What does userinit.exe do?

Question

When Windows starts, by default userinit.exe runs. What exactly does this program do?

I know what it does in general - e.g., initiates the logon script - but I am looking for the full details of all the steps it takes.

userinit.exe do:if you delete userinit.exe,your pc never log in. — user658773, May 06 '21 at 18:08

score 7 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 25 '12 at 18:16

7

According to the documentation for the Userinit registry key on TechNet, userinit.exe does the following:

Runs the logon script
Reestablishes network connections
Starts the configured Windows shell (the default is Explorer.exe)

answered Jul 25 '12 at 18:16

Shannon Wagner

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Thanks, sorry - felt a little weird doing that since it was my own "share your knowledge as Q&A" but I guess that's what I'm supposed to do, right? – Shannon Wagner Jul 29 '12 at 10:33
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Yep, it's perfectly acceptable [pun intended] to self-answer on SE sites. In fact, there's even [a badge](http://serverfault.com/badges/14/self-learner) to encourage the practice. – jscott Jul 29 '12 at 10:56

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 04 '13 at 03:22

I realize this was answered, but here is the details of what userinit.exe does (Explorer.exe is technically loaded by winlogon.exe)

Userinit applies Group Policy settings and any applications not trumped by said group policy that are stored in the Registry locations for startup programs, this is a very long list that is ever-evolving and is accessible via a google search or off from Microsofts website.

What does userinit.exe do?

2 Answers2