How do I stop IE from launching every time I start my computer?

Factual Questions
1

(Something happened while I was submitting this post. I’ve looked at the menu and the first first version doesn’t seem to have made it, but I apologize in advance if this does turn out to be a duplicate.)

It didn’t used to, and that’s the way I want it. But I’ve always let IE and Windows do their ‘automatic update’ things, and after one of them…suddenly I have to wait for IE to complete launching itself before I can close it down and proceed to do what I really turned on the computer for. (Okay, it doesn’t take that long, but it’s a several times a day annoyance. When I want to use IE, I’ll click on the button, dammit.)

I’ve looked at the ‘startup’ menu (under the ‘start menu’) that appear under “all users” and “default user” and “default”: all three are completely empty.

So…where else can this autostart command be hidden?

I use WindowsXP and InternetExplore 6.0.

2

Look in this registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

That’s the other place it might be.

3

Also, maybe go to Start Menu-> Run, type in msconfig. Go to the startup tab, and see if IE is listed there. If so, uncheck it.

4

In IE go to Tools/Internet Options and select the Connections tab. Select the option for “Never dial a connection.”

5

“Startup Cop helps you handle problems with programs that are automatically launched at startup by listing them and letting you disable, enable, or delete them. You can save the list of programs that are currently enabled or disabled as a profile that can be restored at a later time.”
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,2173,00.asp

6

I decided to try this suggestion first, since it looked easiest.

And, yup, there was IE, so I unchecked it. It informed me that the changes would not take effect until the computer had been rebooted.

Fine.

I rebooted.

When it restarted, no IE (hooray!) BUT there was this big window on the screen that read:

"You have used the System Configuration Utility to make changes to the way Windows starts.

The Sytem Configuration Utility is currently in Diagnostic or Selective Startup mode, causing this message to be displayed and the utility to run every time Windows starts.

Choose the Normal Startup mode on the General tab to start Windows normally and undo the changes you made using the System Configuration Utility.

Don’t show this messae or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows starts."

Followed by an OK button.

Hmmm. Sounds like they REALLY REALLY don’t want you to turn IE off, doesn’t it? Is MS that scared that I might click on Netscape or Opera instead? Sheesh.

Anyway, having to deal with that window on each startup would be no better than the IE nuisance, so I checked the little box.

Then I crossed my fingers and booted again: no IE! no window nag/threat! Success!

So, thank you very much Bouv. Also thank you to everyone who suggested solutions. It looks like I won’t need them right now, but I’ve saved them into a file in case I run into further problems.

Color me happy. :slight_smile:

7

Basically, all that window does is let you know that something has changed from the last time Windows started. It tells you in case you didn’t make the change, or it got made for you. Since you know you made the change, it’s OK.