Hello,
I've noticed a suspicious program labeled just "Program" in the Windows 10 Startup menu with no extension or description whatsoever. Does anyone know if it's safe to remove it, and how to remove it?
Thanks.
Last edited by Jeff Hunk; 17 Feb 2020 at 15:16.
Try inspecting your startup items in task manager.
If it's there, rt click on it, and you can open the file location and perhaps find out more about it. E.g.
Does it look like an installed program? Rt click any files there, Properties, Details.. see if there's any useful information.
I suggest you post a screenshot of the folder if there's something there.
If not listed by the task manager, you can try Autoruns, free from MS.
Thanks for the reply, but it has no description nor extension as shown in the attached pics, and therefore, no way to find its location, and cannot even be searched.
Ok, see what Autoruns says. If it simply is a redundant registry entry you can remove it there.
Invalid entries are highlighted in yellow and can be simply deleted. (rt click, Delete).
In your Task Manager screenshot you have right-clicked on Program and both the 'Open file location' and 'Properties' are greyed out. That only happens if the target no longer exists. Whatever it once was appears to have been deleted, just a redundant registry entry or a link in the Start up folder remains.
As Dalchina says, Autoruns will show you where this entry is stored and allow you to delete it. Autoruns also has an 'Image Path' column that will tell you what the file was that now appears to be missing. You may well find that it's something you once had but have now deleted.
Thanks again for your replies. So, how do you "Autorun"?
Or is it "Run" from the Windows system?
Can it be run without specific file name and "exe" extension?
Autoruns is a well-known free prog from MS. Google can help. Find it, download it, run it as admin.
It's from Microsoft: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sys...loads/autoruns
Thanks for the input. I ran it and deleted a couple of blank programs, but the phantom "Program" still shows in the Startup. Perhaps, it might disappear after reboot or disk cleanup.
Thanks any way.
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