How to find Startup programs/locations?

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oh, the easiest way is to copy the file i.e. for ms word its word.exe and paste it into the start up folder, then it will start up when you login, if you want it to load for all users then paste it in the allusers' startup folder...

 

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(i'm replying to this post without reading the thread, so i might repeat what was already said).

yes, you can. very simple really.

open regedit, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and new > string value.
name it to something relevant.
then open it, and type/paste in the path to the executable that you want to load at startup, i.e. "E:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zlclient.exe"
and that's all there is to it.

oh, that makes it load for all users, if you want it only for the currently logged on user, use the HKCU hive instead of the HKLM.

 

if u deicide to do _omni_'s way, dont forget to backup the registry...

 

Let me start with yours first, how do you know when/which file is an executable, will it always say?

 

Surely simpler than that, many applications have an 'options' setting which allows you to select or de-select someting like 'launch with Windows'.
That's the first place I'd look.

Sorry...

 

"Some" do but what happens if you wish to load an application at startup that didn't even come with that option in the first place, can it be done?

 

Yes - but loading lots of things at startup is a surefire way to slow your machine to a crawl.

The *standard* executables are .exe .com and .bat but there are many others these days like scripts and such. Some will depend on how your machine is configured.

Harry.

 

or if you know you want adobe acrobat to load, if you click start, programs, adobe, then right click acrobat, then select properties, and then find target, that will be the .exe file you need to copy across. [should automatically be highlighed]..

 

I think the only way for me to get to the bottom of this is to work on one application step by step, so if you guys are willing, I have this utility named mp3gain whcih I would like to load at startup, in the folder on my hard drive, I am seeing 3 Text documents [so not any of those] and 4 other icons, one is the GUI, one is the Setup wizard, another is the Uninstaller and the 4th is an icon which looks like a square TV screen with a blue horizontal line and 3 dots at the top of it.

Which one of those 4 am I supposed to copy into the Startup folder?

 

is that the one that starts mp3gain? if so, then that will be the one that goes into the start up folder.
edit: if not, then whatever icon loads the program, that is the *executable* that needs to go into the start up folder...

 

i believe you would make a shortcut to the exe, not copy it.

 

btw: what did you mean by GUI?

 

ah ha! couldn't remember if a shortcut would work...

either way, both would work, wouldn't it?

 

we are close cheekmaster, I copied the icon which loads mp3gain into the startup folder, it is the GUI icon, the mp3 gain interface loaded at startup but I get a prompt saying that the exe cannot be found so mp3gain will not work or I can install the program into the startup folder.

I am guessing that I need to find the exe?

 

sorry, I did not see the replies before posting, yes, I think Omni, you are correct, how do I make this shortcut?

 

ctrl+shift+drag (drag icon to desired location (or same folder, then cut/copy and paste in startup folder)).

the reason why copying the exe won't work is that it will see the exe and try to run the app from there. since the app isn't actually installed there, and its necessary files aren't there, it will fail to load.

a shortcut instead will point to the location where it is in fact installed, and it will load properly.

 

The GUI is the program's interface so this suggests to me that is is not the exe?

 

Don't understand the above instructions Omni.
Drag "which" icon, the GUI that loads the program's interface? If so, I also don't understand why I have to drag "to the same folder it's in"?

Note;The mp3 gain does not have a launch icon on my desktop as I seldom use it, when I need to use it, I go into the folder where it's installed and launch the GUI from there.

 

ok, the file that loads the program, right click and create shortcut
then you hold the *new shortcut, and drag it to the start up folder (to drag, press and hold the shortcut and direct with your mouse the the startup folder without realising button and let go when your in that folder, not before and not after and not in between

 

Do I sound that bad guys? Just kidding, I do know how to drag and drop but thanks for taking the time to explain it. Seriously, what was throwing me here was how to create the shortcut for this, I know how to create a shortcut just never had to do it for something like this.

Anyways guys, it works!!!! Thank you all very much for your patience and help with this, BTW Omni, I have decided to wait until I get to the Registry stuff in the book before trying your solution so I will come back to this then.