Programs forget their startup settings

I have a new problem which goes deeper than just the three programs here - but all are displaying the same issue, despite quite thorough uninstalls/reinstalls:

ZoneAlarm Pro cannot be made to load at startup, it has to be manually started; the checkbox for 'load at Windows startup' will not remain checked, no matter how many times I try;

Network Magic is a program I don't always want to start with my system. But if I uncheck 'load at Windows startup' - I find, even on only navigating away from that particular tab, that when I navigate back again, the checkbox has become checked again;

ditto Skype. If I uncheck 'load Skype on Windows startup' the box will not remain unchecked. Hit 'save' navigate away from the tab, navigate back again, and the checkbox is once again checked.

So - obviously the problem is with a system file which is not doing what it is supposed to be doing... But which file, and how can I fix this?

Running sfc /scannow is not helping.

 

I suggest using Spybot S&D - to control your startup progs - would also suggest ditching ZoneAlarm, many might not back me on this but I wouldnt install that prog on any of the PC's i manage if it was a choice between life or death, as an alternative, again just a suggestion, use AVG or NOD32

 

Err ... AVG and NOD32 are antivirus (and/or antispyware) progs. ZoneAlarm Pro - which I have (not the 'Suite')- is a firewall with some antispyware capabilities. For antivirus work I use F-Prot 6.x.

In any case - the problem seems not to be with ZAP but with a general system issue of (at least) three programs not being able to remember their settings. I'll have a look and see what I can do with Spybot S&D (which I also use), but I don't recall it controlling startup programs... perhaps I've not delved deeply enough (no need before, y'see).

Nevertheless, thank you for your effort...

 

OK, startup options set via Spybot S&D apply for the first restart, but revert to their 'stuck' state for subsequent restarts: ZonAlarm Pro 'Off', Nework Magic 'On', Skype 'On' despite the reverse being set in Spybot. What I expected, really.

 

I have been using a PC Magizine program named StartupCop for years. I have used it from Win 98 up through XP Pro.

BillyBob

 

Culprits Found

Just fyi - seems to have been a mix of problems:

Skype 3.2 is, possibly, somewhat badly written - which makes cCleaner (and, by all accounts, other progs of a similar ilk) think some stuff in the registry is unnecessary - when in fact it is very necessary for the smooth running of Skype. Skype developers seem to be aware of the issue and plan to fix it. Until then be very cautious about 'fixing' (deleting) Skype-related registry entry errors which these registry cleaners find.

Regarding other programs (including Skype) forgetting their settings - amazingly this seems to have something to do with Lavasoft's 'Adwatch' module, which you get when you pay for Adaware Pro. I've always had a lot of respect for Adaware... so, funny that... But disabling Adwatch fixes the issue, I've discovered.

Adwatch is preventing changes to 'run' settings - even those you want to make!! And it seems to be choosing some point in the past as the default it wants to keep sacrosanct, possibly relating to when it was first run/installed