The Hacker's Encyclopedia 1998

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---------- SYSINI.TXT ---------- NOTE: This is the first of three files that contain information about SYSTEM.INI. The other files, SYSINI2.TXT and SYSINI3.TXT, are continuations of the information presented here. INTRODUCTION ------------ SYSTEM.INI is one of two Windows initialization files that are included with Windows. Windows initialization files contain information that defines your Windows environment. Windows and applications can use the information stored in these files to meet your needs and preferences. There are two standard Windows initialization files: * SYSTEM.INI, which primarily contains settings that allow you to customize Windows to meet your system's hardware needs. * WIN.INI, which primarily contains settings that allow you to alter your Windows environment according to your preferences. This document describes the contents of the SYSTEM.INI file and how to change settings in the file. For information on the WIN.INI file, see the WININI.TXT file. WARNING: If you change a setting incorrectly in SYSTEM.INI, you might disable your system. Before changing any setting, read "Changing Settings" later in this document. FORMAT ------ Windows initialization files have the following format: [section name] keyname=value In this example, [section name] is the name of a section. Sections are used to break settings into logical groups. The enclosing brackets ([]) are required, and the left bracket must be in the leftmost column on the screen. The keyname=value statement defines the value of each setting. A keyname is the name of a setting. It can consist of any combination of letters and digits, and must be followed immediately by an equal sign (=). The value of the setting can be an integer, a Boolean value, a string, or a quoted string, depending on the setting. There are multiple settings in most sections. You can include comments in initialization files. You must begin each line of comments with a semicolon (;). HOW TO READ LISTINGS IN THIS DOCUMENT ------------------------------------- In this document, settings in SYSTEM.INI are listed alphabetically within the sections that contain them. These sections appear in this document in the following order: [boot] [boot.description] [keyboard] [NonWindowsApp] [standard] [386Enh] The settings will not appear alphabetically in the SYSTEM.INI file. If you want to change a setting, you will have to search for the setting in the appropriate section. Many of the settings explained in this file are rarely needed and will not appear in your SYSTEM.INI file unless you add them yourself. The syntax, purpose, and recommended method for changing each setting appear in the following format: ------------------------------------------------------------ SettingName=<value-type> Default: This is Windows' built-in value for this setting. Purpose: This paragraph briefly describes the function of the setting. To change: This sentence states the recommended method for changing the value of this setting. ------------------------------------------------------------ The <value-type> indicates whether the value should be a number, a letter, a range of numbers, a Boolean value, or something else. If you want to enable a Boolean setting, you can enter: true, yes, on, or 1. If you want the Boolean setting to be disabled, you can enter: false, no, off, or 0. Many settings listed in this document do not normally appear in your SYSTEM.INI file. Most of these settings have a built-in default value that is present whether or not the setting appears in SYSTEM.INI. Setup assigns a value to each setting in the [boot] and [keyboard] sections, and to the Device setting and its synonyms in the [386Enh] section. These settings have no built-in default values. These settings must appear in SYSTEM.INI in order for Windows to function properly, so be careful not to delete them. CHANGING SETTINGS ----------------- Windows created the SYSTEM.INI file when you installed Windows. Many of the settings contained in this file have default values. It may be necessary to change one or more of these values in order to improve the performance of Windows or an application with your system. Most of the values in SYSTEM.INI can be changed only by opening SYSTEM.INI and editing it using a text editor, such as Notepad. (Don't use a formatting editor; it can corruprt your SYSTEM.INI file.) For more information on how to use Notepad, see Chapter 10, "Additional Accessories," in the User's Guide. CAUTION: You should use extreme care when making changes to your SYSTEM.INI file using a text editor. You can disable your system if you edit these files incorrectly. The listings in this document indicate which settings can be changed without opening SYSTEM.INI. Use the recommended method whenever possible. Always back up your SYSTEM.INI file before you open it. WHAT IS IN SYSTEM.INI? ---------------------- The SYSTEM.INI file contains global system information that Windows uses when it starts. Generally, you cannot change these settings through Control Panel. Any changes to the file do not affect Windows until you restart Windows. The following sections can appear in SYSTEM.INI: Section Purpose ------- ------- [boot] Lists drivers and Windows modules. [boot.description] Lists the names of devices you can change using Windows Setup. [keyboard] Contains information about the keyboard. [NonWindowsApp] Contains information used by non-Windows applications. [standard] Contains information used by Windows in standard mode. [386Enh] Contains information used by Windows in 386 enhanced mode. (The listings for this section are in the SYSINI2.TXT and SYSINI3.TXT files.) ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ [BOOT] SECTION The [boot] section contains a list of the drivers and Windows modules that Windows uses to configure itself each time you start it. CAUTION: All settings in this section are required. If you modify or delete one of these settings, Windows might not operate properly. There are no built-in default values for these settings; Setup assigns values based on your system configuration. The [boot] section can contain the following settings: ------------------------------------------------------------ 286grabber=<filename> Default: none Purpose: Specifies the filename of the device driver (called a grabber) that makes a non-Windows application visible when you use Windows in real mode or standard mode. To change: Choose the Windows Setup icon from the Main Group window. This setting changes when you change the Display setting in Setup. If you are installing a device driver that is not included with Windows, run Setup from MS-DOS. ------------------------------------------------------------ 386grabber=<filename> Default: none Purpose: Specifies the filename of the device driver (called a grabber) that makes a non-Windows application visible when you use Windows in 386 enhanced mode. To change: Choose the Windows Setup icon from the Main Group window. This setting changes when you change the display setting in Setup. If you are installing a device driver that is not included with Windows, run Setup from MS-DOS. ------------------------------------------------------------ comm.drv=<filename> Default: none Purpose: Specifies the filename of the serial communications driver you are using. To change: Use Notepad to edit the SYSTEM.INI file. ------------------------------------------------------------ display.drv=<filename> Default: none Purpose: Specifies the filename of the display driver you are using. To change: Choose the Windows Setup icon from the Main Group window. If you are installing a device driver that is not included with Windows, run Setup from MS-DOS. ------------------------------------------------------------ fixedfon.fon=<filename> Default: none Purpose: Specifies the filename of the fixed system font used by Windows version 2.x. This font will still be used by version 2.x applications. To change: Choose the Windows Setup icon from the Main Group window. This setting changes when you change the display setting. If you are installing a device driver that is not included with Windows, run Setup from MS-DOS. ------------------------------------------------------------ fonts.fon=<filename> Default: none Purpose: Specifies the filename of the proportionately spaced system font used by Windows 3.0. To change: Choose the Windows Setup icon from the Main Group window. This setting changes when you change the display setting in Setup. If you are installing a device driver that is not included with Windows, run Setup from MS-DOS. ------------------------------------------------------------ keyboard.drv=<filename> Default: none Purpose: Specifies the filename of the keyboard driver you are using. To change: Choose the Windows Setup icon from the Main Group window. If you are installing a device driver that is not included with Windows, run Setup from MS-DOS. ------------------------------------------------------------ language.dll=<library-name> Default: none Purpose: Specifies the name of the dynamic-link library that supplies language-specific functions. If no language library is specified, Windows uses the built-in U.S. English library. To change: Choose the International icon from the Control Panel window. ------------------------------------------------------------ mouse.drv=<filename> Default: none Purpose: Specifies the filename of the mouse driver you are using. To change: Choose the Windows Setup icon from the Main Group window. If you are installing a device driver that is not included with Windows, run Setup from MS-DOS. ------------------------------------------------------------ network.drv=<filename> Default: none Purpose: Specifies the filename of the network driver you are using. To change: Choose the Windows Setup icon from the Main Group window. If you are installing a device driver that is not included with Windows, run Setup from MS-DOS. ------------------------------------------------------------ oemfonts.fon=<filename> Default: none Purpose: Supplies the name of the font file for the OEM character set. This setting is associated with the display setting. To change: Run Setup from MS-DOS. This setting changes when you change the Languages setting in Setup. ------------------------------------------------------------ shell=<filename> Default: none (Setup initializes this value as PROGMAN.EXE) Purpose: Specifies the Windows program that runs when you start Windows. Unless you change this setting, Program Manager will run when you start Windows. To change: Use Notepad to edit the SYSTEM.INI file. ------------------------------------------------------------ sound.drv=<filename> Default: none Purpose: Specifies the filename of the sound driver you are using. To change: Use Notepad to edit the SYSTEM.INI file. ------------------------------------------------------------ system.drv=<filename> Default: none Purpose: Specifies the filename of the system hardware driver you are using. To change: Exit Windows and run Setup from MS-DOS. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ [BOOT.DESCRIPTION] SECTION The [boot.description] section is simply a list of strings that are used to describe the devices you can change when you run Setup. There is no reason to change these settings. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ [KEYBOARD] SECTION The [keyboard] section provides information about the keyboard. CAUTION: All settings in this section are required. If you modify or delete one of these settings, Windows will not operate properly. There are no built-in default values for these settings; Setup assigns values based on your system configuration. The [keyboard] section can contain the following settings: ------------------------------------------------------------ keyboard.dll=<filename> Purpose: Specifies the name of a dynamic-link library that defines the layout for non-U.S. keyboards and keyboards not compatible with IBM-compatible systems. This setting is required for all keyboards except the following U.S. keyboards: IBM XT, PC/AT (R), or enhanced; AT&T type 301 or 302, Olivetti 83-key. To change: Choose the Windows Setup icon from the Main Group window or the International icon from the Control Panel window. ------------------------------------------------------------ oemansi.bin=<filename> Purpose: Specifies the name of a file that defines OEM/ANSI code-page translation tables for systems not using the U.S. OEM character set (code page 437). To change: Use Notepad to edit the SYSTEM.INI file. ------------------------------------------------------------ subtype=<number> Purpose: Distinguishes, for some drivers, special features for keyboards that otherwise have identical layouts. The following values are defined: Type Subtype Value Value Meaning ----- ------- ------- 1 2 Olivetti M24 83-key or AT&T 6300 type 301 83-key 1 4 AT&T type 302 sometimes used on the 6300 Plus. 2 1 Olivetti 102-key ICO used on M24 systems. This setting can also be used by other drivers. See the following setting (type=) for information about its values. To change: Choose the Windows Setup icon from the Main Group window. ------------------------------------------------------------ type=<number> Purpose: Specifies the keyboard type. It can be any one of the following values: Value Meaning ----- ------------------------------------ 1 IBM PC or XT compatible (83 keys) 2 Olivetti 102-key ICO 3 IBM AT compatible (84 or 86 keys) 4 IBM compatible, enhanced (101 or 102 keys) If this field is blank or missing, the driver selects a default type. For IBM-compatible keyboards (using the keyboard.drv driver), the default type is determined by the BIOS. To change: Choose the Windows Setup icon from the Main Group window. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ [NONWINDOWSAPP] SECTION The [NonWindowsApp] section contains settings that affect the performance of non-Windows applications. The [NonWindowsApp] section can contain the following settings: ------------------------------------------------------------ NetAsynchSwitching=<0-or-1> Default: 0 Purpose: Indicates whether Windows will allow you to switch away from an application (running in real mode or standard mode) after it has made an asynchronous network BIOS call. The default value of 0 specifies that such task switching is not allowed. Switching away from some applications that make these calls might cause your system to fail. Once Windows detects an asynchronous NetBIOS call, it will not allow switching from the application even if no more of these calls are made. Set this value to 1 if you are sure the applications you use will not receive network messages while you are switched away from them. To change: Use Notepad to edit the SYSTEM.INI file. ------------------------------------------------------------ ScreenLines=<number> Default: 25 Purpose: Specifies the number of lines that will be displayed on the screen when a non-Windows application is run. An application that specifies a different screen mode can override this setting. To change: Use Notepad to edit the SYSTEM.INI file. ------------------------------------------------------------ SwapDisk=<drive-colon-directory> Default: (The directory pointed to by the TEMP environment variable; if there is no TEMP variable, then the default is the Windows directory) Purpose: Provides the name of the disk drive and directory to which Windows running in real mode or standard mode swaps non-Windows applications. To change: Use Notepad to edit the SYSTEM.INI file. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ [STANDARD] SECTION The [standard] section contains settings that are specific to running Windows in standard mode. The [standard] section can contain the following settings: ------------------------------------------------------------ Int28Filter=<number> Default: 10 Purpose: Specifies the percentage of INT28h interrupts, generated when the system is idle, that are made visible to software that is loaded before Windows. Windows will reflect every nth interrupt, where n is the value of this setting. Increasing this value might improve Windows' performance, but may interfere with some memory- resident software such as a network. Set this value to 0 to prevent INT28h interrupts. But note that setting this value too low will add to system overhead that might interfere with communications applications. To change: Use Notepad to edit the SYSTEM.INI file. ------------------------------------------------------------ NetHeapSize=<kilobytes> Default: 8 Purpose: Specifies the size (in kilobytes) of the buffer pool that standard-mode Windows allocates in conventional memory for transferring data over a network. Some networks require a larger buffer than the default. Increasing this value will diminish the amount of memory available to applications. If no network software is running, this setting will be ignored and no memory will be allocated. To change: Use Notepad to edit the SYSTEM.INI file. ------------------------------------------------------------ PadCodeSegments=<0-or-1> Default: 0 Purpose: Setting this value to 1 causes Windows kernel to pad code segments with 16 bytes. This will prevent the last instruction in the segment from being too close to the segment limit for 80286 C2 stepping. You only need to set this value to 1 for this 80286 stepping. Unfortunately, there is no easy way of telling what stepping a 80286 chip is. Try setting this value to 1 if your 80286 system hangs in standard mode. To change: Use Notepad to edit the SYSTEM.INI file. ------------------------------------------------------------ ReservedLowMemory=<kilobytes> Default: 0 Purpose: Specifies the amount of conventional memory (in kilobytes) to be reserved for use by programs other than Windows. There is no known reason to change this value. To change: Use Notepad to edit the SYSTEM.INI file. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ NOTE: See the SYSINI2.TXT and SYSINI3.TXT files for the [386Enh] section listings. ---------- PC/AT is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.