Troubleshooting with MSCONFIG

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  1. Posts : 22,814
    W 7 64-bit Ultimate
       #1

    Troubleshooting with MSCONFIG


    How to use the MS Configuration Utility to Disable, Remove an Entry to Troubleshoot an Issue!


    This will show you how to use the MS Configuration Utility startup file to first, disable an entry to sort out if that is the one causing the issue at system startup / shut down and to remove the entry later if you choose for any number of reasons.

       Warning
    Disabling certain OEM entries from the startup file may cause some factory installed programs and applications to not function correctly. Also removing entries from the Windows registry may disable the PC completely.

    If you have any concerns regarding the methods set fourth here, please post a question in this same thread and someone will be glad to help you.
       Note
    As a precaution it would be a good idea to create a "System Restore Point" before you start this, the tutorial can be found at the link below.

    System Restore Point - Create


    Let's get started!

    1) In the Windows start menu search box type "msconfig" (without the quotes) then right click the entry and select "Run as Administrator", enter your user credentials for the UAC prompt and click yes. In the window that opens, select the "startup" tab.

    Attachment 60135Attachment 60136



    Option One

    Disable an Entry



    2) Now what we want to do is disable only one entry at a time, if we do more than one we won't know which entry is causing the trouble. We'll use my RivaTuner entry, as you can see I've removed the tick from the box, in essence doing this makes RivaTuner not able to "autostart" when the PC is started and in turn if that entry were causing an issue when the PC is started / shutdown I would know that is the one causing the issue and I could take appropriate measures to remedy the situation.

    Now go through your entries one at a time, with a PC restart between each one to find the one acting up, when you find it you can just leave it disabled for later use (trial and error) or you can do as in "Option Two" below and remove the entry alltogether; see the Warning above.

    Attachment 60139



    Option Two

    Remove an Entry



    3) Let's use my RivaTuner again, in the "msconfig" window I'll click the RivaTuner entry to highlight it and then I'll hover over the "Location" with the mouse cursor to reveal the entry's whereabouts in the Windows registry. As we can see it's at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, so first in the start menu search box type "regedit" without the quotes and right click the entry and select "Run as Administrator" enter your user credentials for the UAC prompt and click yes.

    Attachment 60141
    Attachment 60142Attachment 60143

    4) Now in "regedit" I would navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion and in the left pane click "Run", then in the right pane right click "RivaTuner" and click delete, then for the warning about "Deleting Registry Values" click yes; and now the entry is gone to the four winds never to be seen again.

    Attachment 60144
    Attachment 60145
    Attachment 60146

    5) One final thing, as we can see from this last snip not all the entries will reside in the Windows registry, you will have to navigate to where they are to delete them.

    Attachment 60147

    Enjoy! :)
    Last edited by Bare Foot Kid; 23 Aug 2010 at 04:25.
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  2. Posts : 11,840
    64-bit Windows 8.1 Pro
       #2

    Thanks for the tutorial Ted!
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  3. Posts : 22,814
    W 7 64-bit Ultimate
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Tews said:
    Thanks for the tutorial Ted!

    Thanks Tom! :)
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  4. Posts : 3,300
    Win7 Home Premium 64x
       #4

    I see this is posted in Chillout Room. Is this supposed to be here? or mistake?
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  5. Posts : 22,814
    W 7 64-bit Ultimate
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Thorsen said:
    I see this is posted in Chillout Room. Is this supposed to be here? or mistake?

    It's where it's supposed to be, thanks!
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  6. Posts : 196
    Windows 7
       #6

    Bare Foot Kid said:
    Thorsen said:
    I see this is posted in Chillout Room. Is this supposed to be here? or mistake?

    It's where it's supposed to be, thanks!
    So why're we chillin' with msconfig?
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  7. Posts : 3,300
    Win7 Home Premium 64x
       #7

    Excellent tut, BFK!
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  8. Posts : 22,814
    W 7 64-bit Ultimate
    Thread Starter
       #8

    ultraplanet said:
    Bare Foot Kid said:
    Thorsen said:
    I see this is posted in Chillout Room. Is this supposed to be here? or mistake?

    It's where it's supposed to be, thanks!
    So why're we chillin' with msconfig?
    Because there is another excellent tutorial that deals with the whole subject of msconfig that I didn't know about when I wrote this and I wanted to post it here as a thread to save it for myself.

    Startup Programs - Change

    Thorsen said:
    Excellent tut, BFK!
    Thanks mate! :)
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  9. Posts : 4,772
    Windows 7 Ultimate - 64-bit | Windows 8 Pro - 64-bit
       #9

    Good Work Ted .. I can save some time typing !!! :)
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  10. Posts : 22,814
    W 7 64-bit Ultimate
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Capt.Jack Sparrow said:
    Good Work Ted .. I can save some time typing !!! :)


    Thanks Cap'n! :)
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