Unfortunately, startup items can be hidden in several locations within Windows. Finding them can sometimes be a bit tricky without a utility software to help you. Here's how to do it manually, though.
1. Find Startup Item Shortcuts:
One type of startup item is the shortcut, hidden in a subfolder within each user profile. Here's where to find them.
- Type Windows+R (or go to Start > Run).
- Type %UserProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and hit Enter.
- This folder contains all startup item shortcut for the current user.
- Check this same folder (\Start Menu\Programs\Startup) for each user profile in Documents and Settings.
2. Find Startup Item Registry Entries:
The other type of start item is the registry entry, hidden within the registry keys. Here's where to find them.
- Type Windows+R (or go to Start > Run).
- Type RegEdit and hit Enter.
- Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
- Find the startup items in Run, RunAs, and RunOnce.
- Open HKEY_Current_User\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
- Find the startup items in Run, RunAs, and RunOnce.
Find Startup Items with MSConfig
Alternatively, you can use MSConfig to find your startup items too. Here's what to do.
- Type Windows+R (or go to Start > Run).
- Type MSConfig and hit Enter.
- Click on the Startup tab to find the startup items.