"Start up" launching two instances of same program

windows-7 boot start-menu

6,018

Solution 1

Go to the run dialog box and type in msconfig.

A box like the one below should come up:

enter image description here

Have a look on the startup tab and uncheck the entries for the application that is launching twice.

Solution 2

Check that the program isn't installed in "All Users\Starup" as well as "Your Username\Startup"

This happened to me once when I was fiddling with the start menu.

6,018

bobobobo

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

bobobobo almost 2 years

I wrote a simple Windows program and put it in my "Start up" folder on the start menu.

But when Windows starts up, it always launches it twice. I get two instances of my program and I always have to manually exit one of them.

It is only in the All Users start up profile, not any of the other User profiles. I haven't touched the registry at all. If I remove the program from "Start up", then it doesn't start at all.

This actually happens on both 7 and xp for me for this particular program.
bobobobo almost 15 years

:) Yes I double-checked this before posting.
bobobobo almost 15 years

Yes, you're right. It does appear there twice. When I uncheck one of them, then close the dialog, then reopen it, the duplicate disappears, but the program I want to start up is unchecked. When I check it again, then close/reopen the dialog, the item is duplicated again, both times checked. I am thinking is it wrong to just copy something into the Start Up folder manually? Because that is how I added it to Start Up to begin with..
EvilChookie almost 15 years

That's cool - if I could have a dime for each problem I've solved where someone said "I checked this or that setting..." I could retire. :)
Alexis Hirst almost 15 years

Yes, by adding it to the startup folder, it should launch when you log in. What may be an idea, is to uncheck the entries in 'msconfig' for the application, add the application to the startup folder, but also check in the preferences of the application whether it is set to launch on login, or something similar. Would you be able to tell me what the problem application is?
Borlan Adel almost 15 years

Alexis, it's a program he wrote himself.