Quick Tips - Programs that Load in the System Tray

Question:

How do I stop programs from loading in the system tray every time I start up the computer?

Answer:

First off, I would strongly suggest that you try to set the "Load in Tray" or "Load at Startup" option off for whichever programs you wish to remove. Most programs include the ability to disable this function and it is always the safest way to accomplish what you want. However, if you have looked and still can't disable the automatic startup using the program's own options, proceed on for more tips.

You might also want to simply uninstall the program using the Control Panel's "Add/Remove Programs" tool. If the program is one you need, but you just don't want it to load at startup, I would strongly suggest you consult their documentation to find out how to remove it.

*** WARNING ***
Many low-cost computers and free ISP services load software into the Tool Tray that is required for proper system operation. Any attempt to disable or remove this software may very well leave your computer unusable or unable to connect to the Internet. Use extreme caution when attempting to remove such software.

There are several different places where a program may be loaded. First and easiest to find is the "Startup" folder. Click Start->Programs and then look for a folder called "Startup". When you hover the mouse over it, a list of the programs contained within should appear. If the word "empty" shows up and no other programs, then there are no items in the Startup folder. Not to worry, there's a few other places too.

To remove an entry in the Startup folder, Click Start->Settings->Taskbar & Start Menu. You can then use the Taskbar tool to find the Startup folder and remove the program you don't need. In Windows 98 you can also right-click the desired shortcut directly in the Startup folder (under Start->Programs) and choose Delete from the pop-up menu.

*** WARNING ***
The following instructions use a program called RegEdit. This program allows you to modify the computer's Registry. The information contained in the Registry controls your computer's basic operation. IMPROPER USE OF REGEDIT CAN RENDER YOUR COMPUTER COMPLETELY UNUSABLE!! If you are not sure what you are doing, please do NOT use RegEdit without expert guidance.

RegEdit is a two-pane Explorer-like program that navigates the System Registry in much the same fashion as Explorer navigates your hard drive and folders. There are several "Root" keys shown at startup. Among these is one called "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE". To the left of this root key will be a plus sign in a small box. Click the plus sign and a series of sub-keys will expand downward. Next find the key called "Software". (It might be capitalized differently. That's okay. "SOFTWARE" is the same as "Software" is the same as "sOfTwArE".) Click the plus sign to the left of the "Software" entry. Another layer of sub-keys expands downward.

In the bottom bar of the RegEdit program is the complete "path" opened. Keep clicking on plus signs until the entry reads:

My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

Under the CurrentVersion key you will find several sub-keys that are of interest. They are:

Run
RunOnce
RunServices
RunServicesOnce

Click each of them in turn and look in the right panel as you do. You will see what programs and utilities are loaded in each of these situations. The "RunOnce" and "RunServicesOnce" entries should be empty. The "Run" entry is typically used for programs that automatically start up when your computer boots. The "RunServices" entry is for programs and drivers that your computer needs in order to operate.

*** WARNING ***
Deleting or changing any entries from any of these sections may very well leave your computer completely incapable of starting or running. DO NOT DELETE OR CHANGE ANYTHING UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!

There is also a set of keys that are specific to each user on the computer. By collapsing all the keys back up to the root, you can begin down the tree again only this time starting from the root key "HKEY_CURRENT_USER". So the full path shown in the bottom bar of RegEdit would read:

My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

This section may or may not contain the same sub-keys, but it will at least usually have the "Run" and "RunOnce" entries. Again click on each one and look in the right-hand pane to see what programs are being loaded when your computers starts up.

(Do you get the idea that maybe this is dangerous territory? Good ... cause it is.)

There are two more places that a program might be loaded from on startup. However, any programs that use these methods probably really REALLY need to be there. If you need specific instructions on how to remove a program and it is not found in one of the above locations, write us at greyface@greyface.com and tell us exactly what program and how it came to be there in the first place.