Disabling Startup Items

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sid Knee
  • Start date Start date
S

Sid Knee

I've been advised by the tech support group of an application I'm having
some trouble with to re-install the software after using msconfig to
disable all the startup items and then rebooting.

Disregarding the fact that this tech support person seems unaware of the
fact that Win2K does not natively come with msconfig.exe (yes I know the
XP version works and I do have a copy) I'm a bit concerned with the
instruction to disable *all* the startup items.

Before I proceed, can anyone tell me if this is actually safe. I know
there are some video-card related items in mine which (I presume) might
affect video operation if I turn them off. There may be other critical
things. Above all, is it possible that I could get into a condition
where I could not boot if I disabled all these items?
 
I've not had problems when stopping all startups in msconfig, your vid
related items are likely toolbox/options that are shown in your task bar.
Its broadly whats known as a clean boot, ie the tech support believes a
running background app is interfering with its install.
If you have AV/Malaware apps running you might try stopping these only.
 
If all they want is for you to re-install without Startup apps running,
reboot in Safe Mode. That is what Safe Mode does. Stops anything in the
Startup folder or registry Run keys from running.
 
Yeah, I thought of that. It was my impression though, that safe mode
does quite a bit more than that. Like stopping any driver from loading
that was not absolutely necessary for the boot. Under those
circumstances it might stop something that the app or its install would
rely on and give even more problems.

If safe boot were a solution, I would have expected the support person
to have proposed that rather than using msconfig to modify the startup,
since it's simpler and actually more universal (considering Win2K
doesn't have msconfig anyway).
 
Hi Sid - How to 'Clean Boot', from my Blog, Defending Your Machine, addy
below in my signature:


#########IMPORTANT#########

Show hidden files and run all of the following removal tools from Safe mode
or preferably a "Clean Boot" when possible (which will let you use the
Windows Installer, access the Internet safely, etc., while still avoiding
interfering programs or malware), logged on as an Administrator. BEFORE
running these tools, be sure to clear all Temp files and your Temporary
Internet Files (TIF) (including offline content.) Reboot and test if the
malware is fixed after using each tool.

HOW TO Enable Hidden Files
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2002092715262339

How to boot to Safe mode
http://spyware-free.us/tutorials/safemode/ and
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001052409420406

Clean Boot - General Win2k/XP procedure, but see below for links for other
OS's (The procedure does differ by OS, so be sure to check for yours. The
following is for Win2k w/msconfig - you can obtain msconfig for Win2k here:
http://www.3feetunder.com/files/win2K_msconfig_setup.exe ):

1. StartRun enter msconfig.

2. On the General tab, click Selective Startup, and then clear the 'Process
System.ini File', 'Process Win.ini File', and 'Load Startup Items' check
boxes. Leave the 'boot.ini' boxes however they are currently set.

3. In the Services tab, check the "Hide All Microsoft Services" checkbox,
and then click the "Disable All" button. If you use a third party firewall
then re-check (enable) it. For example, if you use Zone Alarm, re-check the
True Vector Internet Monitor service (and you may also want to re-check
(enable) the zlclient on the Startup tab.) Equivalent services exist for
other third party firewalls. An alternative to this for XP users is to
enable at this time the XP native firewall (Internet Connection Firewall -
ICF). Be sure to turn it back off when you re-enable your non-MS services
and Startup tab programs and restore your normal msconfig configuration
after cleaning your machine.

4. Click OK and then reboot.

For additional information about how to clean boot your operating system,
click the following article links to view the articles in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

310353 How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353
281770 How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281770/EN-US/ (Procedure not using msconfig)
267288 How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows Millennium Edition
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/267288/EN-US/
192926 How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/192926/EN-US/
243039 How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows 95
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/243039/EN-US/
#########IMPORTANT#########



--
Regards, Jim Byrd, MVP, DTS, ASVOP
My Blog, Defending Your Machine,
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/



In Sid Knee <[email protected]> typed:
|| Yeah, I thought of that. It was my impression though, that safe mode
|| does quite a bit more than that. Like stopping any driver from
|| loading that was not absolutely necessary for the boot. Under those
|| circumstances it might stop something that the app or its install
|| would rely on and give even more problems.
||
|| If safe boot were a solution, I would have expected the support
|| person to have proposed that rather than using msconfig to modify
|| the startup, since it's simpler and actually more universal
|| (considering Win2K doesn't have msconfig anyway).
||
||
|| NewScience wrote:
||| If all they want is for you to re-install without Startup apps
||| running, reboot in Safe Mode. That is what Safe Mode does. Stops
||| anything in the Startup folder or registry Run keys from running.
 
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