Winpatrol and start up removal question and problem

[pastywhitegurl]

Hi,

I use WinPatrol and am happy to get the alerts it gives me, but sometimes I'm not sure how to interpret them, and then if I make a mistake, I can't always figure out how to reverse my decisions.

Maybe someone can help me with this.

I just updated my nVidia drivers via the Windows Update site.  After installation, I got a notice from Scotty that said there was a change and a program wanted to run at startup.  I think it was the icon for the nVidia control panel that comes up in my task bar on startup.  For some reason I disallowed it.   I can get to the panel through the context menu, but I don't use it enough to remember that it is there, so I want to return the icon to the task bar. 

The item:  NV Regigers MCTRAYNview
C:\WINDOWS\System32\NVMCTRAY.DLL

After doing some searching, I found that you can enable/disable the taskbar icon from the control panel, but now the option is not there---presumably because I disallowed it through WinPatrol?

Anyway... how do I turn that back on.   And in a more broad sense, my question is.... if I do an action like that through WinPatrol...where can I find an option to reverse?

[pastywhitegurl]

Sorry, that was:

NV Register MCTRAYNview

And also, I tried to use the "add" option on the startup menu, but it only looks for .exe files it seems

[pastywhitegurl]

More exploration.  I did find the History setting in Options that says an action with an *asterisk can be reversed, but selecting and then clicking the Restore button.

But I tried that and after a reboot, didn't get my icon back, and the item is still in the history list unchanged.  And no additional history of the action was logged.   So maybe I did something wrong? 

[pastywhitegurl]

sorry..duplicate post

I'm probably missing something obvious.

[Corrine]

WinPatrol doesn't know the difference between when YOU are installing/updating a program and when it is something undesirable.  When intentionally updating a program, whether it be Microsoft Security updates or a driver as you were doing, you need to expect alerts from Scotty, unless you disable alerts for RunOnce updates.

You were on the right track but I believe the file you want to restore is the DLL. 

• Launch WinPatrol and click the Options tab.
  
• Select History.
  
• Select C:\WINDOWS\System32\NVMCTRAY.DLL and click Restore.

If that doesn't work, see if this from nVidia Customer Help does:  How do enable or disable the NVIDIA Notification Tray Icon on the Windows Taskbar?

To discontinue alerts for Run Once when updating programs:

• Launch WinParol
  
• Click the Options tab
  
• Click the Hid Alerts Messages button
  
• Tick the box next to "Hide and allow "RunOnce" programs used by updates.
  

[pastywhitegurl]

Thank you.   I didn't find the .DLL in the history, but whatever I did restore apparently gave me back the option to show the icon in the task bar on the nVidia panel, so that worked.

WinPatrol is one of those programs that seems smarter than I am, so it intimidates me.  I end up  guessing what it is it is warning me about a lot of the time, even when I look up whatever it is.

I do like the idea of not having alerts on the "run once after install" programs.  However, I can't use that setting on the free version.

So I think  I will plan to get the paid WinPatrol version when I get my new computer this spring. (See...I AM planning ahead for the death of XP. :D )

[Corrine]

 

So I think  I will plan to get the paid WinPatrol version when I get my new computer this spring. (See...I AM planning ahead for the death of XP. :D )

:dance:

Bill periodically has special deals for WinPatrol PLUS.  I'll try to remember to let you know the next time he has a sale.   The nice thing about a PLUS license is that it is a lifetime license -- pay once and even when you get a new computer, you can transfer the license.

Don't be intimidated by WinPatrol.  Just remember that when YOU are making changes to your computer, WinPatrol is essentially confirming those changes.  This is particularly nice when you say NO to a program adding itself to start up and WinPatrol alerts you that the very same program you said no to is adding a start up entry.