How to prevent Notepad++ from auto starting at Windows startup

I have problems with Notepad++ starting with Windows startup. The Notepad++ window does not show up. Only the process is loaded. I can't open any file with Notepad++ from context menu until the Notepad++ process is killed manually.

The solution would be simple not to start that process on startup. The problem is, I can't find the process starter neither in Autostart nor via msconfig. And I can't find the option not to start on startup in Notepad++ preferences.

Q: Why is the Notepad++ process loaded on startup and how to prevent it?

Solution 1:

Some times, programs can start via a scheduled task. So, check there for anything you're not sure of.

Also, and I can't think of why any program would do this for Notepad++, but it could be possible that another program is opening NotePad ++ (eg, a malicious script loads it up for no good reason).

Lastly, it is possible that an update has occurred on the software itself. So, yes, you are right to check the MSCONFIG but also look through the NotePad ++ settings and ensure that it is not set to load with Windows.

If none of the above help, then it is possible that the default programs are set incorrectly. For example (and this is a silly example but it does demonstrate the theory), let's assume my PC was set to open a web page every time Windows loaded but for a strange reason I bug made all web pages to open with NotePad++ (which I was unaware of), this could then occur. Although it's not typical, this has happened to me once before at work.

Solution 2:

You can check all different autostart options with Sysinternals Autoruns

This utility, which has the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows processes them. These programs include ones in your startup folder, Run, RunOnce, and other Registry keys.

Solution 3:

There are a number of places in the registry where autostart can hide.

Check e.g.

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
• HKEY_USERS\<< USERNAME >>\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKEY_USERS\<< USERNAME >>\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

with regedit for any Notepad++ references.