Configuring Windows with the System Configuration
Utility
By WinXpFix.com
Microsoft has provided the System Configuration Utility
to help you make controlled changes to the various configuration
files. To run the System Configuration Utility, Go to
Start> Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and click
OK. You see the System Configuration Utility window. WinXpFix.com
The Windows System Configuration Utility includes tabs
for each configuration file, along with the Startup tab,
which lists information from the Registry about programs
to be run at startup time. Changes you make don't take
effect until the next time Windows restarts, so when you
close the System Configuration Utility, it asks whether
you want to save the changes you've made; if you click
Yes, then it offers to reboot Windows for you.
General tab of the System Configuration
Utility window can help you restart Windows in a startup
mode that helps diagnose problems. The three startup items
are as follows:
* Normal Startup The default mode. You'll not likely
switch back to this if things are running good.
* Diagnostic Startup Essentially the same as Safe Mode.
This option limits loading device drivers and system services
that may interfere with normal operation. WinXpFix.com
* Selective Startup Enables you to select which startup
items to load. A good plan when you experience system
instability is to turn all your startup items off, reboot,
and then turn one on at a time. If that doesn't help,
try different combinations. It's surprising how much instability
can come from a little icon in the notification area of
the Windows taskbar.
The System Configuration Utility window's
System.ini tab, and Win.ini tab show a list of the sections
in the System.ini and Win.ini files. You can see the individual
lines within a section, by click the plus box to the left
of the section name. If you need to disable an entire
section, uncheck the check box to the left of the section
name and or select it then click the Disable button. WinXpFix.com
You can disable an individual line by unchecking the
check box to its left. If you want to add a new setting,
select the line after which you want to add the setting
and click the New button. The program adds a new blank
line: type the contents (in the format parameter=value)
and press ENTER You can also reorder the items by selecting
them and clicking the Move Up and Move Down buttons.
Your Boot.ini File: Windows XP was designed
as a multiuser operating system. It was also designed
to allow more than one operating system to be installed
at a time on one computer. It is this capability you see
when you start your computer and are asked whether you
would like to boot Windows XP or another operating system
in another partition (in some cases, whether or not you
have another OS installed). This multiboot feature stores
your list of bootable partitions in the Boot.ini file.
You can edit the Boot.ini file by clicking the Boot.ini
tab in the System Configuration Utility window or by using
the System Properties dialog box. WinXpFix.com
The Services and Startup tabs in the
System Configuration Utility window shows the services
and applications that run when Windows starts up, including
the startup programs listed in the Registry and the programs
in your StartUp folder (usually stored in the C:\Documents
And Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp folder).
You can disable loading a service or program at startup
by deselecting its check box.
I strongly suggest that you avoid modifying the Services
tab. Most of these services are already disabled in home
systems, so unchecking them results in no change of functionality
anyway. The Startup tab, which lists application programs,
is where you should concentrate your debugging efforts.
WinXpFix.com
