Modifying the General Startup Process

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 6, 2017)

The first step in tracking down any startup problems in Windows is to modify the options on the General tab of the System Configuration dialog box. You display this dialog box by searching, in Windows, for msconfig.exe. When you run the program, you should shortly see the System Configuration program window. The General tab should be displayed, by default. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The System Configuration dialog box.

The controls on the General tab allow you to specify, in the most general way, how your system starts up. Three options are available on the tab.

The default setting is Normal Startup. With this radio button selected, Windows goes blithely on its way, loading all the programs, drivers, and services it was instructed to load.

Diagnostic Startup is, in some respects, similar to starting your computer in safe mode. (If that comment went right over your head, don't worry—you didn't miss anything critical. Consider it an "insider's comment.") When you choose this radio button, Windows only loads the most basic of its many potential services and drivers.

Normally, you only choose Diagnostic Startup so you can get rid of all the potential problem areas in one move. If your system starts problem-free with Diagnostic Startup selected, you would then move on to Selective Startup in order to narrow down the problem even further.

The Selective Startup radio button allows you to make choices as to which startup files are processed. If you clear one of the check boxes under this option, then the corresponding group of startup files is skipped when Windows starts.

If you're experiencing startup problems, you should start by clearing all the check boxes under Selective Startup. When you restart Windows, you should have no problem. Then, come back to msconfig and select the first check box (Load System Services). Restart Windows again to see if your problems crop up again.

If your problems crop up, you know the problem is in the services that Windows loads when you start your system. If they don't crop up, then you know that the system services are working fine and you can select the next check box and restart.

Through this iterative process (selecting a check box and restarting) you can determine which general category of startup programs is causing you problems. You won't yet know which command in those categories is causing problems, but you'll know where to look closer.

 This tip (12022) applies to Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Non-Printing Controls

Don't want your form controls to print out with your worksheet? Here's how to make sure that Excel excludes them from the ...

Discover More

Deletions Don't Work as Expected

We all get into habits, including in how we use Word. If you are used to deleting text in a particular way, and all of a ...

Discover More

Printing a Week of Planner Sheets

If you want to print multiple copies of a worksheet using a different footer for each copy, the easiest way is to rely on ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Changing the Mouse Pointer

Windows is rather configurable, especially when it comes to the user interface. Here's how you can modify the way that ...

Discover More

Using a Dvorak Keyboard with Windows

Dvorak keyboards can provide more efficient typing as well as make the keyboard characters more accessible to those who ...

Discover More

Improving Text Sharpness with ClearType

Ever notice that even with a fancy new monitor, text can still look a bit muddy on the screen. You can use ClearType ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is eight more than 9?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips