C:\windows\system32 folder opens on every startup.

[jroc]

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=170086

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

SYMPTOMS

When you log on to Microsoft Windows, a Microsoft Windows Explorer window may open that displays the contents of the System32 folder.

This behavior also occurs if there is a String value that contains only a single quote character (") as the Value data in the following Registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

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CAUSE

This behavior can occur if a null, incomplete, or damaged entry exists in the registry.

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RESOLUTION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Use Registry Editor to view the following two Windows registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Verify that all the values in these keys do not contain any incorrect, incomplete, or null entries (such as "").

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MORE INFORMATION

An incorrect entry in the following registry value has been confirmed to cause the behavior described above:

Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Value: ActiveMovie File Extensions

Value Type: REG_SZ

Value Data: ActMovie.exe /Check

If the value data for this entry is null or appears in Registry Editor as quotation marks, you may experience the problem described above. To correct the problem, change the value data to match the entry above or delete the ActiveMovie File Extensions value.

This behavior can also occur if the Reminder value that has "" next to it is in the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Run

You can resolve this behavior by deleting the Remainder value.

If you are uncertain whether an entry is incorrect or incomplete, you may want to delete all entries other than the default Windows entry. The following entry to run the System Tray is the only required Windows default entry:

Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Value: SystemTray

Value Type: REG_SZ

Value Data: SysTray.exe

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

177510 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/177510/) System32 folder opens when Windows NT starts

[cocoharley]

Anyway in Control Panel -> Folder Options -> View there's an option called Restore Previous Folder Windows At Logon; this opens up whatever folders were open when you shut down. Try unchecking that.

That option was not checked. Thanks though.

Anyhow, I also went to another forum and they suggested CounterSpy (15-day trial version). That seemed to have solved the problem.

It's weird how Spybot, Spyware Scanner, and CounterSpy all detected some of the same problems, but apparently the first two programs could not successfully/completely remove all the components. I'm just guessing, since they all detected the same thing but it was only after using the last one that the problem was solved. Too bad CounterSpy isn't free.

jroc: Thanks for all that info, but in my original post, I mentioned:

I've been to the Microsoft Help & Support page for this specific problem and looked at my Registry, but have not found the "incorrect entries" that were described.

I've also used a number of registry cleaners such as TweakNow RegCleaner and CCleaner (also highly recommended at Download.com) to try cleaning the registry, but the system32 folder is still popping up at startup.

So the problem didn't really have anything to do with the registry. Thanks though. Problem fixed now.

Edited July 7, 2006 by cocoharley

[ricktendo]

Youre not the only one with this prob check http://www.theeldergeek.com/forum/index.ph...ic=5054&hl=

OOPS!!! I just noticed same guy cocoharley

Edited July 7, 2006 by ricktendo64