Msconfig+Clean+Up

Msconfig Clean Up

How to clear or clean out your Windows XP “msconfig “ selection start‐up menu?

When there are a lot of old programs that have been previously deleted off your PC and that still show a presence there.

Before you start remember this is dangerous stuff and make a System Restore point before starting

Also double check everything that you do before doing it.

Also make a back‐up of the Registry

You will be sorry if you do not take the time to do the above if something goes dreadfully wrong

Go to Start > Run in the box type Regedit > Enter

Close the files by clicking on the negatives “‐“ to make them positives “ + “

Now that you have taken all the precautions, navigate through the Registry in other words scroll as you do with your hard drive in Explorer.

This is assuming that you have already un‐ticked the boxes in msconfig if not see:‐ Un‐ticking in msconfig

Go to

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

In the right pane, find the name of a program you want to remove from your msconfig

Having previously made a note from viewing your msconfig, as to what you wish to delete, then click on it.

Press the delete key on your keyboard, and click “Yes” in the resulting dialog box.

Close msconfig (if you have it open), and then reopen it.

If the file is still there this means it is located somewhere else,

If it has gone, repeat the procedure to remove the rest of the items which you wish to delete from msconfig.

If it is still showed a presence, you need to go back to the top of the tree in the left pane (Make sure that you collapse all the files by clicking on the ” – “ to make it a “+” )

Now go to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Follow the same procedure in order to delete it in the same manner as before.

Again close and re‐open msconfig and verify that it is gone.

If it is still there it’s location is in a different place

Therefore close the Registry editor.

This completes the Registry‐editing portion.

If the files you want to remove are unchecked in MSconfig, make sure to navigate/scroll to the Run‐ key instead of the Run[space] key in each section of the Registry to find them (LOCAL_MACHINE and CURRENT_USER)

If the file you need to remove from msconfig is not in the registry:

Go to your C: drive in either My Computer or Windows Explorer.

Scroll to C:\Documents and Settings\ \Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Try to find the file there and delete it. If it isn’t there, continue as follows

Go to

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and find and delete the file. If it isn’t there, continue as follows

Go to

C:\Documents and Settings and look if there is a folder with your username (or All Users) and that has .WINNT or .WINXP on the end.

If so go to either one and then Start Menu\Programs\Startup and remove the program.

If the program is unchecked in msconfig and wasn’t in the registry,

Change the Startup Directory mentioned above to ʺDisabled Startup Itemsʺ, and remove the file from there.