Don't use msconfig ?

TeeJayHoward

TeeJayHoward

Limpness Supreme
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Reading up a bit, and several sites mention that you should not use msconfig to disable services. Nobody, however, mentions WHY you shouldn't use it. Supposedly, "Microsoft even says not to use it for daily use." (From a neowin.net post)

Someone explain it to me? What's so bad about msconfig?
 
Without reading the actual post, I'm going to say the problem isn't using msconfig, it's with disabling services. There's a well written sticky on why disabling services is useless, at best.
 
TeeJayHoward said:
Someone explain it to me? What's so bad about msconfig?
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Because its bad in the hands of someone who doesn't know what is going on. If you blindly start disabling services, and or startup programs your computer can go FUBAR really fast. If put in the RIGHT hands however, msconfig can be a benefical tool.
 
When I'm trying to fix some sludgy machine, one of the first things I always do is turn off all of the Startup items in MSCONFIG. I've never seen that affect the ability of the machine to operate. Even if it did, it would be easy enough to turn things back on in Safe Mode. Turning Services off is another story, of course...
 
djnes said:
Without reading the actual post, I'm going to say the problem isn't using msconfig, it's with disabling services. There's a well written sticky on why disabling services is useless, at best.
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Maybe useless from a performance standpoint, but Microsoft recommends disabling certain services for secuirty. Each service you disable reduces your attack surface. Read the Windows 2003 and Windows XP security guides. It's part of the baseline they recomend.
 
I use msconfig just to stop certain programs from starting at start-up..

but far as services i use services.msc..
 
MorfiusX said:
Maybe useless from a performance standpoint, but Microsoft recommends disabling certain services for secuirty. Each service you disable reduces your attack surface. Read the Windows 2003 and Windows XP security guides. It's part of the baseline they recomend.
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And thankfully Service Pack 2 does this for you. Considering no one should be without SP2 at this point and time, it's a moot point.
 
I have not seen a compelling reason not to use the tool. The best one I can think of is you might disable something you didn't mean to, but if you want to follow that line of logic, you really shouldn't be using the computer. I mean who knows what everything does?
 
Phoenix86 said:
I have not seen a compelling reason not to use the tool. The best one I can think of is you might disable something you didn't mean to, but if you want to follow that line of logic, you really shouldn't be using the computer. I mean who knows what everything does?
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Who knows... they are called MCSE's like myself :) The main thing to remember is take the time to research what is there, dont just arbitrarily turn things off for the sake of turning things off. If you don't know what it does use your favorite online search tool and figure it out. There might be more things going on that need your attention then something listed in the startup. A few nasty things have a habit of starting up as another name after you disable it anyway.
 
gigantorebirdie said:
Who knows... they are called MCSE's like myself :) .
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:D :D

Yeah right.

The more I learn about the OS, the more I realize I there is to learn.
 
heh... I've always just disabled ALL start up things with msconfig about every month or so. I can't stand having a bunch of programs starting up upon boot-up.
 
KoolDrew said:
How about you don't even bother disabling services?
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*blinks* Wow. I'm reminded again why I primarily post in DSS, not OS. I didn't ask about disabling services, I asked about disabling services using msconfig vs. services.msc.

After all... Why would someone ever bother disabling a spyware service? All those excellent e-bates could be mine! Service named FreezeScreenSaver? I want it! Gotta have those floating fishies. (As of when did a screen saver require a service? Things are getting out of hand here.)
 
TeeJayHoward said:
*blinks* Wow. I'm reminded again why I primarily post in DSS, not OS. I didn't ask about disabling services, I asked about disabling services using msconfig vs. services.msc.

After all... Why would someone ever bother disabling a spyware service? All those excellent e-bates could be mine! Service named FreezeScreenSaver? I want it! Gotta have those floating fishies. (As of when did a screen saver require a service? Things are getting out of hand here.)
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If you're going to give someone a smartass reply, you might want to make it correct. It's clear you aren't sure of the difference between a startup application and a service. Spyware typically doesn't install services, it installs applications that run. What you are referring to in your e-bates rant are not services. Msconfig should be used to prevent applications from running at startup...not services. KoolDrew gave good advice to not even bother disabling services. Take a minute to reread your original post, and see what it is you asked. Services. Don't cop an attitude with someone else just because you don't know the terminology. You asked about disabling services, and he answered. If you wanted to know about disabling applications, you should have used the correct wording.
 
TeeJayHoward said:
*blinks* Wow. I'm reminded again why I primarily post in DSS, not OS. I didn't ask about disabling services, I asked about disabling services using msconfig vs. services.msc.
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No, you said "several sites mention that you should not use msconfig to disable services... Why?"

The answer is most likely the sites don't recommend disabling services at all, but who knows, that why you asked right? Don't get cocky when someone gives an answer to the question you asked. Asking why shouldn't you disable services in msconfig vs. services.msc is a different, related question. Got it?

djnes, spyware can and does indeed install itself as services.
 
Phoenix86 said:
djnes, spyware can and does indeed install itself as services.
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I guess I'm lucky enough to not have had to tangle with any of that kind. It's just been applications set to launch at boot in the registry.
 
I again everyone. I haven't been posting here for a while because of getting the new bussiness off the ground. Although I have been just king of ghosting around for the past few months. But now I'm back.
Anyways, here is my humble opinion on all of this:
msconfig is a decent tool, IF used correctly.
I am the owner of Kat's Custom PCs, and the Manager/Lead Technician of Art of War Central/Epic Computing and gaming center. As such I have to work on all kinds of PCs ranging from windows 3.1 to XP Pro and EVERYTHING in between. So I use msconfig many times a day.
When troubleshooting a PC, or just tweeking it for better performance, using msconfig can be your best friend.

There is a better alternative though. For the majority of peeps out there, all that stuff listed in msconfig might as well be written in an alien language.
To help with that, there is a great program that I teach all my PC techs to use, it is called "Startup Inspector". It not only lists everything that is set to run at startup (just like mscong), it also, if connected to the internet, will contact a database and give a discription of each item as well as a recomendation for disabling or not. It also gives links to more info on certain items as well as links to removal tools if a virus or ad/spy/malware is detected.
Check out this program here:
http://www.windowsstartup.com/
BTY.....it is a FREE program.

As for services, there is a program similar to the Startup Inspector that works on services as well as alot of other stuff. It is not free, but it isn't hard to find a crack for it if you do not wish to buy it. But it is also highly recommended for finding out info on all of the services running on any given PC as well as recomendations on disabling or not.
It is called "the Ultimate Troubleshooter", and can be found here:
http://www.answersthatwork.com/TUT_pages/TUT_information.htm
 
thanks for the link...i love msconfig
but when i got a prog called blahblah.exe and i wonder if the customer uses it i might need a little more help

do i have to install or can i run from cd like hijack?

 
Use services.msc to disable services you don't want running.

Use msconfig to disable startup programs from running when you boot up, of which, all of them can be unchecked/disabled.
 
I'll give you the explanation straight from the horses mouth. Msconfig debuted when Win98 launched, and I happened to be manning the MS tech support lines. That tool was a godsend for us. MS says the tool is for troubleshooting only, not the solution to a problem. Its designed to diagnose the problem, then you get rid of it via whatever means necessary.

What they don't want is people saying "just go into msconfig and disable all this stuff" and then months later someone goes in there to try to fix another problem and inadvertantly put the other problems back. Way back when, if you did a full selective startup, the Win98 registry would also not get backed up at each boot. So I'd go to do a reg restore and the person would have no backups because that had been inadvertantly disabled months ago by someone else that didn't finish the job.

So to recap, use it to solve your issue, then make sure you end up back in the normal startup mode. Not that thats the best way to do it or the only way, thats just what they say.
 
Phoenix86 said:
Don't get cocky when someone gives an answer to the question you asked. Asking why shouldn't you disable services in msconfig vs. services.msc is a different, related question. Got it?
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*blinks* Wow. I totally didn't ask the correct question. You're right. Sorry 'bout that.

Phoenix86 said:
djnes, spyware can and does indeed install itself as services.
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I only discovered this myself recently. And it's not just spyware. When you install AIM, for example, it adds an unnecessary service. (Speaking of which, anyone know how to remove (not just disable) a service? I'd prefer a command line approach, but I've got nothing against point-and-click.)
 
OldPueblo said:
I'll give you the explanation straight from the horses mouth. Msconfig debuted when Win98 launched, and I happened to be manning the MS tech support lines. That tool was a godsend for us. MS says the tool is for troubleshooting only, not the solution to a problem. Its designed to diagnose the problem, then you get rid of it via whatever means necessary.

What they don't want is people saying "just go into msconfig and disable all this stuff" and then months later someone goes in there to try to fix another problem and inadvertantly put the other problems back. Way back when, if you did a full selective startup, the Win98 registry would also not get backed up at each boot. So I'd go to do a reg restore and the person would have no backups because that had been inadvertantly disabled months ago by someone else that didn't finish the job.

So to recap, use it to solve your issue, then make sure you end up back in the normal startup mode. Not that thats the best way to do it or the only way, thats just what they say.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks.
 
Using services.msc will give you more control. YOu can have services start up when they are needed, have them start up on boot, or stop them from starting up. Just a matter of control.
 
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