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I was looking at my startup menu in Task Manager today and noticed this:

enter image description here

I don't think I have a virus and have done all the usual checks (malwarebytes, etc), but the odd thing to me is:

  • Lack of icon
  • Name "Program"
  • Missing publisher
  • Non-measured startup impact (I have tried restarting multiple times and it always says not measured)
  • Disabled Open file location option

Is there a way to figure out what this is?

I doubt it's a virus because this is all metadata set by the developer. If it were a virus it would have this data to not seem odd.

4 Answers 4

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  1. Task Manager
  2. Startup tab.
  3. Right click the sorting bar and select Command line image of task manager startup
  4. Your file locations will be on the right. image of task manager starup

Note: these screens are from win 10, but thinking this will work in win 8 too!

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  • 1
    I also have Windows 10 and same Programs item and want to find out what it is executing. But my Task Manager - Startup tab does not have same options shown above. I can only Enable/Disable, Open File Location (grayed out), Search Online, Properties (grayed out). Does Windows 10 have some advanced settings to show all options above?
    – curtisp
    Jul 14, 2019 at 15:30
  • 1
    @curtisp The first screenshot indicates that the context menu should be clicked on the table's headers. There you get the Option to show the "Command line" in the table.
    – wolfrevo
    Nov 6, 2020 at 10:42
  • @RoccoB I would suggest to consider the use of the red arrows which IMHO might be misleading in the first screenshot
    – wolfrevo
    Nov 6, 2020 at 10:42
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It's probably caused by a bug in an installer. It looks like a shortcut which was added to startup folder in the 'old' start menu which doesn't point to a valid location. The fact that it's called 'Program' suggests someone tried to run a command with 'Program Files' as an argument without properly quoting the argument to deal with the space in the directory name. (I've always considered the decision to make the default location for installing applications a directory which needs special handling an interesting one...)

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  • My startup folder is empty.
    – Jon
    Sep 17, 2014 at 1:17
  • @Chipperyman - You can delete/disable the entry since you can't identify it. The startup folder really hasnt been used in years.
    – Ramhound
    Sep 17, 2014 at 1:45
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That is Not a Virus it is because of Unremoved files&Reg entries of an Old Programs in Startup Here simple steps to locate this

Step 1: Open Task Manager Step 2: Right Click on tab (Name,Publisher Status) Step 3: Select Command Line

Now You can easily locate it

Finally, I found that its due to my Old installation of mHotspot and removed it from my Pc By Using the Ccleaner

Thanks David

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  • Your answer doesn't make any sense. Please explain the steps with trying to use missing screenshots.
    – DavidPostill
    Jun 24, 2016 at 17:07
  • I don't have more then 10 reputations so I don't have permissions to post more than one image here I will update it with a single image.Thanks for Your advice Jun 24, 2016 at 17:39
  • My advice was to use words instead of images.
    – DavidPostill
    Jun 24, 2016 at 17:40
  • It does make sense to me. I did it and found it was teams.exe from Microsoft and I could turn it off in Settings/Startup. It is not an " old" program, but the instructions work: open the task manager (for ex. by right clicking on a blank space on the taskbar - Win10), select the tab "Startup" and right click in one of the 'tabs' (maybe they should be called column names, with the names "Name", "Publisher", "Status"...). They are below the upper tabs (those including "Startup"). The "Select command line" shows up and if selected it will be displayed as another column with the app path...
    – Martin
    Aug 17, 2019 at 10:46
  • Try CCleaner or Remove that particular .exe by manually as explained @Martin Aug 17, 2019 at 11:00
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Task Manager Issues

The area that I have encircled can't be located. Can anyone provide a solution?

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    – Community Bot
    Jan 25 at 17:40

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