EDIT: This behaviour is due to a recent change in iTunes 12.2 that apparently causes iTunes to launch whenever Plex Media Server is started:
The generation of the XML is now optional in iTunes 12.2 - check Preferences > Advanced and set the option Share iTunes Library XML with other applications.
In order to fix it, simply turn the option Share iTunes Library XML with other applications on.
Original answer: I'm having the same issue as you. Tried all the same things that you tried. I'm not sure if it is hardware related since I don't have the same hardware as you, except maybe for me also having an i5 (4460).
What I'm wondering is if you had that problem ever since you had iTunes or did it happen after you installed other software. Because I know for certain that it wasn't doing this from the beginning when I installed Windows 10 and iTunes.
I feel like it started on my end when I installed "Python" and "Plex Media Server". Could it be that you also have these Programs installed?
Preventing the classic Skype application from starting
With the classic Skype application window open, do the following:
- Navigate to Tools > Options.
- Highlight the General settings section on the upper-left.
- Uncheck the option to Start Skype when I start Windows on the right.
- Click the Save button.
Preventing Skype for Windows 10 (Skype UWP) from starting
On the other hand, if this is the Skype UWP app those options won't be available. Based upon a similar question on the Microsoft Answers web page, their Skype Community Moderator explained what needs to be done:
The new Microsoft Skype for Windows 10 (Skype UWP) application has
never been present in the Startup tab. Windows apps are not managed
the same way as a Win32 application. The classic Skype for Windows
Desktop is a Win32 application, Skype UWP is not.
If you close your computer without signing out of the Skype UWP
application, then on next computer boot, Skype will auto run in the
background. To maximize Skype UWP you will just need to click on the
application icon.
If you prefer not to be signed in automatically on Skype for Windows
10, you can sign out from the app. We won't sign you in automatically
after that.
In other words, Skype UWP users simply need to logoff from within the app to prevent it from starting automatically during a subsequent Windows 10 login.
As a potentially viable alternative to the Skype Community Moderator's advice, you can turn off the background app functionality for Skype. Navigate to the following location:
Start > Settings > Privacy
Ensure that you have selected Background apps
on the left-hand side, scroll down on the right until you find the entry for Skype
and change the slider to Off.
That being said, in addition to the obvious advantages there are minor drawbacks to using this method:
Bear in mind that there’s a downside to this. If you prevent the
Alarms app from running in the background, for example, any alarms you
set won’t go off. If you prevent the Mail app from running in the
background, it won’t notify you of new emails. Apps normally run in
the background to update their live tiles, download new data, and
receive notifications. If you want an app to continue performing these
functions, you should allow it to continue running in the background.
If you don’t care, feel free to prevent the app from running in the
background. You can still use the app normally, but you may have to
wait for it to fetch new data after you launch it.
Uninstalling the classic Skype application
Taking it a step further, if you want remove the application entirely, the classic Skype Win32 application will be listed within the Programs and Features
applet in the Control Panel. Simply highlight the Skype entry in the Name
column and select the Uninstall
button near the top.
Uninstalling Skype for Windows 10 (Skype UWP)
In contrast, the Skype UWP app won't be found in Programs and Features
. As a result, if you want remove that particular version, navigate to the following location:
Start > Settings > Apps
Ensure that you have selected Apps & features
on the upper-left, scroll down on the right and left-click Skype
to select Uninstall
.
Notably, if the Skype UWP application is already running, before attempting the Uninstall
you may need to first select Advanced options
, then choose Terminate
to "Immediately terminate this app and its related processes." After that, select Uninstall
as desired.
Additional reading: Download Skype for More Features Than Windows 10’s Built-In Version
Best Answer
From comments below it appears that hide.me regularly checks whether its start-up entry had been deleted and the program will recreate it if it is missing. In this case you need go into the settings for the application and disable it.
Autoruns from Microsoft Sysinternals can show you almost every start-up location in Windows and can disable items for you.
There may well be a start-up link or registry entry hiding somewhere that can be deactivated.
From Blacks comment above: