How do drivers start?

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If I’ve uninstalled something but the driver is still starting, how do I get rid of the driver? What controls the starting of drivers? If you look in a bootlog there are an awful lot of drivers starting. How do you fix errors that you see there? Is there some file or registry location that I can edit?

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If you open Programs

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>If you open Programs > Administrative Tools > Computer Management and then navigate to System Tools > System Information > Software Environment > Startup Programs, the relevant registry keys should be listed there. <

These aren't drivers. They are normal start-up programs. I have a number of programs, such as Mike Lin's StartCPL that show this info better.

However, in looking at this list I see a couple of entries that shouldn't be there and aren't listed in any program I have nor is there an "error" program of some sort at the key locations specified. Yet, when I boot, something is trying to start that generates a couple of error windows, which I have to manually close and then everything continues as normal.

These are the two error entries I see in the list:

Run[0] error! xxxxxxxxAdministrator *HKUS-1-5-21-725345543-1078081533-682003330-500SOFTWAREMICROSOFTWINDOWS NTCURRENTVERSIONWindows

Run[0] error! All Users win.ini

There is nothing in the registry or in the Win.ini file that I can see that corresponds with these errors?

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Sounds as though your diagnostic needs are beyond the limits of my exploration. Sorry!

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I believe the drivers are started because of entries in HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServices. I’d be very careful about removing or changing entries as you could very easily end up with a system that will not boot.
If you use REGEDIT and navigate to:
HKUS-1-5-21-725345543-1078081533-682003330-500SOFTWAREMICROSOFTWINDOWS NTCURRENTVERSIONWindows does the ‘load’ entry in the right pane contain anything? If so, it may be the cause of the error.

BTW, if you uninstalled some third party driver/software it is probably not MS that is leaving things behind in the registry. Although MS is known to do that, many if not most third party uninstall routines do not cleanup the registry very well.

HTH, Joe

--Joe

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>HKUS-1-5-21-725345543-1078081533-682003330-500SOFTWAREMICROSOFTWINDOWS NTCURRENTVERSIONWindows<

Hmm. There is a key in the right-hand window labeled "Run" with a value of "Error!". I am going to delete it and see what happens when I reboot. Maybe this will fix the Error messages I get at bootup. Will let you know.

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Deleting that “Error!” key resolved the problem of getting an error msg at Win start. Thanks!

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Do you have reason to suspect that one of these drivers is causing problems? This could well be handled better with the old adage….’If it ain’t broke…’

In Windows 2000, you will also see that many drivers will be revealed by the Hardware Wizard when you check the box to show hidden devices. Exercise extreme caution when removing anything hidden in that list.

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Did you go in to the control panel and remove the device software before removing the device it self? If not that may be your problem.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Yes, I remove everything from the control panel add/remove app first. BUT, as anyone who has messed around with WIndows enoguh knows, many times, much information is not removed form the registry and sometimes causes problems. Now and then, I will manually go through parts of the rgistry and clean it up to remove all the garbage that MS leaves hanging around.

Have you ever run and looked at a Bootlog? Here is an excerpt from one of mine:
Did not load driver SystemRootSystem32DRIVERSrdbss.sys
Did not load driver SystemRootSystem32DRIVERSmrxsmb.sys
Loaded driver SystemRootSystem32DRIVERSsrv.sys
Loaded driver SystemRootsystem32driverswdmaud.sys
Loaded driver SystemRootsystem32driverssysaudio.sys
Loaded driver SystemRootsystem32driversswmidi.sys
Loaded driver SystemRootsystem32driversDMusic.sys
Loaded driver SystemRootsystem32driverskmixer.sys
Loaded driver ??C:WIN2KSystem32DriversTSKNF400.SYS
Loaded driver SystemRootSystem32DriversCdfs.SYS
Loaded driver SystemRootSystem32DriversFastfat.SYS
Loaded driver SystemRootsystem32driverskmixer.sys
Loaded driver ??C:WIN2KSystem32DriversSYMREDRV.SYS
Loaded driver SystemRootSystem32DRIVERSipsec.sys
Loaded driver ??d:PROGRA~1EFFICI~1ENTERN~1appTAPBIND1.SYS
Loaded driver ??C:Program FilesSymantecSYMEVENT.SYS
Loaded driver ??C:PROGRA~1COMMON~1Symantec SharedVirusDefs20020814.005NAVENG.Sys
Loaded driver ??d:PROGRA~1EFFICI~1ENTERN~1appRAWESR.SYS
Loaded driver ??C:PROGRA~1COMMON~1Symantec SharedVirusDefs20020814.005NavEx15.Sys
Loaded driver ??C:WIN2KSystem32DriversNAVAP.SYS
Loaded driver SystemRootsystem32driverskmixer.sys
Loaded driver SystemRootsystem32driverskmixer.sys
Loaded driver SystemRootsystem32driverskmixer.sys
Loaded driver SystemRootsystem32driverskmixer.sys

These are drivers. My question is – Where in Windows are drivers such as these directed to load? Is there one central registry location or some file directing the action?

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BTW: If you want an excellent registry program, try http://www.resplendence.com. There is free “lite” version. It’s amazing how fast they can search the registry (and my Win2k Pro registry is about 22mb).

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