Thanks Ronnie, et al.
Before I received this msg, I tried to open the system.ini and change it
with something besides NOTEPAD.EXE. I tried a text editor (PFE32.exe) and
also WORDPAD.EXE. Both allowed changes and both appeared to save the
changed system.ini. So I thought the problem was solved.
But I noticed in the Wordpad File where it shows files recently opened, it
showed 2 system.ini entries, when I clicked, one had been changed
correctly the other was the original system.ini. Huh? Which was the
current one? I then used PFE to look into the system.ini to see if it had
been changed. It apparently had not. I went back and forth with these two
different applications and found there might just be the impossible two
different system.ini files in windows. I went back and forth so many times
I got confused. Anyway, I restarted my computer thinking the file had been
changed correctly. Next, one of my applications complained that a
SSIACT.386 file wasn't loaded by system.ini as I thought. I checked the
system.ini file with both application and one loaded the SSIACT.386, the
other didn't. I redid and all system.ini now had SSIACT.386 to be loaded.
After reboot, an application again complained the SSIACT.386 was not
found. Huh? At this point I'm near a nervous breakdown and wondering if
there are not 3 different system.ini files in the windows directory and if
so, where are they and where are they coming from? Also if I get a
different version of the system.ini file depending on which (Notepad,
Wordpad, PFE) application reads it, I have no way of knowing what is
really in the system.ini that the computer actually uses. If I modify
Notepad as you suggest, that might just compound my newly-found problem by
adding another reader. I'm seriously considering abandoning or mothballing
Vista for my deteriorating old MS ME desktop, where at least I can get my
old programs to work there without all the timewasting agony. With Vista,
I may have to spend thousands of software $ to get back to what I had
working 6 years ago, and I can now see a year's agony work in transporting
older programs over to Vista. I need to rethink my computer strategy.
But I do appreciate the excellent help and will try out the suggestions in
time, but I need to away from this problem for my life in the real world
of financial crisis.
Jon.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ronnie Vernon MVP" <
[email protected]>
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 5:32 PM
Subject: Re: Vista's C:\WIindows\System.ini - how to modify it?
Jon
OK, it's likely a permissions/ownership problem.
Right click the System.ini file and select Properties / Advanced Button.
Click the Owner Tab. Click the Edit Button.
In the next dialog, select your account and click Apply/OK and OK again.
In the Properties dialog, click the Security Tab. Click the Edit Button.
Select your account in the top box and in the bottom box, place a check
mark in the Full Control / Allow check box. Apply/OK and exit the
properties dialog.
Try to edit the file again.
--
Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User
Jon said:
Thanks Ronnie.
Your directions sounded like they would work, but either I didn't do it
right or something because I got the same error message and still can't
change and save the system.ini.
I clicked on the desktop notepad shortcut and went to properties. Inside
there are tabs of General, Shortcut, Compatibility, etc. Under Shortcut
I saw "advanced" and clicked it. It has two boxes to check. One was "Run
as administrator" It was unchecked so I checked it. Also there, already
checked was "Run in separate memory space". I left it alone as checked
(I don't know what it meant anyway).
Under the top tab of "Compatibility" I found inside "Run this program in
compatibity mode for" It shows "Windows 95". I found I couldn't check it
or change the mode. Near the bottom is "Run this program as an
administrator" It was unchecked, but won't allow me to check it either.
I clicked "Apply" then "OK".
After all that I got the same error message and failure for saving
system.ini after I just added a space between the lines inside it.
I have the feeling I'm getting closer to a amazing solution and being
able to run some important old programs but at the moment am still
stymed.
Thanks, Jon.
Jon
Jumping in here.
Right click the shortcut to Notepad and select the Run As Administrator
option. This will elevate notepad to admin privileges. Then use
File/Open in Notepad to open the system.ini file and edit it.
The compatibility mode that Bruce mentioned will be in the properties
of the shortcut to the software program that you are setting up.
--
Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User
Thanks Bruce.
I just looked inside system.ini with Notepad.exe. To test changing the
file contents, I just added a space between some lines and tried to
save it. I get the error message,
"Cannot create the c:\windows\system.ini file"
"Make sure the path and filename are correct"
Using properties on the system.ini file shows the blocks "read only"
and "hidden" are both blank, not checked. So, still can't add lines to
it. There's no "Run as administrator" option from properties. I don't
have an option of compatibilty mode on an ini file that I know of.
Your response gave me hope but hasn't solved the problem. However if
you can do it in the Vista "business" version, then the "ultimate"
version should do it to.
Jon.
Jon wrote:
I have several 2000-era programs that work on a MS ME computer. To
install them on a MS ME, I have to manually add 2 xxxxxxxx.bin
files in the windows directory then add in 'system.ini' inside the
section [386Enh], lines that call on these two binaery files.
In trying to install these same programs on a Vista Ultimate
machine, I find I'm not allowed to change and save any changes in
Vista's system.ini file, even as an administrator. Is there any
known way I can modify system.ini in Vista?
Thanks for any help, Jon.
What specific error message(s) do you get? Is your System.ini file
flagged as "Read-Only?" If so, you'd have to change the attributes
before even an administrator can edit and save changes to it. (I've
no trouble editing C:\Windows\System.ini and saving changes on Vista
Business, so I'm sure it can be done.)
Also, have you tried running these applications using a compatibility
mode? Right-click on the pertinent application's Shortcut >
Properties
Compatibility Tab.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand
Russell
and in the registry at