Microsoft KB Archive/267476

= New Environment Variables in System Configuration Editor Are Not Enabled =

Article ID: 267476

Article Last Modified on 1/27/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition

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This article was previously published under Q267476



SYMPTOMS
When you create a new environment variable in Windows Millennium Edition (Me), if you start the System Configuration Editor (Msconfig.exe), click the Environment tab, and then click to select the check box that corresponds to this variable, when you restart the computer, the new variable is not applied to the MS-DOS environment.



CAUSE
This problem occurs because the registry is not updated correctly with the environment variable information.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem:
 * 1) Create the new entry for the environment using the System Configuration Editor.
 * 2) Click the Environment tab, and then click to select the check box that corresponds to this new entry.
 * 3) Click the General tab, and then click Normal Startup in the Startup selection section.
 * 4) Click OK, and then click Yes to restart the computer.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.



MORE INFORMATION
In Windows Me, you can click Start, click Run, and then enter msconfig.exe to create entries on the Environment tab of the System Configuration Editor.

To create the new entry, click the Environment tab, click New, enter the appropriate information in the Variable Name and Variable Value box, and then click OK. To activate the new environment variable, click to select the corresponding check box for this entry, and then restart the computer so that this value is appropriately migrated to the registry, and then incorporated in the MS-DOS environment.

However, when you restart the computer, the newly created variable is not applied to the MS-DOS environment if you do not select the check box for this newly created entry on the Environment tab of the System Configuration Editor.

In addition, when you restart Windows, you may receive a message that states that the computer is running in Selective Startup mode. Click OK to continue, or click to select the option that dismisses this message when you restart the computer.

If you disabled a previous entry before you created a new environment variable, the System Configuration Editor is already in Selective Startup mode. In this case, create a new entry, but do not click to select the corresponding check box on the Environment tab. If you do not click the select this check box, the environment variable is disabled. When you restart the computer, the variable is then enabled, and no further action is required.

If you enable the environment variable, and then restart the computer, you need to enable to variable again. To do so, run msconfig.exe, click the Environment tab, and then click to select the check box that corresponds to this variable. When you restart the computer, the variable is enabled, and the computer is no longer in Selective Startup mode.

