How to open msconfig. Setting up and using msconfig
Good day, dear readers of my blog.
Each PC or laptop, in addition to user-installable software, also has built-in software. Often there are situations when, for some reason, the client needs to configure the operation of the device. For this, developers at Microsoft have provided a useful and convenient MSConfig Windows 7 utility.
The program is a powerful tool that allows you to debug autorun in detail and remove some errors that interfere with the correct operation of the system.
The application "" has ample opportunities in the setting segment personal computer or laptop. For convenient use the developer divided the working window into several key tabs.
Important! Do not disable / enable options if you are not sure what you are doing.
This tool is designed for detailed system configuration. In most cases, this is done to speed up its work.
Tabs( )
As mentioned above, the window is divided into several segments:
On the "" tab, the user can choose which startup type to set for Windows 7.
»will help to configure the process of starting the system in more detail. So, for example, the time it takes to start is set here. In addition, if necessary, you can immediately select "" if there is no way to enter it in another way. How to enable multiple processes? You need to click on " Extra options…» and select the appropriate menu. There are also some other settings.
Tab « Services» allows a person to dispose of all available system processes. Here you can stop or start them. At the same time, the tab provides the item "", by clicking on which the user can view a shortened list of utilities installed by a person.
» is considered the most popular tab among clients used by Windows. Here it is possible to view the number of processes that start when the operating system starts. There is an option to turn them off and on.
The "" tab contains tools for launching the main features of the OS, which will also help optimize computer performance.
After you change something, you need to confirm your actions with the button " Ok". And for the changes to take effect, you need to reboot, which the system itself will notify you immediately after closing. For convenience, the restart can be postponed.
Launching "System Configuration"( )
So, how to enter the tool we need? There are several different options to see the desired menu.
We go to " Start" and in the search bar enter "". We are waiting for the results to appear and choose the appropriate application. It usually occurs alone. How to open the program? Just click on the icon with the left mouse button.
Also go to the menu Start", and then select " All programs". Let's go to the directory Service" And " Standard". We need " Command line».
A new window will open where you need to enter "" and then confirm by pressing " Enter».
We all go in the same Start» to the command « Run". To do this, you can also press the combination " Win+R».
A small window will appear where we enter "", and then confirm our actions.
It must be said right away that this method is the longest. Almost nobody uses it. But in any case, you should know about it. So where is the right program? We need to open Computer», system disk, go to " Windows" and then go to "". Here we are looking for the application "". It starts with a simple double click of the mouse.
Sometimes one of the path nodes may be hidden and simply not visible. To restore, press " View», « Options”And on the second tab, remove the necessary checkmarks at the end of the list.
Program not working( )
Some users may encounter a situation where the desired utility does not start. In this case, a message appears stating that the required file simply does not exist at the specified address.
In most cases, this happens as a result of a virus getting on the computer, which simply deletes the application. What to do?
Let's check the system first. good antivirus with new bases. Otherwise, the rest simply can not be done.
Next, we look to see if a suitable file exists at all in its usual place. If it is not there, we try to copy the element from the same operating system installed on another PC. It is also extracted from the drive that contains the OS image.
To do this, run " Run" by using " Win+R' or in any other way. In the window that opens, write the following:
Expand "image location"\i386\MSCONFIG.EX_C:\Windows\system32\msconfig.exe and confirm our intentions. Wherein " image location" - the drive letter where the system files are located or the path to them (if located directly on the computer).
There is also an option to simply download " msconfig.exe" from the Internet and place this file in a folder located along the path that I mentioned earlier.
Of course, more efficient and precisely efficient is the complete reinstalling Windows. It will also speed up the computer as a whole. But not everyone can do it on their own or simply do not want to.
Sometimes, for some reason, the required system component does not start due to restricted access rights. To check, we try to open the program with Administrator rights. This usually helps.
In addition, we try to run the application in "". To do this, reboot and until the OS starts loading, press " F8". Then choose the appropriate item.
Further, it is desirable to check Registry Editor". To do this, go to Run” and write “ regedit". Next, we go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE", folder " Software". Then we go to Microsoft», « Windows», « CurrentVersion" And " AppPaths". We are interested in the msconfig file with the extension *.exe. Or rather, just its presence. Also, the value of REG_SZ should be: C:\Windows\system32\msconfig.exe. If there is no this line, or even a corresponding mark, all this needs to be created.
In addition, there is a mechanism for checking the system files of the operating system. To do this, go to Run(we already know how to do this). In the window that opens, write " sfc /scannow". We confirm our intentions. Should open " Protection Windows files ", which will be accompanied by the message " Checking in progress...". If the tool manages to determine that the files have changed, it will report this and offer to restore everything to the original version using the installation disk.
Setting( )
If a system component is working correctly or you have corrected possible mistakes, you can start using it directly. How to properly configure the operation of the operating system using this tool? It all depends on what components this or that user uses.
If we talk about what can be disabled in msconfig in general, this can be found in the one I wrote earlier. In particular, it says about the tab " Services».
At the same time, if you disable all the components that are described above, and also clean the "" section as much as possible, you can even reach the maximum performance of your equipment. It must be remembered, however, that any system changes usually lead to consequences. So, if you are not sure about the correctness of your actions, you should not change anything.
Well, it turns out the MSConfig tool is a useful element of the system. If you use it correctly, you can significantly increase the speed of your device. In this case, incorrect handling can disable the system.
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Probably, many of the users have repeatedly come across the mention of the msconfig utility, designed to solve various problems of Windows 7/8/10. Many have heard about it, would like to know more, but do not know how to enter msconfig in Windows and start working with it. In this article, I will try to fix this shortcoming and tell you what msconfig is, describe its functionality and features, and also explain how to run the utility in Windows 7 and up.
What is msconfig
MSCONFIG(abbreviation for "Microsoft System Configuration Utility") is special utility for troubleshooting your computer. According to the developers, it should provide faster and more reliable loading of operating system files, prevent various crashes and software conflicts.
The functionality of the msconfig utility allows you to effectively identify the causes of dysfunctions in your PC, more accurately identify problematic drivers, files, and others. system components. It allows you to activate and deactivate the launch of automatically loaded programs and services, start safe mode, monitor in detail the operation of startup files, and so on - in general, carry out a general configuration of your PC.
Run msconfig on Windows
In order to enter the msconfig utility, you need to perform the following steps.
Method 1. Use the search bar (Windows 7.8)
- Click the Start button, type msconfig in the search bar and press Enter.
- In the Metro interface on Windows 8 and 8.1, the search button is at the bottom right, click on it and write msconfig in the search bar, and then press the Enter key.
Method 2. Use the command line to log in (Windows 7.8)
- Click on Start, then select "All Programs", then "Accessories" - "Command Prompt".
- In the console that appears, type msconfig and press Enter.
- In Windows 8, right-click on an empty spot on the desktop, in the panel that appears, click on the “all applications” icon, and we find the command line there.
- We launch it, and in it we write msconfig, and confirm by pressing Enter.
Method 3. How to enter msconfig using the Run command (Windows 7,8,10)
In order to enter msconfig, press the key combination Win + R, in the window that appears, type msconfig and press Enter.
Method 4. Find the program on the hard drive (Windows 7)
We go along the path Windows \ System32 \ and look for the msconfig.exe file there. Let's launch it.
Method 5: Run System Configuration (Windows 10)
On the taskbar, find the command "System Configuration" and select classic app"System configuration".
How to work with the msconfig utility
After running the msconfig utility, you will be taken to a menu that has five main tabs.
In the tab "Are common" you can choose one of the types of operating system launches. Presented are "normal startup", which loads all the necessary drivers and services, "diagnostic" - loads only a basic set of services and drivers, and "selective", where you can choose what exactly needs to be loaded.
you can choose the default boot OS, set the time to select the desired system when the computer starts up, You can also enable monitoring of the boot log, choose to boot without GUI (boot animation), display information about bootable OS elements, and work with various safe mode options. At the same time, by clicking on the “Advanced Settings” button, you will enter an additional menu where you can set the number of processors used by the system, maximum memory, and other parameters. "Services" allow you to enable and disable various services involved in the operation of the operating system. At the same time, by checking the box at the bottom left, you can disable the display of services from Microsoft and get acquainted with the list of third-party services involved in your computer.
you can select a list of automatically loaded programs, and "Service" will allow you to use the functionality of programs to administer your PC. For example, select any of the programs in the list and click "Start".How it looks like working with msconfig, you can look at the video:
Conclusion
The functionality of the msconfig utility allows you to effectively repair and debug our Windows 7/8/10 operating system. You can set startup parameters yourself, test the operation of system services and applications, and carry out full administration of your machine. That being said, the msconfig application is easy to launch in a variety of ways, making it a handy and useful tool in the power user's arsenal. If you weren't familiar with how to get into msconfig and how to use it, then maybe it's time for a more detailed introduction.
The article talks about what the utility is. msconfig, what are its main usefulness and how to use it correctly to solve emerging problems with Windows and set the stage for error testing.
Among other repair utilities included with Windows, msconfig.exe(aka utility System Configurations) certainly stands apart. It is most often used for:
- system startup type configuration (special mode selection)
- changing the boot procedure
- selection of services and programs at the time of system startup
- running special repair or statistical utilities
The configuration utility is a window with several tabs, and in latest version Windows one of them () migrated to the Task Manager. msconfig.exe It is launched in several ways, the simplest of them:
WIN+R->msconfig
Let's check each of the tabs:
Msconfig: select services and drivers for Windows
The first tab will be Are common. Here we will meet several points that characterize the option to start services and drivers.
- Normal startup- an option that occurs by default and has been preserved since the installation of Windows. At this time, the system will load drivers for all installed (and installed after) devices and those services that, according to Windows, are needed to work, if the system does not register any errors in operation. You don't need to change anything for this option to work...as long as the user hasn't changed anything in the list of services, in the startup folder, or other settings. As soon as you make changes to the startup method, block programs from starting, change the task schedule, or add your own, the startup option automatically changes to Selective startup
- Diagnostic run- this option is somewhat reminiscent of Safe Mode Windows boot. After a reboot, only the drivers and services of the system itself will work in it: no other programs and third-party drivers will start working, and the pre-installed and updated drivers will be replaced with those that “arrived” along with Windows installation(so to speak, international). However, often this privileged list also includes antivirus software. The meaning is clear - this launch option is used in an attempt to isolate the problematic part of the software when the OS is unstable
- Selective the launch will allow you to boot the system, bypassing the programs that have registered over time, loading (or not loading) the main services. By setting or deleting the autoload setting, you can determine whether its contents interfere with normal operation, or the reason is not here. A modified item with the original boot configuration means that you have made changes to boot record. This often happens when using a multiboot system with 2 or more operating systems, when editing local disks (letters, size or deleting / recreating volumes), etc.
The next tab displays a list of Windows systems as their bootloader sees them. So, if you have a second Linux installed, the bootloader rightly has no idea about it. The same goes for the OS. Windows various generations: when was in vogue Windows XP, its bootloader is Windows 7 or 10 and did not hear. So what about Windows 10 in the bootloader Windows XP there is nothing. But here are 10 about previous versions of the Microsoft OS, they already know everything, so they are great. But for security reasons, the correction of the list of systems in this part of the window is excluded: you cannot rename, delete from here, or rearrange them, since the utility has not been granted such rights. This option is presented purely for informational purposes.
However, the lower part of the tab window already contains customizable options, among which you can find useful ones. The simplest, but required - Time-out-Change the display time of the menu for selecting operating systems (if there are several). By Windows default leaves us 30 seconds for this. If the system is alone, the bootloader is wise to omit the menu. But if there are 2 or more copies of Windows, you can not wait half a minute, but set the desired time.
On the left are special boot options. Among them is the notorious Safe Mode, which completely excludes the launch of programs and drivers, except for those installed by the system. Moreover, in addition to the option itself, you can set additional parameters for Safe Mode, including:
– Safe mode with full user interface but disabled network driversThe functionality of the utility continues with the next column of settings that will allow the user to change some boot options in both Safe Mode and Normal Mode. Like that:
- Without GUI- during boot you will not see the usual welcome screen, only a black screen without any information
- Download log- after downloading all information about running services and drivers is recorded in a special log file, which can be found at C:\Windows\Ntbtlog.txt
- Base video- a very useful parameter that allows you to load an image from a video card using ONLY drivers preinstalled by the system (and not those that you installed from the video disk, downloaded from the Internet, etc.). An important option when next update something went wrong with your video driver
- OS Information– option must be used with set Without GUI. Booting the system will be accompanied by a black screen displaying full information on the loaded drivers. If the system crashes while it is still booting, this mode can help in identifying the driver that is causing the system to crash.
Button : options not for everyone
The only available button in this quadrant of the window is Additional download options where you can force this copy Windows will start, either ignoring the data from or vice versa strictly following them (this part of the tab was left by the developers at the beta stage: they pushed some settings for testing, and so they “forgot” them there).
For example, you can ask Windows to start with a LIMITED set of processors and capacity physical memory. However, contrary to some misconception, in an attempt to speed up Windows startup, indicating the maximum number of processors and the entire amount of RAM at the time of inclusion will NOT affect the download speed in any way.
But your system may be set up so that reallocating I/O and IRQ resources by PCI bus(which is exactly what this checkbox does) will cause a system crash on boot, and you will inevitably encounter a startup error: it will be either a black screen or a BSOD. If you encounter this problem, try booting into Safe Mode and remove the check from the item, or you will have to clear the CMOS memory with a battery or jumper. No big deal - we'll fix it. In general, when experimenting with this part of msconfig, remember:
By default, Windows throws all its energy and resources into launch, and it does this based on the results of the POST check carried out by . At the same time, the system selects the startup and operation parameters for itself EVERY TIME upon boot, and it is better not to interfere in this process.
Next option debugging- even more unknown to a mere mortal, a test function tool for developers of drivers for new devices. Work with potential drivers is performed at the level, and for work it is necessary to use a special control channel. It is highlighted immediately after this option is activated. debugger/debugger (like windbg), connected to the specified port, will allow you to work out the device under study. However, if Windows does not detect it on the default port COM1 (with wrong settings the debugger itself), the system may even freeze. Simple users who do not use debugging when solving problems or solving problems related to software development under Windows have nothing to do here.
Msconfig: Services tab
Everything is simple here. The list contains services that are starting at boot and are running right now. Often useful here is the option Do not display Microsoft services if we are interested in those that are downloaded with Windows programs from the side. By checking or unchecking the checkbox, you can check the effect of a particular program on the launch if you are going to catch the culprit of the unstable operation.
The settings applied here mate with the settings in the tab. Are common. Once you add or remove a service from this list, the launch option in the first tab will change to Selective.
In Windows 10, the contents of the tab have moved to the Task Manager, but the owners previous versions could somehow control the ever-expanding list of programs that started with Windows right from here, slowing down the boot process. Plus, hanging in the background in the number of running processes, slowing down the work in the current session:
the list of automatically loaded programs is now here
but autoload in windows 7 was possible
However, to get the most complete understanding of autoload management, it is better to pay attention to the article
Msconfig: Tools tab
The tab, unlike the previous ones, allows you to start the selected process right now using the button launch. Moreover, this is done on behalf of the administrator, indicating the full path to the executable file in the system directory. All the utilities listed here are not just that, but those that belong to the number of repair or statistical ones. Knowing what tools are available from here can be a great time saver without knowing.
In addition, it is possible, by adding the programs we need, like those already available.
Read: 2 659
Windows operating system settings. The main purpose System Setup Programs- Finding and isolating problems. msconfig is an additional tool for identifying problems that may prevent Windows from starting normally. You can disable regular services and automatically loaded programs with the help, and then enable them one by one. If the problem does not occur when the service is enabled, but appears after it is enabled, then that service may be the source of the problem.
Windows Vista – \Windows\System32\msconfig.exe;
Windows XP – \WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\msconfig.exe.
Sometimes it is not possible to start the system settings msconfig, and a window appears with the error message "Windows could not find msconfig. Check that the name was entered correctly and try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then select Find » .
As a rule, these are the consequences of a virus attack.
Troubleshooting
1. It is necessary with "passion" to check the system for the absence of viruses, reliable with fresh databases (otherwise, everything else is meaningless!).
2. Check that the file msconfig.exe exists. The disk address is specified. If at the specified file address msconfig.exe no, copy it from another with the same version or extract from installation disk.
To extract a file msconfig.exe from the installation disk:
- put the disk in CD-ROM;
– press Start -> Run... Windows+R);
- in the text field Open window Program launch enter expand<буква_привода:>\i386\MSCONFIG.EX_systemroot%\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\msconfig.exe –> OK.
For example, if your – Windows XP, is installed on the C:\ drive, and the letter CD-ROM– E:\, then you need to enter
expand E:\I386\MSCONFIG.EX_ C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\msconfig.exe
If your – Windows Vista is installed on the D:\ drive, and the CD-ROM letter is E:\, then you need to enter
expand E:\I386\MSCONFIG.EX_ D:\Windows\System32\msconfig.exe
3. Restriction of access rights is possible. Check if it starts msconfig.exe under the record Administrator ( may not run under restricted entry).
4. Try to run msconfig from Windows Explorer(or using an alternative file manager, For example, Total Commander).
5. Try to run msconfig V Safe Mode (safe mode). To do this, press on boot/rebootkey F8, select an entry Administrator.
6. Check (below is the parameter value for Windows XP installed on the C:\ drive):
– press Start -> Run...(or press the logo key Windows+R);
- in the text field Open window Program launch enter regedit –> OK, will start Registry Editor;
- find the section ,
meaning REG_SZ-parameter should be C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\MSConfig.exe(if necessary, correct the value of the parameter);
- find the section ,
meaning REG_SZ-parameter should be C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.exe(if necessary, correct the parameter value).
7. Check if the service is running Help & Support (Help and Support):
– press Start –> Settings –> Control Panel –> Administrative Tools –> Services;
- in the opened window Services check if the service is running Help & Support(if not running, start service).
8. Check the files Windows:
– press Start -> Run...(or press the logo key Windows+R);
- in the text field Open window Program launch enter sfc /scannow –> OK;
- a window will appear "Windows File Protection" with a message "Integrity and original version check in progress for Windows Protected Files";
– if the file checker detects that the files have been modified, a window will appear "Windows File Protection" with a message “Files required for Windows to function properly have been replaced by unknown versions. To ensure the stable operation of the Windows system, you must restore the original versions of these files. Now insert the Windows XP CD-ROM". Paste installation disk, click Repeat.
When it becomes necessary to configure the Windows operating system, many users resort to using a variety of third-party utilities. At the same time, without even suspecting the existence of built-in tools for solving these problems.
One of the most powerful and simple configuration tools is the msconfig utility. It can be run on any computer with an operating Windows system and you don't need to install any additional programs. With this program, you can manage the loading of the operating system, installed services and. In addition, using this program, you can quickly launch other built-in tools for managing the operating system. In this article, we will try to consider the msconfig program and its main features in as much detail as possible.
Running msconfig is very easy and can be done in a number of ways. The easiest way is to start with a search. Open the Start Menu or Start Screen if you have Windows 8 and type "msconfig". After that, you just need to click on the program icon.
Launching a Program Using the Start Menu
You can also use the Run menu. In order to launch the "Run" menu, press the key combination Win + R. After that, type the command "msconfig" and press enter.
Launching a Program Using the Run Menu
Alternatively, msconfig can be run with command line or from a folder, the msconfig.exe program can be found in the Windows\System32 folder.
Configuring Windows with msconfig
So, we launched msconfig, we can get to work. The interface of this program consists of several tabs: General, Download, Services, Startup and Service. Let's look at each tab in order.
General tab
On the General tab, you can choose the option to boot the operating system.
- Normal startup - startup with all drivers and services loaded.
- Diagnostic startup - Starts with only essential drivers and services loaded.
- Selective startup - startup with the loading of selected elements of the operating system.
The second tab is called "Download". Here you can configure the boot process of the operating system. For example, if your computer has several Windows versions, you can specify which system will boot by default. You can also specify other settings related to booting the operating system here.
The third and fourth tabs are the most useful for the average user. The third tab is called "Services" here you can disable / enable the services installed on the system.
Services Tab
If you do not have the proper experience, then it is better not to disable the standard services. This may cause the operating system to become unstable. To hide standard services, check the box next to "Do not display Microsoft services."
Do not display Microsoft services
Moreover, after hiding the standard services, working with the list becomes much easier. You can easily find and disable services that you do not need, which will increase the speed of the system.
The fourth tab is called "Startup". Here you can manage programs that are loaded automatically when the operating system starts. For example, you can .
The last tab in the msconfig utility is the Tools tab. Here you can run other standard means to manage the operating system.
Service tab
To do this, select the desired tool in the list and click the start button.
How is msconfig used?
There are many scenarios for using the msconfig program. In most cases ordinary users use msconfig to remove not desired programs from autoloading and disabling services.
You can also use msconfig as a diagnostic and system testing tool. You can start the operating system using diagnostic startup and check if it is stable. If in this mode operating system continues to "fail", then, most likely, the problem is in system files. If the system is stable, then the problem is in the installed applications.
