Use Registy Editor or any Startup Manager
Hello Aanand,
"Msconfig" lets you control your startup items by editing certain Registry Keys behind the scenes.
As you know Windows 2000 doesn't have "Msconfig", you can either
use a software to assist you or can choose to manually edit the Registry yourself.
Keep in mind that editing the Registry in a wrong place can render your computer unbootable.
So, if you feel more comfortable with using a software, you can go ahead and search online for it.
But, I'll say it's not very difficult to edit the registry yourself.
You just have to be a little more careful and shouldn't delete things blindly.
Here's the procedure:
Click on Start -> Run -> Type "regedit" and press Enter.
This will open your Registry Editor. Now under "My Computer" navigate as follows:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> Software -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> Software -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> RunOnce
Upon selecting the "Run" Key, in the right window pane you'll see "some" of the items that run on startup
along with the "path" the item resides in. Remove all the entries for items you don't want to run at the startup.
If you are absolutely sure that a particular item is infact a virus or is unwanted, you can copy its application path by
double-clicking its entry and pressing Ctrl+C. Then navigate to the item's location using the path just copied and delete
it from your computer. Some viruses add themselves to the "RunOnce" just below the "Run" Key. So, check this Key too.
Do the same for:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> RunOnce
Now, exit Registry Editor and check your "Startup" folders.
Start -> All Programs -> Right-Click "Startup" -> Select "Open" to open
YOUR Startup folder at: <SystemDrive:>\Documents and Settings\<YOUR UserName>\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Start -> All Programs -> Right-Click "Startup" -> Select "Open All Users" to open
ALL USERS Startup folder at: <SystemDrive:>\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Delete all the Shortcuts to applications you do not want to get run automatically on your startup.
That's all Aanand!!
If you would rather like to use a software, you can search online. There are plenty of them.
Here's one that I found: StartupRun v1.22 This utility has been released as a freeware.
*www.nirsoft.net/utils/strun.gif
You can disable, enable, edit or delete selected startup entries. You can even create your own startup entries.
It even helps identify "some" spyware or adware programs that run at startup, by painting their entries in pink color.
Now, how cool is that!!
Ravi