AArrgghhh!! users startup folder overridden by common one....

  • Thread starter Thread starter Stuart Summerville
  • Start date Start date
S

Stuart Summerville

About the same time I was mistakenly deleting some desktop.ini files
from some directories (particularly
startup/programs/startmenu/desktop.ini...), I have had this problem
where system tools that inspect ones startup programs (HKLM, HKCU,
startup-user, startup-common ... eg. msconfig, msinfo, startupCPL
etc...) are seeing startup-common entries mirrored over to the
startup-user list.

The startup-user directory (<user>/startmenu/programs/startup) has a
unique list of files, but the other tools can't see them - they just see
an additional set of shortcuts based on those in startup-common. Its
almost as if one startup folder is a link to the other (as those tools
see it), but they're not, because I can see them being different in
explorer.

Aside from not being able to have those startup-user tools run on boot,
one has the considerably annoying problem that all those duplicates are
run twice on boot, causing some to go haywire.

I've done SP1a reinstalls... and disk scans & defrags, all to no avail.

Anyone know how to deal with this? I thought I was onto something with
the desktop.ini deletions, but upon copying a good one over (with
correct perms), it still doesn't work. Besides, I've never known (under
NT4, Win2K) these startup directories to need any more hand-holding than
just existence, access, and files within. Has this changed with XP?

I'm about to give up and go create/populate/configure a new profile, but
would LOVE to know why this has happened... for next time. :)

I'm running PC Cillin 2003.

Thanks for any help,

sTu.
 
At a guess the startups have been pointed to the same folder.

Look up these keys and values in the Registry Editor (type regedit in Start - Run to start it). Each pair should be identical (one is used by windows and thus by newer programs that get the path by asking windows, the other is used by older programs that read the registry direct) though the format of the path can be different.

Common Startup
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders

Startup
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserShell Folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
 
Thanks for the info David... I suspected there were reg entires like
these, that DO actually get used in reading the startup shortcuts,
rather than just looking in those directories. Unfortunately I had no
clue what they were.

Unforutunately, I don't have access to that profile anymore, but will
certainly keep your suggestion bookmarked for next time this happens. :)

Thanks again,

sTu.
 
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