Msconfig (a.k.a. Microsoft Configuration Utility) allows us to tweak a little extra speed from our boot ups and increase the available memory to our systems. You can find this utility by clicking on Start –> Programs –> Accessories –> System Tooks –> System Information. Once there, click Tools from the menus and then Configuration Utility. However, the fastest way to get to it is to:
1. Click on Start
2. Click on Run
3. Type: msconfig
4. Press Enter on your keyboard.
Once inside the configuration utility, click the Startup tab. This will list a number of programs that start up automatically upon boot up. You can simply uncheck the ones you don’t want to start automatically. Some ideas to uncheck are duplicate entries (uncheck one), AOL system tray, Real Player, Greetings workshop reminders (unless you really use them), and Quicken bill minder (unless you use it) are among a few. Leave anything checked that you aren’t sure about including Scan registry, System tray and your anti-virus programs.
This web site is a nice searchable list of almost all possible startup items and what they are associated with in case you are at a loss of what some of the entries are.
When you finish unchecking items you don’t want to star, click OK and your system will need to reboot. When Windows restarts, a screen will appear telling you about the changes you just made with MSCONFIG. Click the check box on the screen and click OK as illustrated in the picture.
Watch our short video tutorial on how this process works by clicking the Play button below.
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What about the other tabs in msconfig ie what do they do?
This tool is very useful and is easy to do the way it is explained. I gained alot of speed.
use the site http://WWW.sysinfo.org to get the answers to those burning questions like “What the heck is that?”
Also I discovered a TROJAN ! from doing this that Avast has not found.
I still don’t know how to get rid of Trojans.
So if anyone has an answer please write to me at
Congadongroupie@aol.com
Thanks,
Marcie
Can you use that site to research Task Mgr-Processes Tab?
It speeded-up my boot-up AND freed-up some RAM for other purposes..
Thanks….
This is perfect. I’ve always wanted to know what all those were. All this time I just unchecked the items I knew about and left the others.
Does this work for Win 2000? No success here …
Interestingly though, you can copy the MSCONFIG file from a XP machine and copy it to your Win 2000 machine and gain the ability to use this tool. OR, search our site for "Startup Cop" which is a free utility that works like MSCONFIG.
You can get more information about particular items on the startup list by going to the website that Rick mentioned here a while back, http://www.sysinfo.org.
WinPatrol is another good prog. to use to control star-ups. Plus the way it lets ( or doesn’t let ) other prog. behave.
WinPatrol has not been a good program to use, in our experience. Please just use the programs we recommend in our Links and Resources section and other tips.