How can I eliminate a non-scheduled startup item?

Question

Level 1

54 points

How can I eliminate a non-scheduled startup item?

For several days, I've been getting the empty window below on startup. It seems to be related to my (Canon) printer/scanner/copier, but I never added it to my startup items list, and it doesn't appear among the scheduled startup items.

Can anyone tell me how to eliminate the unwanted item? Is there another Mac OS 10.6.8 System Preferences icon in Accounts or elsewhere that I should check? Or should I ask the manufacturer of the multifunction how to take care of the problem?

Just in case this is relevant: A few days ago, I stuck a pile of papers I needed to scan under the scanner lid while I was cleaning around the printer, then forgot they were there. 😊 The problem began the next time I started up the computer. However, removing the papers didn't resolve it. Could I have inadvertently upset something in an over-sensitive scanning device? Thanks for any help out there!

Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Dec 29, 2014 9:09 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

sanjampet

Level 5

7,982 points

Dec 29, 2014 2:09 PM in response to Turtlewiz

Turtlewiz,

You can try looking in these locations by pressing in Finer window SHIFT+COMMAND+G or clicking on GO in the menu bar, and selecting "go to folder".

Enter the following, /Library/StartupItems then hit return, if you see the printer there highlight it and COMMAND+ DELETE

You can also check here /System/Library/StartupItems

Reply

Answer 2

CMCSK

Level 6

11,452 points

Dec 29, 2014 2:32 PM in response to Turtlewiz

Turning the scanner off and quitting out all scanner/printer type apps-software sometimes helps.

I stuck a pile of papers I needed to scan under the scanner lid while I was cleaning around the printer, then forgot they were there.

Happens to me all the time! 😝

Reply

Answer 3

Turtlewiz Author

Level 1

54 points

Dec 29, 2014 5:05 PM in response to sanjampet

sanjampet: -I did both. I couldn't figure out which items to delete in the Printer folder, so I tried looking in /System/Library/StartupItems again. This time I saw a Canon scanner app that I'm pretty sure didn't show up before.

I checked the box next to it, selected the minus side to "hide" it, and restarted the computer--problem solved. Now I know how to get rid of startup items as well as add them. Thanks for steering me in the right direction.

It would have gotten solved earlier if whoever designs Apple system software could figure out that the word that should be used isn't "hide", as in "Do not show on screen"; it's "deactivate."

Reply