How to stop sidebar.exe from autorunning?

[Zootal]

If I run the sidebar (sidebar.exe), it adds itself into the registry so
that it auto runs at the next windows startup. How can I run it when I
want, but stop it from making itself autorun everytime I run it?

IOW I want to run it when I feel like it, but I don't want it to make
itself autorun. How to do this?

 

[The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly]

If I run the sidebar (sidebar.exe), it adds itself into the registry so
that it auto runs at the next windows startup. How can I run it when I
want, but stop it from making itself autorun everytime I run it?

IOW I want to run it when I feel like it, but I don't want it to make
itself autorun. How to do this?

I don't think there is a way to do what you are asking. You can however
let it run constantly and just minimize it when you are not interested
in seeing it.

--
"Software is like sex, it's better when it's free."
- Linus Torvalds

DRM and unintended consequences:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=435&tag=nl.e101

 

[Zootal]

The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly Known as Nina DiBoy'

I don't think there is a way to do what you are asking. You can however
let it run constantly and just minimize it when you are not interested
in seeing it.

I was hoping there would be some option somewhere "run at windows startup"
like most such programs have. I hate it when you are not given a choice
about something like this...

 

[Zootal]

Why not just right click on your desktop/view/show desktop gadgets and
take the tick off "show desktop gadgets" when you don't want to view
them?

I could, but that really isn't what I want. Control, man, control. I want
to control when it runs, not have it tell me it is going to run at startup
whether I want it to or not.

 

[Zootal]

You've got the wrong operating system if you want control. MS doesn't
do relinquishing control of Windows.

This isn't an OS issue, it's an application issue. Usually, such programs
allow you to choose whether they run at startup. For reasons known only to
Microsoft, sidebar doesn't give you that choice.

 

[Patrick Phillips]

If I run the sidebar (sidebar.exe), it adds itself into the registry so
that it auto runs at the next windows startup. How can I run it when I
want, but stop it from making itself autorun everytime I run it?

IOW I want to run it when I feel like it, but I don't want it to make
itself autorun. How to do this?

I can't check right now but the Sidebar is probably listed in Control Panel,
and Administrative Tools, open the "Services" and look for the sidebar and
see if its "Properties" are listed to start "Automatically", if so you can
change it to start "Manually" or just "Disable" it and either way should
work to stop it from loading.

 

[Andrew]

Hacking usually is the way MS products can be controlled.

Open msconfig from the runbox.
Go to the startup tab.
uncheck sidebar.exe
close msconfig.

to restart sidebar just type it into the runbox.

 

[Zootal]

Open msconfig from the runbox.
Go to the startup tab.
uncheck sidebar.exe
close msconfig.

to restart sidebar just type it into the runbox.

That works real good...except for that when you run it, it add itself right
back to startup

 

[Dave-UK]

That works real good...except for that when you run it, it add itself right
back to startup

I replied to the wrong thread, sorry! :-(
I think you'll have to hack sidebar.exe, see your thread 'Access denied on various Win7 files.'
I'll repeat my post here:

If you check the security status of sidebar.exe you will see that Users, Administrators and
even System have only read and execute access.
Only TrustedInstaller has full control. That's why you can't rename it.
If you wanted to run sidebar.exe as you said, you would first have to take ownership of
the file and then give yourself full control.
Then edit it with a hex editor to stop it writing the registry entry to run at start-up.
The string 'Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run' starts
at 0x00005F1C so you could, I guess, modify that by changing, say, Run to Sun.
Then when you ran the program it would write a harmless registry entry that didn't
instigate a run at start-up.
If you tried to edit sidebar.exe without taking ownership then Win7 will
just automatically replace the edited file with a good copy.

 

[Joel]

How user unfriendly can MS get?

Well, how about instead of opening msconfig, go to Start->
Administrative Tools->System Configuration - which opens msconfig.

To see Admin Tools on your Start Menu, right click on Start menu,
click Properties, click Start Menu tab, click Customize, near the
bottom of list there is System administrative tools - click Display on
the All Programs menu and the Start menu.

 

[Don]

Well, how about instead of opening msconfig, go to Start->
Administrative Tools->System Configuration - which opens msconfig.

To see Admin Tools on your Start Menu, right click on Start menu,
click Properties, click Start Menu tab, click Customize, near the
bottom of list there is System administrative tools - click Display on
the All Programs menu and the Start menu.

Autoruns would make this very easy, I use it to control items I want to
start up and do not want to start up.
If I click on the logon tab, it shows me everything set to automatically run
upon my startup and I can simply remove the check from items I do not want
to start. I just looked and sidebar.exe is included in the item list.
Don't have to go through msconfig, and can easily restore items you want to
start up once again.

You can get it here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

 

[Zootal]

I replied to the wrong thread, sorry! :-(
I think you'll have to hack sidebar.exe, see your thread 'Access
denied on various Win7 files.' I'll repeat my post here:

If you check the security status of sidebar.exe you will see that
Users, Administrators and even System have only read and execute
access. Only TrustedInstaller has full control. That's why you can't
rename it. If you wanted to run sidebar.exe as you said, you would
first have to take ownership of the file and then give yourself full
control. Then edit it with a hex editor to stop it writing the
registry entry to run at start-up. The string
'Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run' starts at 0x00005F1C
so you could, I guess, modify that by changing, say, Run to Sun. Then
when you ran the program it would write a harmless registry entry that
didn't instigate a run at start-up.
If you tried to edit sidebar.exe without taking ownership then Win7
will just automatically replace the edited file with a good copy.

I saw your original post. Thank you for the intelligent and informative
response! When did usenet degenerate so badly that half the people seem
to be incapable of a response that goes beyond something like "to stop
idiots like you from messing with it"? Back in the good old days you just
didn't see many mouthy 10 year old kids out here. Now, most of this
thread has devolved to "mine is bigger than yours, you <insert
prepubescent insult of the day>".

I played with it for a while. The first thing I did was make a copy of
the file, since I have full ownership of the copy and it was easier to do
that than to figure out how to take control of it. I looked through the
executable, and the registry string does not occur anywhere in the
version I have, let alone at the address you specified. At this point I
moved on to other projects because I didn't have time to pursue it
further.

My motivation for figuring this out is that I remove all startup items
from startup so they don't execute by default. Several years ago I wrote
a simple program that lets me store a list of startup items, and
conditionally executes them for me. I boot Windows, which happens much
faster without all of the startup junk. Then I run my program, which will
either let me choose individual startup items, or it will run items that
I have preconfigured to be run when I push the go button. I wanted to add
sidebar to this list, which is when I discovered the it automatically
makes itself auto start each time you run it. (programmers that pull
stunts like that need to have their fingers broken so they don't do
things like that anymnore).

 

[Dave-UK]

I saw your original post. Thank you for the intelligent and informative
response! When did usenet degenerate so badly that half the people seem
to be incapable of a response that goes beyond something like "to stop
idiots like you from messing with it"? Back in the good old days you just
didn't see many mouthy 10 year old kids out here. Now, most of this
thread has devolved to "mine is bigger than yours, you <insert
prepubescent insult of the day>".

I played with it for a while. The first thing I did was make a copy of
the file, since I have full ownership of the copy and it was easier to do
that than to figure out how to take control of it. I looked through the
executable, and the registry string does not occur anywhere in the
version I have, let alone at the address you specified. At this point I
moved on to other projects because I didn't have time to pursue it
further.

My motivation for figuring this out is that I remove all startup items
from startup so they don't execute by default. Several years ago I wrote
a simple program that lets me store a list of startup items, and
conditionally executes them for me. I boot Windows, which happens much
faster without all of the startup junk. Then I run my program, which will
either let me choose individual startup items, or it will run items that
I have preconfigured to be run when I push the go button. I wanted to add
sidebar to this list, which is when I discovered the it automatically
makes itself auto start each time you run it. (programmers that pull
stunts like that need to have their fingers broken so they don't do
things like that anymnore).

Sorry, I forgot I'm running x64 so I've got two sidebar.exe.
The 32 bit is version 6.1.7600.16385, 1.40 MB (1,475,072 bytes)
The address of the start of the string in the 32 bit version
is 0x000AC534.

The 64 bit is same version number, 1.11 MB (1,173,504 bytes)
The address of the start of the string is 0x00005F1C.

I'm using Hexworkshop but Hexedit gives the same results.
http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~prewett/hexedit/

 

[Zootal]

Sorry, I forgot I'm running x64 so I've got two sidebar.exe.
The 32 bit is version 6.1.7600.16385, 1.40 MB (1,475,072 bytes)
The address of the start of the string in the 32 bit version
is 0x000AC534.

The 64 bit is same version number, 1.11 MB (1,173,504 bytes)
The address of the start of the string is 0x00005F1C.

I'm using Hexworkshop but Hexedit gives the same results.
http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~prewett/hexedit/

Ahh, got it. I'm running the x64 version of Win7 also, but I only have
one sidebar.exe. 6.1.7600.16385, 1,475,072. The string is right were you
said it would be.

So, anyhow, I changed it to write to Wun instead of Run, and it quite
happily does so, which prevents it from auto-starting. Problem solved,
thank you very much!!

 

[Dave-UK]

Ahh, got it. I'm running the x64 version of Win7 also, but I only have
one sidebar.exe. 6.1.7600.16385, 1,475,072. The string is right were you
said it would be.

So, anyhow, I changed it to write to Wun instead of Run, and it quite
happily does so, which prevents it from auto-starting. Problem solved,
thank you very much!!

The way it seeds itself at every run reminds me of malware!

 

[Zootal]

Ahh, got it. I'm running the x64 version of Win7 also, but I only

The way it seeds itself at every run reminds me of malware!

meh - very poor mannered at the least. I would go so far as to call it a
really stupid design - to enforce auto startup without giving the user a
choice. But then, this is the Microsoft mentality - let us think for you
and tell you what you really want.

 

[millermoto]

Maybe I misread this thread but isn't this the simplest solution?

1. Go to Control Panel -> Programs, and click on Turn Windows features on or off link.
2. Unselect and untick Windows Gadget Platform checkbox.
3. Click OK.

By disabling Windows Gadget Platform, all attached gadgets will be removed, no new gadgets can be added, nor there is any more Gadget menu.

To re-install and re-enable Windows Gadget Platform, just tick and check back the “Windows Gadget Platform” option."
(from My Digital Life)

Actually I've been using the free version of Glary Utilities for years for this sort of thing - makes things so easy.

 

[IsLNdbOi]

"Dave-UK" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>
> "Zootal" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> "Dave-UK" <[email protected]> wrote in
>> news:[email protected]:
>>
>>>
>>> "Zootal" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>> news:[email protected]...
>>>>>
>>>>> Open msconfig from the runbox.
>>>>> Go to the startup tab.
>>>>> uncheck sidebar.exe
>>>>> close msconfig.
>>>>>
>>>>> to restart sidebar just type it into the runbox.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> That works real good...except for that when you run it, it add
>>>> itself right back to startup
>>>
>>> I replied to the wrong thread, sorry! :-(
>>> I think you'll have to hack sidebar.exe, see your thread 'Access
>>> denied on various Win7 files.' I'll repeat my post here:
>>>
>>> If you check the security status of sidebar.exe you will see that
>>> Users, Administrators and even System have only read and execute
>>> access. Only TrustedInstaller has full control. That's why you can't
>>> rename it. If you wanted to run sidebar.exe as you said, you would
>>> first have to take ownership of the file and then give yourself full
>>> control. Then edit it with a hex editor to stop it writing the
>>> registry entry to run at start-up. The string
>>> 'Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run' starts at 0x00005F1C
>>> so you could, I guess, modify that by changing, say, Run to Sun.
>>> Then when you ran the program it would write a harmless registry
>>> entry that didn't instigate a run at start-up.
>>> If you tried to edit sidebar.exe without taking ownership then Win7
>>> will just automatically replace the edited file with a good copy.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I saw your original post. Thank you for the intelligent and
>> informative response! When did usenet degenerate so badly that half
>> the people seem to be incapable of a response that goes beyond
>> something like "to stop idiots like you from messing with it"? Back
>> in the good old days you just didn't see many mouthy 10 year old kids
>> out here. Now, most of this thread has devolved to "mine is bigger
>> than yours, you <insert prepubescent insult of the day>".
>>
>> I played with it for a while. The first thing I did was make a copy
>> of the file, since I have full ownership of the copy and it was
>> easier to do that than to figure out how to take control of it. I
>> looked through the executable, and the registry string does not occur
>> anywhere in the version I have, let alone at the address you
>> specified. At this point I moved on to other projects because I
>> didn't have time to pursue it further.
>>
>> My motivation for figuring this out is that I remove all startup
>> items from startup so they don't execute by default. Several years
>> ago I wrote a simple program that lets me store a list of startup
>> items, and conditionally executes them for me. I boot Windows, which
>> happens much faster without all of the startup junk. Then I run my
>> program, which will either let me choose individual startup items, or
>> it will run items that I have preconfigured to be run when I push the
>> go button. I wanted to add sidebar to this list, which is when I
>> discovered the it automatically makes itself auto start each time you
>> run it. (programmers that pull stunts like that need to have their
>> fingers broken so they don't do things like that anymnore).
>
>
> Sorry, I forgot I'm running x64 so I've got two sidebar.exe.
> The 32 bit is version 6.1.7600.16385, 1.40 MB (1,475,072 bytes)
> The address of the start of the string in the 32 bit version
> is 0x000AC534.
>
> The 64 bit is same version number, 1.11 MB (1,173,504 bytes)
> The address of the start of the string is 0x00005F1C.
>
> I'm using Hexworkshop but Hexedit gives the same results.
> http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~prewett/hexedit/
>

Ahh, got it. I'm running the x64 version of Win7 also, but I only have
one sidebar.exe. 6.1.7600.16385, 1,475,072. The string is right were you
said it would be.

So, anyhow, I changed it to write to Wun instead of Run, and it quite
happily does so, which prevents it from auto-starting. Problem solved,
thank you very much!!

Sorry for bumping this old thread, but I really need this done as well. I installed a USB monitor that I keep all of my sidebar gadgets on. However, the monitor does not run instantly and often times the sidebar will load before the USB monitor does once Windows starts. Because of this, the gadgets will appear all over my main monitor instead of on the USB monitor since the sidebar loads before the USB monitor becomes operational.

Would you be willing to edit my sidebar.exe files the same way you did yours?

I'd like both the 64-bit and 32-bit versions edited if you have the time.

Thanks.

 

[IsLNdbOi]

Anyone? Please?

 

[zakkmylde]

if you want to stop this due to high processor usage some tips are
1. dont add ANY useless stuff (i.e. extra clock you have one, calender etc etc)
2. dont make gadgets very large

these helped me hope it helps you