Preventing apps from adding themselves to startup when they run

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dan
  • Start date Start date
D

Dan

Both the Encarta dictionary & Real Audio add items to my startup
directory each time they run. The nerve, I HATE that! So every time I
run either, I have to go into msconfig & unclick their additions. Is
there anyway to prevent this (other than not running the programs)?
Oddly, this is the 2nd time I've loaded Encarta ref lib, the 1st time
the dictionary portion didn't do this.

TIA

Dan
 
Well, in my opinion, the only way to prevent it is to not run this cocky
software. I feel the same way. I can't stand the way that it seems all
software thinks it's the most important software in the world and wants have
things in your Run key, icons in your system tray, etc. etc. Real Player
blows. I absolutely refuse to ever use it.

But, obviously if you want to install the software, you're going to. One
thing that you could try doing, and this isn't necessarily the best idea, is
you could change the permissions on the HKLM\software\microsoft\windows\run
key (and in HKCU) so that you only have Read access to the key. Then, if
you install a program and it tries to add a value in your Run key, it will
be denied. Of course, this could halt the program installation. You could
also tak the reverse approach and only give yourself permission to WRITE to
the run key, but not read. Then, you could have 100 things in there, but
they won't run when you log on, since you won't be permitted to read the
values in the key. (This is all theorizing. I haven't tested any of this.)

Ray at work
 
Ray-Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I've always hated Real, but there are a
number of streaming audio programs that only use it, so if I want to
listen I have to use the damned thing. As far as I'm aware, there's no
alternative for the webcasts that are only in the real audio format, no?

Dan
 
I don't know of any either, and sometimes I'm a bit disappointed when I have
to go without viewing a .rm video I'd like to see. I think that Media
Player supported RM's a few years back, but things sure are different
nowadays. That was before everyone was suing everyone else and/or suing
Microsoft.

Ray at work
 
Hey Dan,
One thing you can do is to remove items from the run value
in the registry. I think Ray directed you to
HKLM\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run in an
earlier reply. By removing items from there, they will not
automatically start up.
But to prevent them from installing there, Ray's option is
the best. When I install something on my system, I'll
usually check to see if it adds a run value to the
registry. If it does, I'll usually export it out (CYA) and
then delete the value. An extra step but it keeps a lot of
garbage from automatically running when I power up.
kelly
 
If you disable real in startup it will simply install a second startup, ad
infinitum.
And Real have complained about MS practices!!!!!!!!!!!
There is a Real file that you delete to prevent this occurring, afraid I
dont remember file name, but if you google I'm sure youll find it.
 
Concerning REAL, I deleted the folder PROGRAM FILES\COMMON
FILE\REAL\UPDATE_OB. The program still runs & so far has not
re-inserted itself into startup.

Dan
 
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