Welcome guest. Before posting on our computer help forum, you must register. Click here it's easy and free.

« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Most applications not starting on startup.  (Read 6350 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

_ReApEr

  • Guest
Most applications not starting on startup.
« on: March 20, 2007, 09:23:17 PM »
Alright, so. This problem has been going on for a couple weeks, now, and I've just dealt with it. But it's starting to drive me up the wall. SO. Posting it. ^^

I turned my computer on one day to find that, for one (and most noticeably), explorer.exe wasn't running. No desktop, no taskbar, all that good stuff. So I Ctrl+Alt+Del'd and ran it manually. Which simply opened up My Documents. Still no taskbar, no icons, nothing. So, for two weeks, I've been manually running everything through the Task Manager. Mildly irritating, to say the least.

Upon further use of my computer, I realised a whole lot of things aren't running on startup. For example, my Logitech applications for my mouse/keyboard. So, I decided to go ahead and check the registry to see if anything was messed up. All's well. I can't figure it out. Something's apparently blocking things from starting on startup, but I can't figure out, for the life of me, what.

Let's see. I've run a Window's Repair, I've checked the registry, I've checked msconfig's boot list... I don't know what else to try. I'd just reformat, but my backup partition is full and I REALLY don't feel like rearranging three partitions and transferring a few hundred gigs of data from two to the other. SO, if I can get it fixed otherwise, that'd be wonderful.

Thanks in advance for any help.
Logged

CBMatt

  • Mod & Malware Specialist


    • Prodigy

  • Sad and lonely...and loving every minute of it.
    • Thanked: 167
    • Yes
  • Experience: Experienced
  • OS: Windows 7
Re: Most applications not starting on startup.
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2007, 09:57:43 PM »
What OS is this?
Do your programs autostart in Safe Mode?
And more importantly...what protection do you have?
Logged
Quote
An undefined problem has an infinite number of solutions.
由obert A. Humphrey

_ReApEr

  • Guest
Re: Most applications not starting on startup.
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2007, 11:11:50 PM »
Windows XP.
I thought the point of Safe Mode was to NOT start anything other than system-critical programs...? No.
McAfee.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2007, 11:12:27 PM by _ReApEr »
Logged

CBMatt

  • Mod & Malware Specialist


    • Prodigy

  • Sad and lonely...and loving every minute of it.
    • Thanked: 167
    • Yes
  • Experience: Experienced
  • OS: Windows 7
Re: Most applications not starting on startup.
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2007, 11:48:23 PM »
I was mainly asking the second question because you said that explorer.exe wasn't running, leaving you without a taskbar or anything.  I wanted to see if this might be any different in Safe Mode.  I should've specified that.

McAfee is a decent program (I personally enjoy having SecurityCenter), but it's not the best.  If you're able to save and run documents/files/programs, try taking AVG Free for a spin (in Safe Mode if you can).  Make sure you update it first.

As that generally takes a significant amount of time, perhaps posting a HijackThis log first will help give us a bit of insight.

Someone will hopefully come along shortly with input from a more technical standpoint.

Can you think of any changes you might have made before this problem occured?
« Last Edit: March 20, 2007, 11:50:03 PM by CBMatt »
Logged
Quote
An undefined problem has an infinite number of solutions.
由obert A. Humphrey

patio

  • Moderator


    • Genius
  • Maud' Dib
    • Thanked: 1769
    • Yes
  • Experience: Beginner
  • OS: Windows 7
Re: Most applications not starting on startup.
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2007, 12:01:43 AM »
How did you run a Windows repair ? ? Do you mean a repair install ? ?
Have you tried running system file checker ? ?
Start / Run/ sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
Logged
" Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "

_ReApEr

  • Guest
Re: Most applications not starting on startup.
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2007, 03:14:12 PM »
Ah, okay. Well, no, I boot in Safe Mode to be faced with a completely black screen with "SAFE MODE" in the corners. That's it.

I ran a file check, to no avail.

The only thing I can think of that might've messed it up (which, actually, I'm fairly confident is what messed it up) is I installed Aston Shell, hated it, uninstalled it. I believe the next boot was when it started. So that's probably the problem. But what could Aston Shell have done to completely cripple my startup list?

If a HijackThis log would be any use, I'll run it and post one. Let me know.

Thanks again.
Logged

CBMatt

  • Mod & Malware Specialist


    • Prodigy

  • Sad and lonely...and loving every minute of it.
    • Thanked: 167
    • Yes
  • Experience: Experienced
  • OS: Windows 7
Re: Most applications not starting on startup.
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2007, 06:04:30 PM »
Ah, that explains a lot.  Aston Shell can and will cause these problems if not uninstalled properly.  Reinstall it and then this time, when you uninstall it, use Shell Swapper to set Explorer as your shell.  Reboot and use Add/Remove Programs to uninstall Aston.  See if this fixes your problem.

http://www.astonshell.com/aston/faq.htm#16
« Last Edit: March 21, 2007, 06:06:42 PM by CBMatt »
Logged
Quote
An undefined problem has an infinite number of solutions.
由obert A. Humphrey

_ReApEr

  • Guest
Re: Most applications not starting on startup.
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2007, 06:40:39 PM »
Ooohhhhh, yeeeaaahhhh. I totally forgot about the shell swapping in Aston Shell because I despised what it did and decided to get rid of it immediately. I definitely would never have thought of that.

It fixed it, by the way. Assuming you didn't guess. ;p

Thanks a ton. ^^


EDIT: Now to find out why Winamp isn't adding songs to the library... >.<
« Last Edit: March 21, 2007, 06:41:58 PM by _ReApEr »
Logged

CBMatt

  • Mod & Malware Specialist


    • Prodigy

  • Sad and lonely...and loving every minute of it.
    • Thanked: 167
    • Yes
  • Experience: Experienced
  • OS: Windows 7
Re: Most applications not starting on startup.
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2007, 07:04:01 PM »
I'm glad it's all sorted out now.  As for Winamp...I'll have to duck out on that one.  I have enough trouble making a playlist on that darn thing.  Heh.
Logged
Quote
An undefined problem has an infinite number of solutions.
由obert A. Humphrey

_ReApEr

  • Guest
Re: Most applications not starting on startup.
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2007, 07:09:16 PM »
LOL, yeah. Apparently, I've got a problem that's stumping even the Winamp staff. SO... I don't know, I'm sure I'll get it eventually. >.<
Logged

CBMatt

  • Mod & Malware Specialist


    • Prodigy

  • Sad and lonely...and loving every minute of it.
    • Thanked: 167
    • Yes
  • Experience: Experienced
  • OS: Windows 7
Re: Most applications not starting on startup.
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2007, 10:04:28 PM »
Well, I hope you manage to figure it out.  It may be worth it to make a thread over on the software board.
Logged
Quote
An undefined problem has an infinite number of solutions.
由obert A. Humphrey
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »