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Apps that start on startup/login without my permission

L

LiquidHarmony

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 1, 2009
19
0
Short version:
How do I stop intrusive apps from running at startup/login? I checked both libraries > StartupItems and System > StartupItems.



Long version + rambling:
So there is this intrusive app that I installed, and it keeps adding a folder in my Documents folder. Everytime I delete it, it comes back on startup.

I thought it would be much easier to find the file responsible for starting this app on startup, but I was disappointed. But I'm betting it's not as difficult as searching the Windows registry.

Anyway, it's not among the 'login' items, and I searched the main Library, and my User Library, and even the System's 'startup' folders, and found nothing. So what's the deal?

Before you make any accusations, the app I'm using is Parallels, and yeah, there's probably some preference I could change to stop it from doing that, but I would like to do this manually, and learn more about how OS X works. I want to stop the app from running without my permission when I log in. (I'm stubborn, and want to show this app who's boss around here!)

I'm thankful that in OS X, apps are much less intrusive than Windows ones, and they're only intrusive when I give them my password, from my experience at least. Am I right? But goodness I hate how intrusiveness followed me here from Windows. It would have been a deal breaker, had I known how many files (hidden or otherwise) it was going to scatter across my tidy Mac.
 
go to system-pane down the apple ..

there to user: here open startupitems and do a "-"

to start without password: same window, left corner/startoptions and choose automatic ...
 
System Preferences > Accounts > your user > Login Items.

Remove, not uncheck, the items you don't want at login, as un-checking only hides the application at log in, as you can see from the following picture.

login_items.jpg

from http://mactrainingguide.com/2008/12/speeding-up-mac-os-x-105-inside-demons/



EDIT: Didn't read the long version.
What is the name of the intruding app?
Maybe MRoogle has some answers for you.
 
While the offending app is running ctrl-click (or right-click) its icon in the dock. De-select "Open at Login" and you're done.

You could probably type some arcane nonsense in a terminal window or go burrowing through your file-system in search of something to edit if you really wanted to, but you'll achieve the same effect.
 
No no. I forgot to mention in the short version that I already checked there. There's nothing. And yet, it keeps creating that stupid folder in my documents.
 
LiquidHarmony said:
No no. I forgot to mention in the short version that I already checked there. There's nothing. And yet, it keeps creating that stupid folder in my documents.
Click to expand...

If I get this right, Parallels is the application that keeps starting at login, but it doesn't show up in any of the places you have looked at?

Has Parallels maybe an option in its preferences?

I find it hard to believe, that Parallels has such a behaviour....

Has MRoogle helped anything?
 
I don't have Parallels, but found this on the web here:

First stop Parallels / VM.

Once it is stopped hold down the Apple/Command key while you click on the Icon to launch Parallels.

It should boot and stop at the opening screen of the VM so you can now go in and change the auto launch option in the Configuration Editor (CE). Double click Hard Disk 1 or one of the other line items to open the CE. Now click on Options - Booting Tab - and uncheck the box for Start VM automatically when opened.
Click to expand...
 
Eh, so I set the default Parallels directory from '~\Documents' to '~\.Trash'. Hahaha.

Anyway, so no one can tell me where such information is stored? I wanna know how the **** does Parallels create this directory on login! Are there any startup items folder or file around the hard drive that I'm not aware of? I would really like to know for future use.
 
r.j.s said:
You might run into problems there when you actually want to use Parallels.
Click to expand...
The folder is always empty. It annoys the hell out of me, because there doesn't seem to be any logical explanation on how it gets created when I log in, or why the heck it's created in the first place if Parallels doesn't intend to copy any files into it. I am obsessive about figuring things like this out.
 
Been a long while since I used Parallels, but from what I remember it installs kernel extensions to work.

It's possible that this is happening on OS startup. Not much you can do about it unless you uninstall Parallels, I think.
 
I found my answer!

In Leopard the use of StartupItems has been deprecated. Check in the /Library/ and /Home/Library/ folders for the LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons folders
Click to expand...

That's all I wanted to know.
 
Ok Im sorry to drag up an old thread but I am in desperate need of help. iTunes is going berserk. I'm not clicking on it, and i am constantly QUITTING the application! it continues to open up all by itself every 2 minutes...or less. Ive checked the settings for start up, so it wont open at login, I've said it wont auto open in my preferences, and i'm really not sure what to do. Help please!!!
 
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