MSConfig

<h2 id="uses">Uses</h2>
<p>MSConfig is often used for speeding up the Microsoft Windows startup process of the machine. According to Microsoft,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> MSConfig was not meant to be used as a startup management program.
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<h2 id="features">Features</h2>

<p>MSConfig is a troubleshooting tool which is used to temporarily disable or re-enable software, device drivers or Windows services that run during startup process to help the user determine the cause of a problem with Windows.
</p><p>Some of its functionality varies by Windows versions:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a>
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<ul><li>In Windows 98 and Windows Me, it can configure advanced troubleshooting settings pertaining to these operating systems. It can also launch common system tools.</li>
<li>In Windows 98, it can back up and restore startup files.</li>
<li>In Windows Me, it has also been updated with three new tabs called "Static VxDs", "Environment" and "International". The Static VxDs tab allows users to enable or disable static <a href="/facts/VxD/Q69TjtnV">virtual device drivers</a> to be loaded at startup, the <i>Environment</i> tab allows users to enable or disable <a href="/facts/Environment_variable/WxkrJQpP">environment variables</a>, and the <i>International</i> tab allows users to set international language keyboard layout settings that were formerly set via the real-mode MS-DOS configuration files. A "Cleanup" button on the "Startup" tab allows cleaning up invalid or deleted startup entries.</li>
<li>In Windows Me and Windows XP versions, it can restore an individual file from the original Windows installation set.</li>
<li>On Windows NT-based operating systems prior to Windows Vista, it can set various BOOT.INI switches.</li>
<li>In Windows XP and Windows Vista, it can hide all operating system services for troubleshooting.</li>
<li>In Windows Vista and later, the tool allows configuring various switches for <a href="/facts/Windows_Boot_Manager/2IQuCy3Y">Windows Boot Manager</a> and Boot Configuration Data. It also gained additional support for launching a variety of tools, such as system information, other configuration areas, such as Internet options, and the ability to enable/disable <a href="/facts/User_Account_Control/BjUhEq9u">UAC</a>. An update is available for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 that adds the <i>Tools</i> tab.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></li></ul>

<h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2>

<ol><li><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/msconfig_usage.mspx?mfr=true">"System Configuration Utility overview"</a>. <i>Windows XP Professional Product Documentation</i>. <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a>. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060619183149/http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/msconfig_usage.mspx?mfr=true">Archived</a> from the original on 19 June 2006. Retrieved 29 April 2011.</li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20091013132527/http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/Using-System-Configuration">"Using System Configuration"</a>. <i>Windows</i>. <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a>. Archived from <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Using-System-Configuration">the original</a> on 13 October 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2011.</li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080117025438/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310560">"How to troubleshoot configuration errors by using the System Configuration utility in Windows"</a>. <i>Support</i> (4.1 ed.). <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a>. 26 November 2007. Archived from <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310560">the original</a> on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2011.</li></ol>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>"Microsoft System Configuration Utility (MSConfig)". Technopedia. 11 December 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2017. <a href="https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4990/microsoft-system-configuration-utility-msconfig" target="_blank">https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4990/microsoft-system-configuration-utility-msconfig</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>"Using System Configuration (MSConfig)". Windows. Microsoft. August 27, 2012. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131215054240/http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/using-system-configuration" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20131215054240/http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/using-system-configuration</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>Larsen, Larry; Richards, Andrew; Beeder, Chad (August 27, 2012). "Defrag Tools: #5 - Autoruns and MSConfig". Channel9. Microsoft. Retrieved January 12, 2015. <a href="http://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Defrag-Tools/Defrag-Tools-5-Autoruns" target="_blank">http://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Defrag-Tools/Defrag-Tools-5-Autoruns</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>"The 906569 update adds the Tools tab to the System Configuration utility in Windows XP Service Pack 2". Support. Microsoft. June 1, 2006. Archived from the original on March 9, 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150309055729/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/906569" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20150309055729/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/906569</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
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MSConfig open-in-new

MSConfig