Windows opens folder at startup

[Fokke Nauta]

Hi all,

Using W7 64b.
Since the last 2 weeks Windows has a strange habit: after being started
up it shows the folder C:\Windows\System32 on my desktop, without any
files or sub folders in it. Useless and everytime I need to close this
folder. I don't know as to why Windows does this; I haven't been in that
folder for ages.
What can I do to stop this? A registry hack somewhere?

Thanks in advance.

Fokke

 

[Rob]

Hi all,

Using W7 64b.
Since the last 2 weeks Windows has a strange habit: after being started
up it shows the folder C:\Windows\System32 on my desktop, without any
files or sub folders in it. Useless and everytime I need to close this
folder. I don't know as to why Windows does this; I haven't been in that
folder for ages.
What can I do to stop this? A registry hack somewhere?

Thanks in advance.

Fokke

A good summary of all the possible ways a program can start at login
is here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1401-startup-programs-change.html

If it is nothing obvious, the easiest way might be to use msconfig
and disable half the startup items. If that doesn't work, re-enable
them and disable the other half. Continue with this 'binary' method,
disabling half of the group which causes the issue and after a few
iterations you should find the culprit.

 

[Ed Cryer]

Hi all,

Using W7 64b.
Since the last 2 weeks Windows has a strange habit: after being started
up it shows the folder C:\Windows\System32 on my desktop, without any
files or sub folders in it. Useless and everytime I need to close this
folder. I don't know as to why Windows does this; I haven't been in that
folder for ages.
What can I do to stop this? A registry hack somewhere?

Thanks in advance.

Fokke

Run "msconfig" and look at the startup tab. Does anything use that folder?

Ed

 

[Fokke Nauta]

Run "msconfig" and look at the startup tab. Does anything use that folder?

Ed

No, nothing. I don't know where this comes from. Out of the blue Windows
decided to do this.

Fokke

 

[Fokke Nauta]

A good summary of all the possible ways a program can start at login
is here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1401-startup-programs-change.html

If it is nothing obvious, the easiest way might be to use msconfig
and disable half the startup items. If that doesn't work, re-enable
them and disable the other half. Continue with this 'binary' method,
disabling half of the group which causes the issue and after a few
iterations you should find the culprit.

I have applications that control startup of programs and services. But
nothing leads to this folder. If I can't find something else, I'll try
your method.

Fokke

 

[Johnny]

Hi all,

Using W7 64b.
Since the last 2 weeks Windows has a strange habit: after being started
up it shows the folder C:\Windows\System32 on my desktop, without any
files or sub folders in it. Useless and everytime I need to close this
folder. I don't know as to why Windows does this; I haven't been in that
folder for ages.
What can I do to stop this? A registry hack somewhere?

Thanks in advance.

Fokke

See if this helps:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?id=170086

 

[Johnny]

See if this helps:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?id=170086

Sorry, that's for XP.

 

[Rob]

I have applications that control startup of programs and services. But
nothing leads to this folder. If I can't find something else, I'll try
your method.

Fokke

Also might be worth seeing if "autoruns" (now owned by ms)
can find it:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx?ocid=fwlink

 

[Ed Cryer]

No, nothing. I don't know where this comes from. Out of the blue Windows
decided to do this.

Fokke

This looks very possible;
http://www.troublefixers.com/cwindowssystem32-folder-opens-on-startup/
I'd try the manual edit first, then the script.

Backup your registry first.

Ed

 

[Char Jackson]

This looks very possible;
http://www.troublefixers.com/cwindowssystem32-folder-opens-on-startup/
I'd try the manual edit first, then the script.

Backup your registry first.

I've fixed 15-20 systems since at least the dawn of XP with this problem and
the steps outlined at the link above are essentially what I do. It's almost
always a mangled entry in one of the Registry's Run keys. Easily fixed.

 

[Fokke Nauta]

This looks very possible;
http://www.troublefixers.com/cwindowssystem32-folder-opens-on-startup/
I'd try the manual edit first, then the script.

Backup your registry first.

Ed

Thanks, Ed. This looks useful. Indeed, I found a key with no value. It
was created by an application I used a long time ago. I removed it but
it didn't solve my open folder. BTW, I also checked the use of the "" in
de strings.

Fokke

 

[Fokke Nauta]

Hi all,

Using W7 64b.
Since the last 2 weeks Windows has a strange habit: after being started
up it shows the folder C:\Windows\System32 on my desktop, without any
files or sub folders in it. Useless and everytime I need to close this
folder. I don't know as to why Windows does this; I haven't been in that
folder for ages.
What can I do to stop this? A registry hack somewhere?

Thanks in advance.

Fokke

Sorry guys, I haven't looked properly. Very stupid of me :-(
It wasn't the C:\Windows\System32 folder but the C:\Windows\System
folder. This one is empty indeed. This makes a different story.
Apologies

Fokke

 

[Ed Cryer]

Sorry guys, I haven't looked properly. Very stupid of me :-(
It wasn't the C:\Windows\System32 folder but the C:\Windows\System
folder. This one is empty indeed. This makes a different story.
Apologies

Fokke

I get very few Google hits for this folder. And it's empty on my machines.
I think you can safely do a regedit for it, and any hit will be highly
suspect.

Ed

 

[Fokke Nauta]

I get very few Google hits for this folder.

So did I.

And it's empty on my machines.

OK, so it's naturally there and empty.

I think you can safely do a regedit for it, and any hit will be highly
suspect.

Ed

OK
I did. Nothing found ...

Fokke

 

[Ed Cryer]

So did I.


OK, so it's naturally there and empty.


OK
I did. Nothing found ...

Fokke

I think we're agreed about the cause here. Some startup procedure is
corrupted so that the folder is opened for user input.
Something like a filename not included in double quotes, or a file
doesn't exist.
The problem is to find that procedure.

There always exists boot-logging when all else has failed. And I think
we're pretty close to that.

Ed

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I think we're agreed about the cause here. Some startup procedure is
corrupted so that the folder is opened for user input.
Something like a filename not included in double quotes, or a file
doesn't exist.
The problem is to find that procedure.

There always exists boot-logging when all else has failed. And I think
we're pretty close to that.

Ed

It is easy to create a startup call to duplicate what Fokke Naute
experiences.

1. Create a shortcut to Windows Explorer.

2. Modify that shortcut to open in C:\Windows\System by changing the
target (in properties) to read

%windir%\explorer.exe %windir%\system

3. Move that shortcut to

"C:\Users\Your_Username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start
Menu\Programs\Startup"

That's it.

 

[Char Jackson]

The link refers to XP, are those instructions and the .vbs script
valid for Win 7 or only XP?

I prefer to edit the Registry manually rather than using a script.