Start poping

Every time I start Windows 98 mutliple windows automaticaly open including my Control Panel, E: (CDRW Drive), and my F: (CD-ROM) drive. I think it was caused by one of the many windows crashes (possibly due to a aging hard drive). Any comments on how to stop these windows from poping up every time I start would be appreacited (preferbly without having to reinstall windows).

go to the msconfig utility and see if thay are listed as start up items.If thay are uncheck the box and reboot.

{start,run} type msconfig click ok select start up tab.

Nowhere in there <IMG SRC="smilies/frown.gif" border="0"> (acutaly been using Iolo's System Mechanic that has a simular screen and couldn't find anything in it or msconfig). I'm kinda leaning towards it might be a registry problem <IMG SRC="smilies/confused.gif" border="0"> but if it were I wouldn't know where to look.

If you want to look in the registry try the following key...

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE ---> SOFTWARE ---> Microsoft ---> Windows ---> CurrentVersion ---> Run. Most stuff in here will also appear in msconfig but it might be worth a look. Also in your win.ini file in the \windows dir look at the load= and run= entries. There might be something there as well. Good luck.

Nope still no luck. Hopefully around the 19th I'll get my new harddrive (and from what I've been reading my next one won't be a Western Digital) and all my problems will be fixed... Till I load windows on it <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0"> .

Alright looked in the following areas and still had no luck

Autoexec.bat
System.ini
[boot]
Shell=Explorer.exe file.exe
Win.ini
[windows]
load=file.exe
run=file.exe
c:\windows\wininit.ini
c:\windows\winstart.bat
c:\windows\start menu\programs\startup
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders]
Startup="C:\windows\start menu\programs\startup"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders]
Startup="C:\windows\start menu\programs\startup"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\User Shell Folders]
"Common Startup"="C:\windows\start menu\programs\startup"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\Shell Folders]
"Common Startup"="C:\windows\start menu\programs\startup"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\RunServices]
"Whatever"="c:\runfolder\program.exe"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\RunServicesOnce]
"Whatever"="c:\runfolder\program.exe"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run]
"Whatever"="c:\runfolder\program.exe"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\RunOnce]
"Whatever"="c:\runfolder\program.exe"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run]
"Whatever"="c:\runfolder\program.exe"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\RunOnce]
"Whatever"="c:\runfolder\program.exe"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\RunServices]
"Whatever"="c:\runfolder\program.exe"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command] @="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\comfile\shell\open\command] @="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\shell\open\command] @="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\htafile\Shell\Open\Command] @="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\piffile\shell\open\command] @="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\batfile\shell\ open\command] @="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\comfile\shell\ open\command] @="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\exefile\shell\ open\command] @="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\htafile\Shell\ Open\Command] @="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\piffile\shell\ open\command] @="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mirabilis\ICQ\Agent\App s\test]
"Path"="test.exe"
"Startup"="c:\\test"
"Parameters"=""
"Enable"="Yes"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mirabilis\ICQ\Agent\App s\
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\KeyName]
StubPath=C:\PathToFile\Filename.exe

Also tried reinstalling windows (over the current install) with no luck and I also tried replacing the explorer.exe (before reinstalling) with no luck <IMG SRC="smilies/frown.gif" border="0"> . So if anyone else has any ideas as why these windows would pop up evey time windows starts let me know. As of the 19th (hopefully) instead of a new harddrive I'll get a harddrive cooler, 64MB video card, and a few other new toys <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0"> in which I'll probley format my harddrive and do a clean install of windows.

Heheh oh yeah just installed DirectX 8.1 so don't think it's a DirectX problem neither <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0">