Windows Vista System Properties Dialogue at Boot

My desktop has suddenly decided it will always display the 'System Properties' dialogue box whenever it starts up, with the cursor in the 'Computer Description' position. No big deal, I just click okay and it goes, but damned annoying. I can think of nothing I have done or downloaded that would coincide with this beginning to happen. Having searched through Google it seems as though it is a fairly common problem but I have found no definitive remedy, certainly not one that works for me. The steps I have taken, without success, so far are:-

System Restore to a point where I know the problem didn't exist.
Safe Boot (I still get the dialogue box).
sfc/scannow (seemed to have run okay but no report at completion, is this significant ?).
Downloaded and run Microsoft Security Scanner (no infected files)

I am reluctant to mention this next bit because I'm afraid that it might confuse the issue somewhat but it might give someone a clue.
I have a second internal HDD used solely as a store for Macrium images of my system disk. Unless calling on this second HDD to refresh an image I have always kept it disabled, without problem. More or less by accident I have discovered that if I now don't have this disk disabled I don't have the System Properties dialogue box issue. 'Okay', some of you will say, 'just don't disable this disc' but as I have reasons for not wanting to do this and because this configuration has always previously not given problems it is not the option I would prefer.

Would be most grateful for suggestions as to what might have caused this sudden change in behaviour, as I say, not a huge problem but very frustrating.

 

Hi, have you tried another keyboard?
I'm just wondering whether you have keys (shortcut code) playing up on Start. Neil.

 

Hi Neil
No, haven't tried another keyboard but will do when I get round to clambering up into loft to get it - good thinking. Will report back on this so thanks for your interest.
Graham

 

If you seem certain it is something to do with the drive, I would disconnect it. Restart a few times and see the effect. Then try setting it up again, like it was originally. I might also try changing the drive letter. If say, it was drive E:, I would change it at least a few more (J:, P: or W: for example). You might have to change settings in Macrium.

Clashes of drive letters might be causing problems.

Look in the Start menu under Startup. Anything there? I am not sure if things there would still run under a Safe Boot. You can send programs listed there to the Recycle Bin and put them back if there is no change.

Just another thought. I might try uninstalling and reinstalling Macrium.

Matt

 

The post from Matt got me seriously thinking about the second (back-up) drive so did a bit of investigating along the lines suggested. The first thing I noticed was that I could not disable or format it because those functions were greyed out in its properties box. After some research, the fine details of which I've forgotten, I found suggestions that this could be due to, amongst other things, the drive containing a Page File folder. Delved into the contents of drive and sure enough a Page File folder was there; Lord knows how it got there as I've only ever used it for Macrium. Initially the system would not allow me to delete this Page File as ' It was in use' but again further investigation led me to Microsoft artical 314834 and a 'Fix it for me' button. Ran this, rebooted and found that I could now disable or format the disk. I now find that if the disk is disabled or not the original problem has disappeared; whoopie !!!. Being the Dummy that I am I don't really understand the whys or wherefores of this but, what the hell, it worked.
So, many thanks for your interest and moral support both Neil and Matt, it got me going along the right lines.

 

Very well done!!

Tough Windows problems are almost always solved by stepping back, thinking about it and taking a different approach (angle of attack ).

Thanks for marking the thread Resolved.