What Do You Toggle in MSConfig?
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I keep trying to tell Pixie that she can’t help someone remotely without installing some type of software that will allow her to do so cross-platform. GoToAssist will do this easily for her. I wanted to demonstrate the software for her, and for all of you. I decided to help Danny Minick with some questions he had about MSConfig. When’s the last time you used MSConfig to toggle any settings? What did you change and why?
MSConfig is a system configuration tool that allows you to troubleshoot and make changes to your system. I wouldn’t recommend going in here unless you know what it is you’re doing. You can change your boot method, and even manually choose what is allowed to start when the computer boots. You have to be very, very careful. Never disable something from there if you don’t know what it is for sure. It’s safe to remove things like QuickTime from auto-startup. However, many of the things listed there are necessary services for Windows.
The way that Windows handles programs when it starts is that it loads everything at the same time. This is where you run into issues, and slower startups. It makes more sense to me to have it open programs one by one by one. But alas – that’s not the way it’s done!
It doesn’t matter how fast your computer is. You can still get bogged down on your system start, simply because you’re trying to let too many things start at the beginning. There wasn’t anything wrong with Danny’s computer – he just wanted my opinion of what he could safely remove using MSConfig.
Using GoToAssist, there is no end to what I could have done to help Danny if he did have a problem. It would have allowed me to remotely control his computer and be able to diagnose and fix whatever was wrong. As a user at home, you can help your friends and family with it. As a business owner, you can save yourself both time and money by doing jobs right from your office, instead of on site!
- The Princeton Review Gre Computer Diagnostic: New Version 2.0/Microsoft Windows/IBM Disk
- Enteractive Computer Diagnostics & Safety Bundle
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4 Comments
Matt Gibson
July 29th, 2009
at 1:50am
I like to toggle the use of all the cores on the CPU for boot and disable all the services and programs that are not needed on boot up.
Alex
July 29th, 2009
at 6:33am
Chris, there is another program tht allows remote control for free. It is called team viewer 4. It is free for private non commercial use. just giving you a heads up.
Elaine M aka SoloPocono
July 29th, 2009
at 6:59am
I go to msconfig ANY time I’m helping someone with boot issues. Myself, I do it after installing ANYTHING new. Don’t EVER trust that just because you choose for a program not to start up with Windows at boot-when you’re configuring your new program. I’ve found in over 20yrs on computers,THAT means nothing until you actually check msconfig!
David Stark
July 29th, 2009
at 8:06am
Chris,
I use LogMeIn IT Reach for most of my clients to do Remote Access support. It is inexpensive, and it is very solid with a good diagnostic information dashboard.
On MSCONFIG and what I charge, Almost all my work is done at $100/hour. Even for Remote Access work. Also, though MSCONFIG is fine for toggling various processes on/off, I prefer CCLeaner or Spybot S&D. They allow such toggling without a restart being required and that annoying dialog box on restart that informs and confuses the user regarding settings have been changed.
And PLEASE…. I subscribe to GEEKS and Lockergnome. And I am disappointed that they are virtually the same. Why not drop one of them or combine them in to ONE Subscriiption. AND YOUR “UNSUBSCRIBE” FEATURE DOES NOT SEEM TO WORK….or you have one heck of a turnaround time.
And, as long as you are asking what we charge/hour. What is YOUR rate?
Inquiring minds want to KNOW!
Anchorage Alaska