Software Explorer Gone In Windows 7?!

[ddarko]

It looks like Software Explorer has been removed in Windows 7. I think this is a big mistake. It was a very handy tool to control unwanted background programs. Its placement in the Windows Defender pane in Vista was a bad, incongruous UI mistake - as is its name, why does Microsoft always pick these lame, cartoony names like "Action Center" or "Software Explorer", why not just plain old "Software"? - but its functionality is very useful. I don't know why Microsoft didn't just move it to a new area, maybe its own control panel icon, instead of getting rid of it entirely.

Are there any alternatives in Windows 7 that I'm missing? The startup tab in msconfig covers startup programs but Software Explorer also tracked other types of programs. I've hunted around but don't see any obvious equivalent in Windows 7.

 

[Dahak]

Probably the other alternative would be Autoruns from systernals which is now part of microsoft.

 

[ddarko]

Thanks, I had forgotten about this. It works under Windows 7 and does the job. It's still too bad Microsoft seems to be thinking about getting rid of the integrated version. Software Explorer is one of the more genuinely useful things about Vista and its design is a little more readable than Autoruns, which is very Windows 95 looking. All those tabs!

 

[bsobel]

Software Explorer is part of Defender not the OS

 

[chess9]

Originally posted by: bsobel
Software Explorer is part of Defender not the OS

I must be missing something. What's your point? Why does it matter if it's an imbedded app (which Defender is) or more tightly integrated into the OS? Are people removing Defender? Modifying it? Disabling it? I don't get it....

-Robert

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: chess9

Originally posted by: bsobel
Software Explorer is part of Defender not the OS

I must be missing something. What's your point? Why does it matter if it's an imbedded app (which Defender is) or more tightly integrated into the OS? Are people removing Defender? Modifying it? Disabling it? I don't get it....

-Robert

I think it's pretty straight forward, the OP stated that Software Explorer 'has been removed from Windows 7'. It has not been removed, its never been part of the OS.

 

[chess9]

Originally posted by: bsobel

Originally posted by: chess9

Originally posted by: bsobel
Software Explorer is part of Defender not the OS

I must be missing something. What's your point? Why does it matter if it's an imbedded app (which Defender is) or more tightly integrated into the OS? Are people removing Defender? Modifying it? Disabling it? I don't get it....

-Robert

I think it's pretty straight forward, the OP stated that Software Explorer 'has been removed from Windows 7'. It has not been removed, its never been part of the OS.

Well, Defender won't be found in Control Panel under "Programs and Features". So, even though it isn't part of the kernel, it is an imbedded app.

But, assuming I agree with your narrow definition of an OS, so what?

-Robert

 

[ddarko]

Originally posted by: bsobel
I think it's pretty straight forward, the OP stated that Software Explorer 'has been removed from Windows 7'. It has not been removed, its never been part of the OS.

You can't even read my post correctly. I did not write Software Explorer "has been removed from Windows 7." You wrote that. I wrote in the title "Software Explorer Gone in Windows 7?!" and in the post, "Software Explorer has been removed in Windows 7." Both are true, accurate and grammatically correct. It is gone or removed in Windows 7. So although I didn't realize you were also the grammar moderator, please, if you want to be smarmy about it, try to quote me accurately and don't correct me for a "mistake" that I didn't even make. It's like Dan Quayle telling the kid that "potato" is spelled with an "e." Sheesh.

As for my original post, I tried Autoruns and it still isn't an exact substitute for Software Explorer. Autoruns does more than msconfig but unlike Software Explorer, it can't disable or prevent a program from being launched automatically after startup. I specifically was using Software Explorer to disable Cyberlink's PowerDVD from launching the nagging registration reminder every time the program launches. The registration nag is CLHelper.exe and I had it disabled under Software Explorer. Autoruns can't do that. And from what I can tell, nothing in Windows 7 can either. Really mystified why Microsoft is no longer fond of Software Explorer. It really is one of the genuinely new features of Vista over XP. Why dump it after a single iteration?

 

[soonerproud]

Another alternative is to use the start up programs tab in msconfig. Just hit the winkey, type msconfig and hit enter to access the program.

 

[ddarko]

Originally posted by: soonerproud
Another alternative is to use the start up programs tab in msconfig. Just hit the winkey, type msconfig and hit enter to access the program.

Thanks for the suggestion but msconfig doesn't work because I'm not talking about stopping a program from loading upon the startup of the computer. I'm taking about stopping the launch of a program after the login process is completed. I'm talking about 30 minutes later, you want to watch a movie and you start PowerDVD. Cyberlink linked PowerDVD.exe and CLHelper.exe together; start PowerDVD and CLHelper starts as well. Cyberlink also made it so that if you delete CLHelper, then PowerDVD won't start. It's pretty obnoxious programming and makes me even less inclined to give personal info to the company. Software Explorer is unique it's able to prevent the launch of CLHelper without affecting PowerDVD. Neither msconfig nor Autoruns can do that.

 

[bsobel]

You can't even read my post correctly.

I wasn't commenting on your Grammar, I was pointing out that Software Explorer is not part of Windows, it's part of an add on, Defender. I'm not sure what is so hard about that for you to understand.

 

[stlcardinals]

I've loaded Forefront on my install of 7 and it has the Software Explorers in the control panel.