What is a "Program" file and how to delete a broken file or virus file like Update and Program in Task Manager Startup tab shown in Windows 10?

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In today's blog, we are going to discuss the topic of "Program" files and how to delete broken files or virus files like Update and Program in the Task Manager Startup tab in Windows 10. If you have ever encountered a file named "Program" in the Startup tab of the Task Manager, you might have wondered what it is and how to deal with it. Don't worry, we will guide you through the process of fixing this issue.

Understanding the "Program" entry in the Task Manager

When you open the Task Manager in Windows 10 by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Escape, you might come across a file named "Program" in the Startup tab. Unlike other files, this file doesn't have an open file location when you right-click on it. This might raise concerns about whether it is a virus or a leftover file from an uninstalled program.

The good news is that the "Program" entry is most likely a leftover from an uninstalled program that wasn't properly deleted. It is not a virus or anything harmful. Now, let's move on to fixing this issue.

Three ways to fix the "Program" entry

There are two ways to fix the "Program" entry in the Task Manager Startup tab. We will discuss both methods in detail.

Method 1: Identifying and Deleting the Program Entry

To identify the Program entries in the Startup tab and get rid of the entries, proceed as follows:

1. Open Task Manager.

2. Select the Startup tab

3. Right-click on the column header

4. From the context menu, enable these two options: Startup type and Command line.



By deleting the entry, the startup command will be removed from the folder it's located in and it will no longer attempt to start up when Windows boots. The "Program" entry will also disappear from the Task Manager Startup tab.

Method 2: Editing the entry in the Windows Registry

If the program is installed on your computer and you want it to start up with Windows, you can fix the "Program" entry by editing the Windows Registry. Here's how:

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type "regedit" and hit Enter to open the Windows Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to the correct folder using the provided registry strings. These strings can be found in the description below.
  4. Once you're in the correct folder, locate the entry corresponding to the "Program" file.
  5. Double-click on the entry to open the editing window.
  6. If the file exists in the specified location, add a quotation mark before and after the file name. Make sure there are no spaces after the file extension.
  7. Click "OK" to save the changes.
  8. Restart the Task Manager to see if the file is displayed properly.

If the file exists, you should see it displayed with the correct name and icon in the Task Manager Startup tab. You can also right-click on the file and click "Open file location" to verify its location on your computer.

Method3: Locating the Program Entry in the Registry

The Startup entry could be located in any one of the following registry locations:

    1. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    3. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    4. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Press and hold the Windows key and R to invoke the Run dialog. In the Run dialog box, type "regedit" and hit enter to open the registry editor. Compare the Task Manager with the registry editor. As you can see, the program is not shown in the registry. It should match the same file location in the data column of the registry. 

Repeat this process with the rest of the registry keys until you find your program file that is running on the registry editor. Once you find the correct file path, double-click on the .exe file and add double quotes at the start and end of the file path with a space hyphen full screen just to check if a file is present or if it is just a registry entry.

Deleting the Program Entry

Once you have verified the correct file path in the registry, go back to Task Manager. Right-click on the program file path that you edited and select delete. That's it! You've now fixed the suspicious program entry from the Task Manager startup tab.

Additional tips and information

Here are some additional tips and information related to the "Program" entry and managing startup files in Windows:

    1. If you want to disable a startup program without deleting it, you can right-click on the entry in the Task Manager Startup tab and click "Disable".
    2. If you can't find the "Program" entry in the Windows Registry, it may be located in a startup folder instead. You can navigate to the startup folder using the provided file paths in the description below.
    3. Make sure to check other folders linked in the description to see if the program or file is listed in multiple locations.
    4. Deleting a program or file from the startup folders or the Windows Registry will prevent it from starting up with Windows.
    5. With these methods and tips, you should be able to fix the "Program" entry in the Task Manager Startup tab and manage startup files effectively in Windows 10.
    6. Thank you for reading this blog. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to reach out. Happy troubleshooting!"

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