DOCUMENT:Q87290 20-SEP-1999 [win95x] TITLE :What Is a Clean Boot for Windows 3.1? PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product PROD/VER:WINDOWS:3.1,3.11 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS: ====================================================================== 3.10 3.11 WINDOWS kbtlc kbtshoot ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows versions 3.1, 3.11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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:\\HIMEM.SYS SET TEMP=C:\ STACKS=9,256 SHELL=C:\\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 Additional query words: tshoot clean-boot PRINT.COM RAMDRIVE.SYS JOIN.EXE PRINT.EXE MODE.COM GRAPHICS.COM SUBST.EXE 3.10 3.11 cleanboot ====================================================================== Keywords : Technology : kbWin3xSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin310 kbWin311 Version : WINDOWS:3.1,3.11 ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. 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