Startup Program LoadingTHE WIN.INI FILE
WINDOWS XP NOTE: I have not seen WIN.INI used Windows XP for startup purposes. However, Microsoft continues to include WIN.INI in their XP Help & Support instructions for Selective Startup troubleshooting, so it may still be in use in addition to the Registry key mentioned immediately below.
In Windows 95, launch SYSEDIT and examine the WIN.INI file. In the first section (titled [windows]), look for any files beginning with LOAD= or RUN=. These are executed at startup. (Empty LOAD= or RUN= lines do not launch anything.) You can temporarily suspend these by placing a semi-colon in front of the line.
In Win98, you have the additional option of using SYSEDIT or of launching MSCONFIG, clicking on the WIN.INI tab, finding these lines, and unchecking the box in front of them. In Windows Millennium Edition and Windows XP, the MSCONFIG method, or editing WIN.INI with Notepad, are your only options (unless you migrate SYSEDIT.EXE to your Windows ME system).
In Windows 2000 and XP, the LOAD= and RUN= items are usually stored, instead, in the Registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows — this (at least generally) replaces the WIN.INI file in those operating systems. Some viruses and parasites exploit this key; see Common Loading Points of Threats in Windows NT/2000/XP.