4th December 2001

What tool is this they laid to rest; on Win2k it's missing. 98ers are addicted to MSConfig. The good news? Someone in Redmond beefed it up for Windows XP. The utility looks familiar, but there are a couple of new tabs in which you can analyze and tweak your system. To launch it, simply tap WinKey+R and enter: "MSCONFIG" (sans quotes). On the General tab, you'll now find an "Expand File" button; click it to unstuff those files whose extensions end in an underscore character. Flip to the BOOT.INI section to change how Windows XP gets up and running. WARNING: do not change settings here unless you really know what you're doing. You can inadvertently (or purposefully) turn off dual booting from this tab. Now, the Services tab is really neat. Not sure what third- party services has been installed? Place a checkmark in the "Hide All Microsoft Services" field to find out. Finally, the Startup tab looks the same as it always has. What else sets it apart from previous versions? When you change your Startup settings, MSConfig will tell you (on next boot) that it's in a Diagnostic / Selective Startup mode. Essentially, this will allow you to roll-back to a previous (working) configuration.