## Here is a C&P of what is actually there.
NAV Agent c:\progra~1\norton~1\norton~1\navapw32.exe All Users
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run <--- *** What is this?
Navigator c:\progra~1\direcway\bin\dpcnav.exe All Users Common Startup
NvCplDaemon rundll32.exe c:\windows\system32\nvcpl.dll,nvstartup All Users
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run <---*** What is this?
Recguard c:\windows\sminst\recguard.exe All Users
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Run StartupMonitor startupmonitor.exe All Users
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Symantec NetDriver Monitor c:\progra~1\symnet~1\sndmon.exe All Users
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run <---*** What is this?
WordWeb c:\progra~1\wordweb\wweb32.exe All Users Common Startup
desktop desktop.ini NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM Startup <-- ** Why are four
running?
desktop desktop.ini KAREN\Owner Startup
desktop desktop.ini .DEFAULT Startup
desktop desktop.ini All Users Common Startup
## The others I know what they are - but how do you tell what the others
are?
You're not taking in the meaning of all that you're seeing. Let's break the
first startup item from the list into parts so that you can see it more
clearly...
NAV Agent c:\progra~1\norton~1\norton~1\navapw32.exe All Users
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run <--- *** What is this?
Navap32.exe is the executable file for a program component that uses the
"friendly name" NAV Agent to describe itself. The path to this executable
file is
c:\progra~1\norton~1\norton~1\navapw32.exe
This is the shortened version of a path that contains one or more long file
name (LFN). LFN is any name that exceeds the old 8.3 naming convention.
Newer versions of Windows support LFN but the old shortened version (8.3)
shows up now and then "under the hood." I can only guess at what the actual
path is. It will be something like this:
C:\Program Files\Norton-something-longer-than-8-
characters\Norton-again-something-longer-than-8-characters\navapw32.exe
This component is registered to load for "All Users."
The command that tells Windows to run this executable at startup is stored
in a subkey under this registry key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
This is one of the elusive locations that you've been trying to track down
to better manage your startup programs.
When you open Registry Editor, you'll notice it has 2 columns. Navigate to
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and highlight the word
Run in the left column.
A list of startup items appears in the right hand pane. Among those items
will be one that mentions the path to the navapw32.exe file.
Now that we have interpreted what MSCONFIG or System Information is telling
you, let's talk about disabling the item.
If you do not know what NAV Agent (navapw32.exe) is or what it does, you
would look it up on the internet. Places to check might include : the
Symantec site since this is obviously a part of their software, one of the
sites that maintain startup lists such as Pac's Portal that Frank gave you
a link to. Here's another site that I've found to be a good reference:
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm. The startup
sites are not all inclusive but they cover a lot of territory. Also, one
site may have information on items that another doesn't have.
Read any descriptions that you find for this item at these sites. Decide if
it's something you want or don't want in startup.
To remove the item from startup via the registry editor, delete the subkey
(not the entire Run branch, just the subkey that mentions navap32.exe).
NOTE: While you're in here, you might want to get rid of the leftover
subkeys that belong to programs that you no longer have installed.
If you want a backup of a key that you are going to delete, export it
first. The export dialog will prompt you to save the exported data as a
..REG file. Name it in a manner that will remind you what it is for. After
the export and save is complete, delete the subkey.
If you later decide that deleting the subkey was a mistake, you can double
click that saved .REG to merge the info back into the registry. The item
will be added back to startup and will load the next time the computer is
booted.
On the other hand, after ascertaining that there are no ill effects from
removing the item from startup - you could delete the .REG file.
From the list that you copied and pasted above, these startup items I don't
recognize: dpcnav.exe, recguard.exe, wweb32.exe
You'll need to look those up.
For the rest:
nvcpl.dll is part of nVidea drivers or one of the nVidia files that augment
the Display control panel
startupmonitor.exe is what it says it is: your startup monitor program
Symantec NetDriver (sndmon.exe) more of Norton's stuff but don't know how
necessary it is or if it's okay to delete.
The assorted desktop.ini files aren't a problem. No need to worry about
those.
If all of this seems like too much bother, go back to using only MSCONFIG
and startup monitor to enable/disable startup programs. While it's often
recommended to disable at the source, your computer won't burn up if you
elect to use these tools instead. You'll get annoying reminder from
MSCONFIG that you are in "selective startup" but can check a box that tells
the program not to bother you again until another change is made via
MSCONFIG.
)