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Why does my System32 folder open when I log in?

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Thanks Leo,

This totally fixed my problem. The Microsoft article helped none at all. I consider myself pretty familiar with the registry, but the KB Article was not very clear.

The suggestion to check Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run
Was absolutly brilliant.

I was also infected with Zlob.downloader with a codec so that I could play Firefly DVD in Windows Media Player.

Mcafee cleaned part of it and Spyware blaster pulverized the rest.

You helped me rid the remainder 2 weeks after the fact.

Thanks so much,

Moldyrocks

Posted by: moldyrocks at July 11, 2006 11:22 AM

I used an article that led me directly to the source of the problem in the registry, for me it was an incomplete reg string for my sb audigy 2 card...

i found my answer at: http://www.cisco-cert.com/Windows_XP_General/79521-Re--folder--C--Windows-System32--pops-up-at-startup

Posted by: Khapone at August 13, 2006 1:06 PM

I've also had the same problem with the C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder openning on startup. The solution has been mentionned above but i'll just mention it again just to be perfectly clear. There as far as I know are two solutions to the problem, one is addressed by the Microsoft Knowledge Base Article:

System32 Folder Opens When Logging on to Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Windows NT 4.0

Article ID: 170086

Unfortunately it didn't work for me, so this is what I did, I went into regedit and searched for kernel32.dll

There may be many different finds, so look for one that contains a value of C:\Windows\system32

Alas I did find one in this location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\explorer\run

I deleted it and so the problem was resolved.

Naz

Posted by: Naz at August 17, 2006 9:25 AM

for me the fix was to add an entry to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
The entry is SystemTray, REG_SZ, SysTray.exe. I noticed in the Microsoft knowledgebase article that the SystemTray entry was the ONLY required entry, and I didn't have it. Put it in, and no system32 folder.

Posted by: mjb at August 19, 2006 8:31 PM

Hi I has same problem with system32 issue come up when I log in?
Please can you give a clear detial how to remove the issue from window and future log in without system32 issue appears?

thanks

Michael

Posted by: Michael VanOestren at August 20, 2006 11:41 PM

OK, I wasted hours on this problem although I already had the fix. My problem was that there were 2 processes in msconfig Startup. One was from MS Office and the other one some "quiet" process. My mistake was that I restored MSconfig to Normal Startup again after restart so, it kept loading the processes. However, I needed to leave "Selective Startup" and just uncheck the message that kept telling me I made changes to the Sytems Conifguration Utility!

Posted by: Otti at September 25, 2006 11:53 AM

Hi, i`m having the same problem, trying to fix it but to no avail, can u please help me out because the registry path you specify does not appear in my registry.

Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.

Benson

Posted by: Benson at October 19, 2006 3:52 AM

hi,
same problem started before a couple of days in my hp notebook..then as mentioned in this article, i ran msconfig and unchecked the process which was simply denoted by "". and the problem was solved. But here i would like to mention that the same thing happened yesterday in my office desktop. When i thought about it, the only new thing that i did was install "FIREFOX" browser at about the same time in both computers. Does this have anything to do with the problem???

Posted by: thomas at November 6, 2006 9:35 PM

I will try the suggested changes after my next restart, the only thing that was added or downloaded was an Adobe Reader update to 7. FYI

Posted by: colin at December 15, 2006 8:14 PM

Hi Leo.


The System32 folder keeps continuously popping up when I start up my machine. I've tried the msconfig advice but it keeps happening. I'm starting to think it's virus related as it happened after I got rid of one(or at least, think I got rid of one). I've scanned for viruses with AVG, and used Spybot too but no luck. Nothing else pops up when System32 does, however I had a look in the folder and there's folders with nothing in them and other suspicious looking items, with names like "CatRoot" inside it. I'm not THAT savvy with computers, and am hesitant to start just poking around the intricities of my machine, but everywhere else that offers help either is a bit too confusing, or doesn't fit my problem. Please, any advice or help in sorting this out would be terrific.

Regards, James.

Posted by: James at August 28, 2007 7:33 AM
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