Why does my System32 folder open when I log in?

As it turns out, Microsoft even has a knowledgebase article on the scenario here. It describes how an improper registry setting can cause the problem and one way of dealing with the issue - editing the registry entry directly.

In many cases the solution is actually just a little bit easier. Run msconfig or autoruns (both described in this article) and look for a startup entry that matches that described in the knowledgebase article - that's likely the cause of the problem. Do your best to make sure that it's not something important, certainly save the text somewhere (copy/paste it to a text file or even write it down), delete it and you should be fine.

Of course the next question is how did it get there? Since things that happen at startup time are usually created by setup programs it's certainly possible that a poorly written setup program could have had a problem and left an incomplete or corrupt entry. If you've installed or tried to install anything recently and the problem began then, then that's a likely scenario.

The other scenario is one we've been hearing much about lately: a virus. The viruses that have been making the news are all fairly sophisticated and apparently well written. But of course not all of them are. It's quite possible that a problematic virus either has infected or has tried to infect your machine. Viruses also like to make things happen at start-up. If they have a problem when writing that startup-entry then this type of problem can result.

The advice? You've heard it before:

• Get a good anti-virus package

• Make sure the virus signatures are up to date

• Scan for viruses on a regular basis

• Don't open email attachments from people you don't know

• Have a good firewall solution in place