs on
Documents and Settings\All Users\Start
Menu\Programs\Startup folder
- Startup folder : the most common location for programs to automatically boot
from
Documents and Settings\user\Start
Menu\Programs\Startup folder If you migrated from NT, the path is Profiles\user\Start Menu\Programs\Startup