If you're frustrated with the time it takes your Windows PC to boot and then it seems to be running slowly you may have too many programs running at start-up - and have come to the right place to identify them. This is the original startup programs (as opposed to processes/tasks) list - one of the most comprehensive and most accurate!
"Name or Startup Item" in the table below refers to how an entry is displayed in MSConfig, Windows Defender or the registry "Run" keys. "Command or Data" refers to the program the entry runs. For further information on this and how to identify and disable startup programs please visit the Startup Content page.
For further information on random startup entries please visit the Startup Info page. For the next few months and foreseeable future I'll be verifying many of the Y, U, N & ? entries via virtual machines. If you can verify/identify those entries with a "?" status (especially hardware specific - such as laptops and motherboards) then please E-mail me (address at bottom of the page) or use the new Message Board.
Last update :- 31st August
21939 items listed
"Status" key:
- "Y" - Normally leave to run at start-up
- "N" - Not required or not recommended - typically infrequently used tasks that can be started manually if necessary
- "U" - User's choice - depends whether a user deems it necessary
- "X" - Definitely not required - typically viruses, spyware, adware and "resource hogs"
- "?" - Unknown
Variables:
- %System% - refers to the System folder; by default this is C:\Windows\System (9x/Me), C:\Winnt\System32 (NT/2K), or C:\Windows\System32 (XP/Vista)
- %Windir% - refers to the Windows installation folder; by default this is C:\Windows (9x/Me/XP/Vista) or C:\Winnt (NT/2K)
- %UserProfile% - refers to the current user's profile folder; by default this is C:\Documents and Settings\ (NT/2K/XP) or C:\Users\ (Vista)
- %ProgramFiles% - refers to the Program Files folder; typically the path is C:\Program Files
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| Name or Startup Item | Status | Command or Data | Description | Tested? |
|---|
| .WMAudio | X | csrss.exe | Added by the WEBUS TROJAN! Note - this is not the legitimate csrss.exe process which should not normally figure in Msconfig/Startup! | No |
| .WMAudio | X | lsass.exe | Added by the WEBUS.B TROJAN! Note - this is not the legitimate lsass.exe process which should not normally figure in Msconfig/Startup! | No |
| /l:eng | N | N/A | Related to the Dell OEM version of the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 sound card. If this item is listed and checked in startup, the System32 Folder will appear on every startup. A patch is available - filename R75304.EXE - that fixes the issue. You can find that file at support.dell.com by typing that name in the 'Search' box available there. It addresses the root of the problem in Creative's software and corrects it. Unfortunately there is no direct link to the file, but it's easily available using the search function | No |
| /s | N | N/A | Related to the Dell OEM version of the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 sound card. If this item is listed and checked in startup, the System32 Folder will appear on every startup. A patch is available - filename R75304.EXE - that fixes the issue. You can find that file at support.dell.com by typing that name in the 'Search' box available there. It addresses the root of the problem in Creative's software and corrects it. Unfortunately there is no direct link to the file, but it's easily available using the search function | No |
| 000 | U | pit.exe | PrivateEye surveillance software. Uninstall this software unless you put it there yourself | No |
| 000hpdllhos | X | hpdllhost.exe | LZIO.com adware downloader | No |
| 000StTHK | U | 000StTHK.exe | Toshiba Hot key functionality for the function keys (Fn-Esc, Fn-F1 (lock), Fn-F2, Fn-F3, Fn-F4, Fn-F5 (switching between laptop and CRT display output), etc...) | No |
| 0050726-007-i32-1 | X | 0050726-007-i32-1.exe | Added by the BANCBAN-EC TROJAN! | No |
| 007-Anti-Spyware.exe | X | 007-Anti-Spyware.exe | 007 Anti-Spyware rogue security software - not recommended | No |
| 00DSKSVR00 | ? | desksaver.exe saskda | Part of Advanced Desktop Shield, Easy Desktop Keeper, 1st Desktop Guard and Desktop Layout Keeper (and maybe others) - which give you the ability to save, restore, manage and lock your desktop layout that includes files and folders located on your desktop, placement of desktop icons, desired wallpaper and screen saver. The exact purpose of this startup entry is unknown at present | Yes |
| 00DSKSVR01 | U | desksaver.exe tray | System Tray access to Advanced Desktop Shield, Easy Desktop Keeper, 1st Desktop Guard and Desktop Layout Keeper (and maybe others) - which give you the ability to save, restore, manage and lock your desktop layout that includes files and folders located on your desktop, placement of desktop icons, desired wallpaper and screen saver. Disabling via the program's own options will leave this startup entry but it will not run - "desksaver.exe" does however run as it's also used as a service | Yes |
| 00ERSRRRNKY | U | eraser.exe | Part of Evidence Exterminator, 1st Evidence Remover and Evidence Destructor (and maybe others) - the same file for the same version being used by all programs. Security tools that ensure your security and privacy by destroying all hidden activity information on demand, according to a schedule or on each boot/shutdown. This entry provides System Tray access to the main program for on demand cleaning and is required if any automatic cleaning has been scheduled. Located in %ProgramFiles%\Evidence Exterminator, %ProgramFiles%\1st Evidence Remover, %ProgramFiles%\Evidence Destructor or maybe others | Yes |
| 00notify33 | ? | NetBrowser.exe | Part of Best Network Security, 1st Network Admin and Corporate Network Security (and maybe others) - network-based password-protected security software that lets you impose access restrictions to all your PC workstations you have in your corporate network to stop users from tampering with them. The exact purpose of this startup entry is unknown at present | Yes |
| 00PCTFW | Y | FirewallGUI.exe | System Tray access to PC Tools Firewall Plus from PC Tools - which "is a powerful personal firewall for Windows that protects your computer from intruders and controls the network traffic in and out of your PC" | Yes |
| 00saskda | ? | newlock.exe saskda | Part of Access Manager, 1st Security Agent, Security Administrator and PC Security Tweaker (and maybe others) - which let you control which users are allowed to access your PC and the level of access each user may have. You can choose to tweak access to lots of Control Panel applet functions, including Display, Network, Passwords, Printers, System, Add/Remove Programs, etc. The exact purpose of this startup entry is unknown at present but it appears to be related to the "Screen Lock" feature | Yes |
| 00TCrdMain | Y | TCrdMain.exe | Related to the flash card slot on a Toshiba laptop. Ending this process will disable access to the flash cards | No |
| 00THotkey | U | 00THotKey.exe | For Toshiba Satellite notebook series to use the front buttons, play, stop, next, prev. | No |
| 00THotkey | U | system32THotkey.exe | For Toshiba Satellite notebook series to use the front buttons, play, stop, next, prev | No |
| 0190 Warner | U | WARN0190.EXE | Anti-dialer program (Germany) | No |
| 0900 Warner | U | WARN0900.EXE | Anti-dialer program (Germany) | No |
| 0mcamcap | X | 0mcamcap.exe | Added by the COSIAM-H TROJAN!
| No |
| 0utlook Express | X | *****.exe [* = random char] | Added by the RBOT-CC WORM! Note the first letter is actually the digit "0" and not a capital "o" | No |
| 0_AVD32 | X | xzboot.exe | Added by the AGENT-IWI TROJAN! | No |
| 1 | X | 1.exe | Added by the ESTEEMS TROJAN! | No |
| 1 | X | lsass.scr | Added by the BANCOS.V TROJAN!
| No |
| 1 | X | svchost.scr | Added by the BANCOS.X TROJAN! | No |
| 1 | X | mrcmgr.exe | Added by the BANKER.RQK TROJAN! | No |
| 1 | X | KHATRA.exe | Added by the AUTOIT-BP WORM! | No |
| 1 | X | addit.exe | Added by the SDBOT-RI WORM! | No |
| 1&1 EasyLogin | N | EasyLogin.exe | 1&1 EasyLogin - quick access to webhost 1&1's Control Panel, Web-Mail and other applications via the System Tray | No |
| 1-sukarno | X | sukarno.exe | Added by the BRONTOK-CR WORM! | No |
| 101Clips | U | 101Clips.exe | 101Clips - "the simplest of all multi-clipboard programs. Just have it running minimized and it captures everything you cut or copy from other programs. It keeps the last 25" | No |
| 1029BB4B-16A9-4E77-AA3D-96930BD68EEC | X | sysockeu.exe | Added by the FAKEALERT-AH TROJAN! | No |
| 10Base-T | X | explore.exe | Added by the AGOBOT-IJ WORM! | No |
| 1111swapmgr.exe | X | 1111swapmgr.exe | Added by the BDOOR-IC BACKDOOR! | No |
| 123 | X | wintask.exe | Added by the LEGMIR-AY TROJAN! | No |
| 1234klsjdc uiar924c af | X | sxgnsvuxct.exe | Added by the FAKEALERT-AM TROJAN! | No |
| 1234klsjdc uiar924c af | X | sysvtypkbjx.exe | Added by the FAKEALERT-AM TROJAN! | No |
| 123Monitor | X | SpywareFreeMonitor.exe | 1-2-3 Spyware Free rogue spyware remover - not recommended, see here | No |
| 12Ghosts Backup | U | 12backup.exe | 12Ghosts Backup - "Automatic Backups, HyperBackup for Multiple Versions, Registry Backup" | No |
| 12Ghosts Clip | U | 12clip.exe | 12Ghosts Clip - "Screen shots made easy" | No |
| 12Ghosts JustAWindow | U | 12window.exe | 12Ghosts JustAWindow - "Cover annoying ads, animated gifs, things you don't want to see" | No |
| 12Ghosts Popup-Killer | U | 12popup.exe | 12Ghosts Popup-Killer | No |
| 12Ghosts SaveLayout | U | 12autosl.exe | 12Ghosts SaveLayout - "Always (always!) keep the layout of your desktop icons" | No |
| 12Ghosts SetColor | U | 12color.exe | 12Ghosts SetColor - "Change your desktop icon text colors, also to transparent" | No |
| 12Ghosts ShowTime | U | 12showtime.exe | 12Ghosts Showtime - "Enhance the clock in your tray with font formatting, colors, date, time zones" | No |
| 12Ghosts Synchronize | U | 12sync.exe | 12Ghosts Synchronize - "Sync PC clock with an atomic clock over the Internet" | No |
| 12Ghosts Tower | U | 12tower.exe | 12Ghosts Tower - "Quickly access and manage all Ghosts (included in all packages)" | No |
| 12Ghosts TrayProtect | U | 12srvc.exe | 12Ghosts TrayProtect - "Hide tray icons, restore after a crash" | No |
| 12Ghosts Wash | U | 12wash.exe | 12Ghosts Wash - "Protect your privacy, clear browser history, delete and overwrite cache files" | No |
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The following files are available for people developing mirrors of the site and using the information presented here:
Startup XML File - Startup INI File - Startup HTML File
For IE users, right-click on the link and select "Save Target As..." - note that for the INI and HTML files the suggested filename will be "startuplist.htm" and you'll have to rename them "startuplist.ini" and "startuplist.html" respectively.
For Firefox users, I recommend downloading the zipped versions from here. Otherwise, you'll have to open the file and save it - which can take a long time due to the size.
NOTE: These downloads are password protected and free to anyone producing a mirror or free utility. If you produce a commercial/shareware utility please contact me to discuss options. If you don't fall into any of these categories and want to download any of these files you will need to either make a donation of $15/year or more via PayPal (or E-mail me) and you will be provided with the login details which will change at the beginning of each year. The donation will go towards researching new and existing entries for the database and creating these files. Since making these files available for download they've been available free of charge and downloaded thousands of times. I believe they are unique as to my knowledge, no similar site offers such a resource as the lists they offer are on-line only.
DISCLAIMER: It is assumed that users are familiar with the operating system they are using and comfortable with making the suggested changes. I will not be held responsible if changes you make cause a system failure.
NOTE: This is NOT a database of tasks/processes taken from Task Manager or the Close Program window (CTRL+ALT+DEL) but a database of startup applications, although you will find some of them listed via this method. Pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL identifies programs that are currently running - not necessarily at startup. For a list of tasks/processes you should try the Process Library from Uniblue, the list at PC Pitstop or one of the many others now available. Therefore, before ending a task/process via CTRL+ALT+DEL just because it has an "X" recommendation, please check whether it's in MSConfig or the registry first. An example would be "svchost.exe" - which doesn't appear in either under normal conditions but does via CTRL+ALT+DEL. If in doubt, don't do anything.
To avoid the database becoming too large, all virus entries are only shown using the registry version which is common to all Windows versions. Otherwise there would be multiple entries for popular filenames that viruses often use - such as "svchost" above for example. Multiple viruses can also use the same startup entries, in this case only those with significant differences (such as file location) are repeated in this database.
NOTE : There are a number of virus and malware entried listed in this database where specific removal instructions haven't been given. If this is the case then you could try SDFix, a program written by AndyManchesta that can remove many different types of Trojans and Worms. See here for a tutorial on how to use the program and here for the latest ReadMe file detailing the fixes included.
IMPORTANT: A number of entries are repeated due to the way that different operating systems display startup items. For example, WinMe lists "POPROXY.EXE" as "Norton eMail Protect" in both MSCONFIG and the registry whereas WinXP lists it as "Poproxy" in MSCONFIG and "Norton eMail Protect" in the registry.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
If you're looking for a startup manager then why not try WinPatrol (by BillP Studios) or Advanced SystemCare Free (by IObit) - both include the option to search this database for a particular entry. Alternatively try Spybot - Search & Destroy (by Safer Networking Ltd) as the startup programs section (select the Advanced mode) includes descriptions from this database. You might also want to try their RunAlyzer and FileAlyzer tools.
There are an ever increasing number of rogue applications appearing these days and many of the removal guides referenced in this database use MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (which now incorporates the now discontinued RogueRemover).
As there are more than 10,000 entries in this database related to viruses, trojans, worms and other malware I recommend you use a quality internet security package. Which ever you choose, keep it updated.
Presentation, format & comments Copyright © 2001 - 2010 Paul Collins
Portions Copyright © Peter Forrest, Denny Denham, Sylvain Prevost, Tony Klein, CastleCops & Bleeping Computer
Database creation and support by Patrick Kolla
Software support by John Mayer
All rights reserved