What Is a Clean Boot for Windows 3.1? |
Q87290
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 <Third-party disk partitioner> <Third-party disk compression driver> <Other third-party driver>
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:\<dir>\HIMEM.SYS SET TEMP=C:\<valid path> <Third-party disk partitioner> <Third-party disk compression driver> <Other third-party drivers> STACKS=9,256 SHELL=C:\<valid path>\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 :
Issue type :
Technology : kbWin3xSearch kbWin310 kbWin311
Last Reviewed: September 18, 1999 |