Xplorer2 on screen after boot

[point]

Just updated, and when booting into Windows 7, Xplorer2 is open on the desktop.
I'd come across this once before and found the fix somewhere on line or stumbled on it, but can't find it again. Should have kept notes.

Anyone point me to the fix for this? Truly appreciate it, if so.

[Kilmatead]

When you install using the "as explorer replacement" tweak, x2 inserts itself into the list of Startup programmes (for quicker opening). This is launched with the /Z command-line switch which means it should not actually open visibly - why it's visible for you is probably just an accidental quirk of that particular boot runtime... ordinarily this won't happen.

If this continues to happen on every subsequent boot, you can either not use replacement-mode, or just type msconfig.exe into the start-menu, run it, select the Startup tab, and un-check the xplorer2 entry found there.

[point]

Thank you.
There were two active entries for it there (and a third, already disabled), meaning it was already in there but opening on the desktop prevented somehow since it only started with this new update. The update apparently didn't check if it was in the startup and added a new one.

[nikos]

that would definitely be weird, do you remember how these multiple startup registry entries looked like?

[point]

They were all the same, with a /Z flag after the file location. After removing the two extras from startup and applying (no reboot yet), the new ones fell off the list. The oldest one (disabled from starting) is still there.

[Kilmatead]

Nikos, the entries look like this in the menu, though I can confirm that there is only a single entry within the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run reference - the MSCONFIG dialog doesn't seem to re-verify its entries from the registry unless they are actually checked.

The update apparently didn't check if it was in the startup and added a new one.

I remember giving out to Nikos awhile ago about that, but he was doing his best ostrich-head-in-the-sand imitation that day and ignored me.

Uninstalling x2 before updating will clear any previous entries to that menu (checked or unchecked) - this is only necessary when using replacement mode. This entry will remain even if someone disabled replacement mode from the internal menu - it is only properly removed by uninstalling.

[nikos]

x2 always adds the SAME registry entry so I can't understand why or how duplicate entries can arise
stop using big-girls-blouse programs and just use regedit to check exactly what's happening in the registry
the only thing i can think of is that xplorer2 adds its run command on HKLM if you replace for all users and HKCU if you only replace explorer for the one user.

[Kilmatead]

stop using big-girls-blouse programs and just use regedit to check exactly what's happening in the registry

MSCONFIG is big-girls-blouse? I think not. Anyway, regedit confirms that only a single entry exists under HKLM (with none under HKCU). Interestingly enough, a quick test shows that the un-checked entry still remains in the menu even when x2 is uninstalled and the system rebooted, and no x2 entries exist in the \Run key(s) - very odd.

I think MSCONFIG has its own cleanup routines which are run by spooky intermittent background services and are only applied to active entries. If it's inactive, it considers it irrelevant.

If one re-checks the entry in the menu, the HKLM entry re-appears in the registry (even when x2 is still uninstalled, and it even survived at least a single restart). Deleting an existing entry manually from the registry will also remove it from the MSCONFIG menu, though it must be checked for that to occur. Wacky.

[FrizzleFry]

msconfig probably stores the disabled entries in another reg key... I use Sysinternals Autoruns which creates sub keys of the run keys for the disabled entries so that you can easily re-enable them...