Solved Can't Remove Blank Startup Program

Hello, I have been trying to remove a blank startup item, but it seems like there is no valid location for it. I have searched in all the locations listed below without any luck. Could there be another location or could it be a virus?


C:\Users\(User-Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
AND
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
AND
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
AND
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
AND
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
AND
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
AND
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run
AND
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run
AND
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
AND
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

Look thru older posts, there was an identical problem.

You should be able to right click on the item in the Task Manager Startup List, and "Open File Location" - If it is in fact an EXE file, sometimes it is a line of instructions for a service.

If that works, it should point you to where the problem program is, then you can see if you can uninstall it, or delete it. Sometimes, Task Scheduler puts it in there, so check in there as well, once you have identified what it is.

You can also use cCleaner, under "Tools" and "Startup" - see if you can identify what it is there, it gives you the ability to remove it totally from the startup list.

CountMike, I have looked through a few posts with the same problem which led me into looking through those folders and registry entries.

XweAponX, "Open File Location" is greyed out and I have tried cCleaner without being able to find the program.

junior said:

CountMike, I have looked through a few posts with the same problem which led me into looking through those folders and registry entries.

XweAponX, "Open File Location" is greyed out and I have tried cCleaner without being able to find the program.

Click to expand...

Check for a redundant file or folder in C:\Users\(user)\AppData\Local,
CCleaner/Tools/Startup should allow you to highlight and delete the entry.

(Option Four)
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5180-startup-items-manage-windows-8-a.html

Thanks XweAponX and Edwin, I found it using cCleaner. I couldn't tell which program it was because I enabled it in Startup, but after disabling again it appeared disabled in cCleaner.

Ah - If it was greyed out in Task Manager it was likely a virus

make sure you do a virus scan with a good av program, but Defender will work too