What Is a Clean Boot for Windows 3.1? (87290)

SUMMARY

A "clean boot" (starting your computer after all unnecessary commands have been removed from your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files) is used as a basic troubleshooting step to test possible conflicts between Windows 3.1 and various terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs and device drivers. There are different types of clean boots; the correct one to use depends on whether or not Microsoft Windows has been installed.

More information about clean booting can be found on pages 99-100 of the "Getting Started with Microsoft Windows" version 3.1 manual and on pages 528-531 of the version 3.1 "Microsoft Windows Users Guide."

NOTE: This article explains how to clean boot your system up to the point when you start Windows. To start Windows without loading any third-party programs, you must clear the StartUp group, clear the LOAD= and RUN= entries in the WIN.INI file, and ensure the SHELL= entry in the SYSTEM.INI file is loading PROGMAN.EXE. Also, make sure the SYSTEM.INI file does not include third-party virtual device drivers (VxDs) or other third-party Windows components.

MORE INFORMATION

Before Clean Booting

Create a bootable floppy disk that contains the MS-DOS system files and any other files that are required to make the system operational, such as disk-compression utilities (for example, Stacker), disk partitioning drivers (for example, Disk Manager), and other third-party device drivers.

To Clean Boot Before Running Windows 3.1 Setup

If there is no disk compression software, disk partitioning software, or other third-party drivers necessary to boot the computer, the machine can be booted on a floppy disk that contains only the MS-DOS system files, without a CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

If there is disk partitioning, disk compression, or other third-party software required to boot the computer, the startup files on the disk created above should appear as follows:

   CONFIG.SYS                              AUTOEXEC.BAT
   ----------                              ------------

   FILES=45                                PROMPT $P$G
   BUFFERS=20
   <Third-party disk partitioner>
   <Third-party disk compression driver>
   <Other third-party driver>

AFTER Windows 3.1 is installed, a clean boot should appear as follows:

   CONFIG.SYS                              AUTOEXEC.BAT
   ----------                              ------------
   FILES=45                                PROMPT $P$G
   BUFFERS=20                              PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\DOS;C:\ 
   DEVICE=C:\<dir>\HIMEM.SYS               SET TEMP=C:\<valid path>
   <Third-party disk partitioner>
   <Third-party disk compression driver>
   <Other third-party drivers>
   STACKS=9,256
   SHELL=C:\<valid path>\COMMAND.COM  /E:1024 /P

Exceptions

The following are examples of drivers that SHOULD NOT be removed; they are used when the computer is turned on to make the hard drive accessible. This is not a complete list, but it does include most of the commonly used drivers:

   Hard Disk Drivers:          SQY55.SYS, SSTBIO.SYS, SSTDRIVE.SYS,
                               AH1544.SYS, ILIM386.SYS, ASPI4DOS.SYS,
                               SCSIHA.SYS, SCSIDSK.EXE, SKYDRVI.SYS,
                               ATDOSXL.SYS, NONSTD.SYS

   Disk Partitioners:          DMDRVR.BIN, SSTOR.SYS, HARDRIVE.SYS,
                               EDVR.SYS, FIXT_DRV.SYS, LDRIVE.SYS,
                               ENHDISK.SYS

   Disk Compression Utilities: STACKER.COM, SSWAP.COM, SSTOR.EXE,
                               DEVSWAP.COM

If the purpose of a device driver or program is unknown, DO NOT remove it. Most device drivers and programs will display a message describing their purpose when they are initialized.

A clean boot DOES NOT include:

DOS=HIGH,UMB
EMM386.EXE
INSTALL=SHARE.EXE
INSTALL=FASTOPEN.EXE
Third-party memory managers
RAM disk devices
JOIN, GRAPHICS, PRINT, SUBST, APPEND
MODE for printer redirection
Multiple path statements
MS-DOS-level mouse drivers
Third-party disk caches
Various third-party TSRs
LOGIMENU, CLICK
Virus checkers
Drivers for scanners/fax
Drivers for CD ROM/network
Tape backup spoolers/redirectors/buffers
Data acquisition units
Keyboard accelerators/buffers

For information on clean booting Windows 3.0, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

clean and boot and windows and 3.0