How to perform a clean boot procedure to prevent background programs from interfering with a game or a program that you currently use (331796)


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This article was previously published under Q331796

SUMMARY

This article describes how to perform a clean boot procedure to start a Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, or Microsoft Windows 98-based computer. When you use a clean boot procedure to start a computer, Microsoft Windows starts only basic devices and services when it starts.

MORE INFORMATION

When you start Windows by using a regular startup, several programs start automatically and run in the background. These programs may include third-party antivirus programs and system utility programs. These programs may interfere when you install, run, or use a game or program such as Microsoft Flight Simulator or Microsoft Streets and Trips. If this occurs, you can use a clean boot procedure to prevent these programs from starting automatically. You must be logged on as an administrator or as a member of the Administrators group to complete a clean boot procedure. If the computer is connected to a network, the network policy settings may also prevent you from completing the clean boot procedure.

How to perform a clean boot procedure on a Windows XP-based computer

To perform a clean boot procedure on a Windows XP-based computer, follow these steps.

Note You may experience a temporary loss of some services functionality when you follow these steps. Restoring the settings restores the functionality, but may result in the return of the original error message or behavior.
  1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
  2. On the General tab, click Selective Startup.
  3. Under Selective Startup, click to clear the following check boxes:
    • Process SYSTEM.INI File
    • Process WIN.INI File
    • Load Startup Items
  4. On the Services tab, click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All.
  5. Click OK, and then click Restart.
Click Play to view this streaming media demonstration.

How to perform a clean boot procedure on a Windows Millennium Edition-based computer

  1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.

    The System Configuration Utility starts.
  2. Click the General tab, and then click Selective startup.
  3. Under Selective startup, click to clear the following check boxes:
    • Process Win.ini file
    • Load startup group items
    • Load environment variables
  4. Click the Startup tab, click to select the *StateMgr check box, and then click OK.

    When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Yes.
  5. After the computer restarts, click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
  6. Click the General tab, and then verify that the check boxes that you cleared are still cleared.

    If you see a selected, unavailable check box (it appears dimmed and has a check mark in it), the clean boot procedure was not successful. If this issue occurs, you may need assistance from the manufacturer of the program that is listed next to the selected, unavailable check box.
Start the program or the program installation. If the issue is resolved, you can restore the computer to use a regular startup. To restore the computer to use a regular startup, start the System Configuration Utility, click the General tab, click Normal Startup, click OK, and then restart the computer.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

267288 How to perform a clean boot in Windows Millennium Edition

How to perform a clean boot procedure on a Windows 98-based computer

  1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.

    The System Configuration Utility starts.
  2. Click the General tab, and then click Selective startup.
  3. Under Selective startup, click to clear the following check boxes:
    • Process Config.sys file
    • Process Autoexec.bat file
    • Process Winstart.bat file (if it is available and not already cleared)
    • Load startup group items
  4. Click the Win.ini tab, expand the [windows] folder, and then click to clear the load= and run= check boxes.
  5. Click OK, and then restart the computer.
Start the program or the program installation. If the issue is resolved, you can restore the computer to use a regular startup. To restore the computer to use a regular startup, start the System Configuration Utility, click the General tab, click Normal Startup, click OK, and then restart the computer.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

192926 How to perform clean-boot troubleshooting for Windows 98

For more information about Microsoft games, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/games

How to narrow the focus of the behavior

If the computer no longer exhibits the behavior, you can narrow the focus of the behavior. To do this, you must use the System Configuration Utility to restore programs or services until you determine the specific program that is causing the behavior. This process is generally referred to as "restoring by halves" because you restore half of the programs that you previously removed, restart the computer, and then test to see whether the behavior continues to occur. This process might take some time and requires that you restart the computer multiple times. Generally this behavior occurs with items that start on the Services tab or on the Startup tab. To isolate a program or programs that cause the issue, return to the System Configuration Utility, and then click the Startup tab. Clear five items on the list, and then click OK. Restart the computer, and then test the program that you want to run. If the behavior did not occur, one of the items is the cause of the problem. If the behavior continues to occur, return to the System Configuration Utility, and then clear another five items on the list. When you follow these steps, you can isolate the specific program that causes the behavior after you restart the computer. After you determine the specific program that causes the behavior, contact the program manufacturer to know if the issue can be resolved. Or, run System Configuration Utility with the program or programs unchecked on the list.

You cannot use the Msconfig utility to perform a clean boot procedure in Microsoft Windows 2000 because Windows 2000 does not include the Msconfig utility.

For more information about how to perform a clean boot procedure in Windows 2000, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

281770 How to perform clean-boot troubleshooting for Windows 2000

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/10/2006
Keywords:kbsetup kbArtTypeSHOWME kbhowto kbinfo KB331796 kbAudEndUser kbAudITPRO
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