Author Topic: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?  (Read 13330 times)

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papadiva

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Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« on: October 10, 2012, 12:33:07 PM »
Hi y'all.

Since a week or so I encountered a strange phenomenon.
Everytime I start my laptop (Lenovo U310, W7) the Windows explorer is started up spontaneously.
I visited several forums for this issue and they all suggested I should try this:

msconfig - startup - disable all applications.
When I do this, after the first next startup explorer appears again, and when I check the settings in msconfig again, I see that the upper line contains Avast and it is enabled. I did NOT enable this line, so I reckon Avast does it automatically, confirming my suspicion that Avast causes explorer to start after laptop-startup.

Can anybody at Avast explain this?

Thanks in advance,
Jim

Offline DavidR

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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2012, 02:53:30 PM »
What folder does windows explorer open at ?

This is something which is commonly seen when a command to run a program/file is left behind after the program or file has been removed.

I have seen this in the past and it had nothing to do with avast as I have also had it a considerably long time ago before I even had avast and I have had avast eight and a half years.

The avast program is protected by the avast self-defence module, so it may be stopping you removing the entry in msconfig or it being replaced, which I believe is for the avastUI.exe, the avast User Interface and tray icon.
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papadiva

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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2012, 02:20:17 PM »
It seems as the explorer is started from 'My Computer' because all I see are the harddiscs in my laptop (C: and D:), and, when connected, the external drives.

Offline DavidR

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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2012, 02:34:44 PM »
That isn't something I have experienced, as it has generally been in a folder rather than at such a low level.

If it is truly my computer there should/would be some sort of call to open it on boot, be that in the MSCONFIG Startup tab or registry entry. Since you have tried checking and disabling items in the Startup tab, makes it all the more strange, are there any entries in there which make calls to either explorer.exe or any unknown program/process ?

But as I have said this is notoriously difficult to pin down.
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Offline igor

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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2012, 02:44:13 PM »
No, avast! doesn't start the Explorer.
I remember I had the same problem once, but unfortunately I'm not sure how I solved that.
When you use regedit, what is the content of the "Shell" value in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon ?

papadiva

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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2012, 03:33:06 PM »
Yes, there was a forum where they adviced me to check the registry, and lookup the string:

"Shell"="Explorer.exe"
"Userinit"="C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe,"

But it all is right there, so this didn't solve the issue.

But I will look (when there's time!) at all applications I regularly start, but until now no anomalies there!

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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2012, 03:35:07 PM »
Download CCleaner
In it goto Tools>Startups. What to you have there?
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papadiva

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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2012, 03:47:28 PM »
Hi bob3160,

Thx for the input.
I started CCleaner but I don't see a difference with msconfig - startups
Scanning for the string 'explorer.exe' (in all tabs) doesn't give any result either
« Last Edit: October 16, 2012, 03:54:26 PM by papadiva »

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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2012, 04:39:11 PM »

Try this;
Open Windows Explorer,
Press the Alt key and click Tools>Folder Options
Under the "View" tab, make sure that "Restore previous logon folders at startup" is unchecked.
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Offline Charyb-0

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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2012, 05:47:40 PM »
I remember the problem Igor mentioned. It was caused by duplicate entries in the registry.
See attachment.

Hopefully this will help.

EDIT- I see you posted here. -> http://208.74.204.134/t5/IdeaPad-Y-U-V-Z-and-P-series/U310-Windows-Explorer-Libraries-opens-on-every-startup-revisited/td-p/880187
« Last Edit: October 16, 2012, 06:04:47 PM by Charyb »

papadiva

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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #11 on: October 17, 2012, 04:05:33 PM »
Yes Charib, I posted it at the Lenovo forum too and I followed their suggestions, as I already mentioned, but the winlogon - line didn't show any odd duplicates or whatever. In other words, it was all correct so it didn't solve this riddle   :'(

I'm asking myself whether there is no other Lenovo U310 (or other models - perhaps i.c.w. Avast) user with this same issue.

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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2012, 04:45:45 PM »
Have you Checked your "Folder Options" ???

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papadiva

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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #13 on: October 18, 2012, 12:43:42 AM »


Which of the options for 'Folder options' should I look for?

I don't see any option how to start or cancel explorer at startup.


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Re: Is Avast causing Explorer to start at W7 startup?
« Reply #14 on: October 18, 2012, 01:01:12 AM »


Which of the options for 'Folder options' should I look for?

I don't see any option how to start or cancel explorer at startup.




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