Windows 10: system32 folder opens at startup

Hello,

This has been a long standing problem that I have not been able to find an answer for on my own.

I am unsure of what caused this to happen initially, but when I was using Windows 7 the system32 folder (C:\WINDOWS\system32) would open whenever I started my computer and reached my desktop.

I attempted to find a fix, failed, and left it.

Some time ago I upgraded to Windows 10, and the issue continues to happen. Whatever I read mentions that there may be a problem in the Registry, but anything I have tried has solved this issue.

So, I would like to know if anyone here would have any ideas on how to resolve this. My end goal, of course, would be to NOT have the system32 folder open whenever I start my computer.

Any and all help is appreciated, thank you!

:)

 

system32

I use windows 10

Both users have the same problem

system32 folder opens on startup. If I try to close or reduce this folder another copy of the same system32 opens &c &c

How do I get system32 to behave normally

 

The System32 folder opens automatically in my PC.

Hi Pratyaksh,

There are cases where the System32 folder or any other folder opens automatically due to third-party programs. We suggest that your perform a clean boot and check if the problem goes away. You may refer to
this article on how to do so.

Note: Refer to the Reset the computer to start normally after clean boot troubleshooting section afterwards.

We also suggest that you run the System File Checker scan to find and fix missing or corrupted system files. You may refer to
this article.

In addition, check for outdated third-party programs that aren't in use. You could uninstall some and observe if the problem goes away. This solution worked for other users who were facing the same problem.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

Hello and welcome to the TenForums *Smile

Have you checked to see if there is anything you don't expect in the Start-up tab of Task Manager?

You could also try working through this tutorial to see if you can identify any unusual items and report back if you find any.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

 

Hello, thank you for the response! I went through the tutorial and looked at my start up items and there really isn't anything that is foreign to me in there.

Do you have any other suggestions? I could post a screenshot if you'd like as well.

Thanks again!

 

Hi, have you read the thread on apparently the same topic just above yours?
System 32 folder - Windows 10 Forums

But not an immediate solution.

Have you seen this:
Why does my System32 folder open when I log in?
and sometimes really old solutions to the same problem may be relevant:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/170086

If you can't eliminate the cause, you could, I suppose, try creating a new user, but this is far from ideal.

 

Thank you for the suggestion. I believe that something looks odd in the Registry.




This is located in... HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Aren't Data element supposed to be encased in double quotes? Is the syntax in that picture wrong?

Unfortunately I am not very savvy when it comes to how the registry works.

Thanks for your help!

 

Hi, I think the shadowplay entry may be the Nvidia screen recording feature.
ShadowPlay PC Game Capture Software | GeForce | GeForce

"" is used where the string includes spaces

Have you checked both these?
Use Registry Editor to view the following two Windows registry keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

You can also try downloading and installing the famous (free) Autoruns and see if you can see anything odd there.

Now, if you try a clean boot, can you confirm you do not get System32 opening?
Clean Boot - Perform in Windows 10 to Troubleshoot Software Conflicts - Windows 10 Forums

If it doesn't open after a clean boot, then look thru what you've disabled for anything odd, else follow the tutorial to identify which startup entry is causing the problem.

 

Thank you for the Tutorial! I was able to pinpoint what was going on with my startup issue.

It appears that the version of AIM I have was causing it, maybe it's time to finally retire it. *Wink

I restarted and shutdown/started up multiple times with AIM's startup disabled and each time the system32 folder did not appear.

So, thank you again!