Where oh where is my msconfig.exe?

Do I still have it and it's been hidden by an installed app or is something else going on?

By BigDogBigFeet Posted March 20, 2008 00:50:00

Hi all,

Well as a result of Po's thread Virtual Memory Question I've discovered that when I click on start, run and type in msconfig and press enter ...... nothing happens. I fired up explorer and searched my windows sub, no go and did a system Search twice and again no go. Did some web searching and discovered one of 2 possibilities an installed app has it hidden from my through a system key setting or in the worst case malware. At present I'm not suspecting malware. System has no other problems currently and it's possible any of these progs could have it hidden: Ad-Aware 2007 Free, SpyBot Search and Destroy (I'm new to both of these) I also have Tune-Up Utilities 2006 and please don't gasp, Norton System Works(well mostly, lol).

Anywho, I thought I'd post to see if anyone has some insight as to what's caused this and what Reg Key(s) might be involved. I'm thinking that's probably what's happened.

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Vista Business 32 with Impulse . . msconfig runs fine.

Let's review: DWMAPI.DLL is a Vista file

Here's a question for Bigdog, Po' and anyone else that has 'something' that is a no-show. Do you have Impulse installed?

Uh...I did when my problems started. Now, since, I have done the complete reformat recovery..I installed Impulse last night. Everything seems good. I cam open msconfig and my mouse isn't vanishing. I rean SeaTools again (several times as I install my programs back on here) and everything keeps passing.

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Tried to run Msconfig on a whim; it's a no show (other than being listed in taskmanager). And I do have Impulse installed

Oh, yeah ... XP Pro SP2

XPHome SP2

I'm having exactly the same problem on 3 XP rigs all running ObjectDesktop apps, specifically WB, WFX & CursorFX (one still runs CXP, so I don't think it's the culprit). MSCONFIG.EXE shows up as a running process in TM after launching from the Run command line but there's no GUI. This has been going on since before Impulse was released, first ran into it about 2 weeks ago when I was troubleshooting slow boot time on one of the rigs.

GUI appears only when in SafeMode on all 3 rigs. I checked the XP rig of a co-worker without any SD apps & the GUI for MSCONFIG appears normally.

I think we're on to something, just have no clue what it is.

Right now, Impulse, OD, and CXP are the only SD apps I have installed since the reformat. Everything is running good. Now I'm afraid to install the rest of ODNT. I don't want to go through all that reformatting crap again.

Uninstalled IE7 ... back to IE6; no tabs

Still no msconfig gui

Well Well Well, I installed Impulse today... for the hell of it I just tried Msconfig...

You guessed it... Its running in task manager.. not opening on screen.. I'll be damned.

gonna uninstall Impulse.

**************************************************8

Impulse Uninstalled, it left several registry entries (of course) which in turn I removed manually.

NO MSCONFIG - in task manager only, Somone should make sure the developers see this.

Something told me not to install it.

Kicks self*

John -

I don't think it's Impulse. I'm having this problem without Impulse installed on any of the 3 rigs affected (2 XPP SP2, 1 XPMCE SP2). Just excluded msconfig.exe in both WB & WFX on one rig but that didn't fix the problem - msconfig.exe shows up in TM but no UI appears.

Well its a damn concidence its the only app I have installed recently and now Mine is vanishing.

As an aside, I noticed recently that Camtasia is also doing the same thing, opening in task manager but not on screen.

Has to be something Stardock related.. I JUST formatted and all I have on my system are Stardock apps and Photoshop.

Be nice if someone figured this out. I also do not want to format again

I think it is something SD related, too, just what I can't tell. Excluding it from skinning in WB and from WFX makes no difference. CXP/CFX would not seem likely (1 rig has CXP, 2 have CFX) and there are no other SD apps common to all three rigs except SDMCP.

I tried switching to Windows Classic, rebooting & running msconfig again, but same thing occurs: shows up in TM but has no UI. The UI will appear in SafeMode & is functional.

its simple really, spybot search & destroy hides and stops use of any of them system files to protect your system properly. just disable it and ya should be able to run msconfig again.

No problems here. Running XP SP2 IE7 and latest beta and firm builds of Stardock apps WB, Iconpackager, DesktopX, Gadgets, Cursor XP and Impulse. I have TuneUp 2008 Utilities managing my startup apps in msconfig. Very strange

I have Impulse installed. I just reformatted 2 days ago. MSCONFIG is working fine. Previous to reformatting, msconfig and snag-it were the only two that were playing hide-n-go-seek. My mouse would vanish, but only on the desktop, not on an open window or browser. If I nudged the mouse, the pointer would reappear for a second or two and vanish again. The mouse pointer problem would come and go. I couldn't pin it down to anything I was doing or had open.

I'm wondering if it's one of the updates for another app, which is why I am holding off on installing the other SD apps I usually have one here.

its simple really, spybot search & destroy hides and stops use of any of them system files to protect your system properly. just disable it and ya should be able to run msconfig again.

I'm running the latest build of Spybot and I can still pull up msconfig without disabling it so it can't be Spybot

Po... ur not running WB?

All i am running is WB and SKS6, and until a few minutes ago Impulse.

Now I could unsinstall everything SD..but.. sometimes an application can leave something buggered up even after its uninstalled.

I suppose I could ODNTZapper my system and see what happens..? Whats the bet theres' still tons of registry entries even if I do?

All i know is AS OF today I also do not have a functioning MSCONFIG.

First off, everyone running XP who can't see msconfig do a system search for: DWMAPI.DLL.
It is a Vista file that has (for some) been associated with IE7 (and it's updates) as it relates to Vista (it should not be on an XP machine), thus my original recommendation to Bigdog to try a re-install of IE as that might have been the easiest way to fix it. That accomplished nothing other then to suck 30 minutes out of his life he'll never get back....

There is a system fix that is certainly more complicated and it will reset permissions for the entire Registry. If anyone wants it, I'll post it. Without knowing which delay-load dependency module is being affected in XP, that's also a dead end. Personally, if your msconfig is working (if it shows in TM, it is) and just not showing on screen, I'd let it be until we figure out what is going on. You could fix it, run the problem app again (whatever it is) and be right back at square one. So, why bother.

I don't know what is causing this. I guessed at Impulse only because this problem is not happening anywhere else, just here. That eliminates a lot of 'stuff'. Eventually, as always, we'll find it....in the interium......fireup them backup proggies!

I don't know what is causing this.

I never thought I would here this. So very sad.

OK...I'll make you feel better.....

You're causing this.

Eventually, as always, we'll find it....in the interium......fireup them backup proggies!

No problems on waiting, here

love them double post...........

I have DWMAPI.DLL. only on my Vista (E:)drive. Not found on XP (C:) drive.

I havent checked for same problem in Vista..

Im having the problem on XP sp2 w\IE6.

I also find it odd that Camtasia is doing exactly the same thing. Showing in TM only.

no problems here.. yet (crosses fingers) xp home/sp2 stardock apps installed.. wb ip od+ impluse and of course sdc. good luck every one.

OK...I'll make you feel better.....

You're causing this.