Disabling the Startup Group in Windows (81606)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows 3.11
This article was previously published under Q81606

SUMMARY

To disable the Startup group when starting Microsoft Windows version 3.1, do the following:

  1. Start Windows as usual. (At the MS-DOS command prompt, type WIN and press the ENTER key.)
  2. Immediately after pressing ENTER, press and hold down the SHIFT key.
To start Windows 95 without processing the Startup folder, press and hold down the SHIFT key when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message. This also prevents programs from being run by the "Load=" and the "Run=" lines listed in the Win.ini file.

MORE INFORMATION

At Windows startup, Program Manager executes all programs that have an icon in the Startup group. The programs are executed according to their placement in the Startup group, with Windows applications taking precedence over MS-DOS applications. Windows starts executing from the upper left and goes across to the right and then down one line.

NOTE: The Startup group is independent of the LOAD= and RUN= lines in the WIN.INI file.

You can also disable the Startup group by putting the line startup= in the [settings] section of your PROGMAN.INI file. If you leave this entry blank (that is, you don't put anything on the right side of the equals sign), there is no Startup group.

For more information on the application load order for programs in the Startup group, refer to article 91204 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/14/2003
Keywords:KB81606
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.