Anything like "msconfig" in Win2000 ?

F

Frank F.

Hi
Other Windows OS have the useful utility of "msconfig".

Does 2000 have anything like it ???
Thanks Frank
 
J

Jim Byrd

Hi Frank - There are several approaches you can use to make controlling the
Startup process easier in Win2k.

1) If you still have access to it, you can move a copy of the Win98 msconfig
to your \System\ folder and it will work - just ignore any complaints it
makes.

2) Much better, you can go here:

http://www.thetechguide.com/downloads.html (XP Version which works in Win2k
just fine) or here:

http://www.3feetunder.com/files/win2K_msconfig_setup.exe Recommended (stated
to be a Win2k Version - probably the same as the XP) or here:

http://www.techadvice.com/win2000/m/msconfig_w2k.htm and download msconfig.

3) As good, but different, is to go here:
http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml and get Mike Lin's Startup Control
Panel applet. Recommended. A somewhat more difficult to use but more
extensive program to do the same thing is StartupList from here:
http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/index.html, or even better, Autoruns from
here: http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/autoruns.shtml. This one
shows many additional useful/critical Registry entries. Recommended.

Be very careful about doing any Registry modifications directly unless
you're comfortable with this, and be sure that you BACKUP your Registry
before making any changes, so that you can recover if something goes wrong.
Get Erunt here for all NT-based computers including XP:
http://home.t-online.de/home/lars.hederer/erunt/ I've set it up to take a
scheduled backup each night at 12:01AM on a weekly round-robin basis, and a
Monthly on the 1st of each month. See here for how to set that up:
http://home.t-online.de/home/lars.hederer/erunt/erunt.txt, and for some
useful information about this subject. The following tutorials are useful:

Installing & Using ERUNT
http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_eruntuse.html

To see an illustrated registry restore procedure
http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_erdntuse.html


Changes made with StartUpCPL are less likely to cause problems, and are
usually a matter of just re-enabling the particular program. Another
program of this type that I can recommend is StartMan, free. You'll have to
get it here: http://www.pt.lu/comnet/files/utils/startman10396.exe, as the
pcforest site is, sadly, no longer in business. Another such free program
that I can highly recommend is StartupRun, here:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/strun.html, particularly if you suspect malware
problems - it has a lot of useful info including file creation dates. And
finally, StartupCop, here is excellent and allows you to set up multiple
"startup profiles": http://www.pchelp911.com/files/startcop.zip. If you
have problems with suspected hijackers, you can look up and investigate
suspect programs in your StartUp lists here:
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_pages/startup_full.htm (Recommended)
http://www.3feetunder.com/krick/startup/list.html (Recommended)
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm (Recommended)


All work fine for controlling startups, however, I would recommend getting
both of the last two. They're both free, and each has some advantages. For
example, the XP msconfig also gives you some visibility/control over
services, while Mike's applet offers much better startup control.

Also, you should read and print out/save for future reference mskb article
Q179365 here:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q179365 which will
tell you the order in which things get loaded.

Two additional resources which have useful information relating to startup
issues are:

How to Delay Loading of Specific Services
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;193888

HOWTO: Control Device Driver Load Order
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q115/4/86.asp


One last thing - if you want to use msconfig in order to help deal with
"malware" issues, be aware that you can use it to do a "Clean Boot" from
which to better run anti-spyware cleanup tools:

#########IMPORTANT#########
Show hidden files and run all of the following removal tools from Safe mode
or a "Clean Boot" when possible. Reboot and test if the malware is fixed
after using each tool.

HOW TO Enable Hidden Files
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2002092715262339

Clean Boot - General Win2k/XP procedure, but see below for links for other
OS's (This for Win2k w/msconfig - you can obtain msconfig for Win2k here:
http://www.3feetunder.com/files/win2K_msconfig_setup.exe ):

1. StartRun enter msconfig.

2. On the General tab, click Selective Startup, and then clear the 'Process
System.ini File', 'Process Win.ini File', and 'Load Startup Items' check
boxes. Leave the 'boot.ini' boxes however they are currently set.

3. In the Services tab, check the "Hide All Microsoft Services" checkbox,
and then click the "Disable All" button. If you use a third party firewall
then re-check (enable) it. For example, if you use Zone Alarm, re-check the
True Vector Internet Monitor service (and you may also want to re-check
(enable) the zlclient on the Startup tab.) Equivalent services exist for
other third party firewalls. An alternative to this for XP users is to
enable at this time the XP native firewall (Internet Connection Firewall -
ICF). Be sure to turn it back off when you re-enable your non-MS services
and Startup tab programs and restore your normal msconfig configuration
after cleaning your machine.

4. Click OK and then reboot.

For additional information about how to clean boot your operating system,
click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
310353 How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353
281770 How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281770/EN-US/
267288 How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows Millennium Edition
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/267288/EN-US/
192926 How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/192926/EN-US/
243039 How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows 95
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/243039/EN-US/
#########IMPORTANT#########

Perhaps this will help.
 
B

Bruce Chambers

Frank said:
Hi
Other Windows OS have the useful utility of "msconfig".

Does 2000 have anything like it ???
Thanks Frank


No, there isn't. MSConfig is/was a Win98/Me utility, brought back
in WinXP, which is also targeted at the home consumer market. There is
no equivalent utility included with Win95/WinNT/Win2K.

In most cases, one need only open the offending program and
deselect the option to "display icon in the system tray" or to "start
when Windows starts."

To view the list of your start up programs, look in the
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Start Up and
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Start Up folders,
and in the system registry, primarily in the
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run keys. These can also
be viewed, if I remember correctly, by right-clicking My Computer,
selecting "Manage" and expanding System Tools-- System Information --
Software Environment -- Startup Programs. To prevent any of them from
starting at login, you'll have to delete shortcuts from the startup
folder(s) and/or edit the registry. I should point out that, in order
to make such system modifications requires one to have administrative
privileges to the machine in question. I should also point out that one
should not even consider editing the registry unless he is fully
confident that he knows exactly what is going to happen as a result of
each and every change.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
A

Art

On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 17:11:40 -0700, "Jim Byrd"

<snip a bunch of good stuff>

Hi Jim. Another tool I like is TrojanFindInfo from Kasperky Lab in
Russia:

ftp://ftp.kaspersky.com/utils/trojans/

Advanced users should have no difficulty with the RAR fie download.
And don't be concerned that the Readme is in Russian. The program
itself has English text.

In addition to the main page which shows started processes and
modules, there are two other selections under the View menu. One is
Trojan Startup (registry and other startup axis items), and the other
is Check Ports (to see internet port activity).

I like the fact that there is no install. The entire program is just
one 160 KB .EXE file.

It's a good idea to record/memorize your normal startup axis. Then a
util like this will make much spyware/malware obvious and easy to
manually remove for the advanced user. And that's one area where the
various selective startup control tools you outlined are handy as
well.

Art

http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
J

Jim Byrd

Hi Art - That's an interesting tool and I'm adding it to my "chest". :)
However, I'm a little concerned about the possibility of a naive user doing
damage with it without some detailed guidance, since it exposes some pretty
fundamental stuff on the same page with a Delete button.

BTW, I'd like to publically thank you for your Updaters - they are very
useful and the one for SysClean has been a standard recommendation in my
Blog. (I just wish it handled the Controlled Pattern Release I discuss
there as an Option. Hint! Hint! :) ) However, I find that it's no
longer listed on your page nor downloadable from the link I was using. I've
currently substituted an alternate link for the moment. Have you pulled
this down? If not, could you post or email me (remove spaces: jrbyrd @
adelphia.net) appropriate download links to use for the program and for any
writeup since I'll need to update that Blog to represent the current state
of affairs. Thanks,
 
D

David H. Lipman

From: "Jim Byrd" <[email protected]>

| Hi Art - That's an interesting tool and I'm adding it to my "chest". :)
| However, I'm a little concerned about the possibility of a naive user doing
| damage with it without some detailed guidance, since it exposes some pretty
| fundamental stuff on the same page with a Delete button.
|
| BTW, I'd like to publically thank you for your Updaters - they are very
| useful and the one for SysClean has been a standard recommendation in my
| Blog. (I just wish it handled the Controlled Pattern Release I discuss
| there as an Option. Hint! Hint! :) ) However, I find that it's no
| longer listed on your page nor downloadable from the link I was using. I've
| currently substituted an alternate link for the moment. Have you pulled
| this down? If not, could you post or email me (remove spaces: jrbyrd @
| adelphia.net) appropriate download links to use for the program and for any
| writeup since I'll need to update that Blog to represent the current state
| of affairs. Thanks,
|
| --
| Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP
| My, Blog Defending Your Machine, here:
| http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

Jim:

You could tru my variation on Art's SysUp. Instead of being written in a 16bit compiler, it
is written using the Kixtart script interpreter. This allows full interaction with the
Registry and OS.

The Trend Sysclean version...
http://www.ik-cs.com/programs/virtools/Sysclean_FE.exe

The McAfee Command Line Scanner version...
http://www.ik-cs.com/programs/virtools/clean.exe

The Multi-AV version which is menu driven and provides; Mcafee, Trend and Sophos Command
Line Scanners.
http://www.ik-cs.com/programs/virtools/Multi_AV.exe

Each self extracting ZIP file has a helpfule PDF file.


I had written the McAfee version a while ago and when Art changed his web page I emulated
his version of Trend Sysclean. Recently I added Sophos and combined Trend Sysclean and the
Sophos and McAfee Command Line Scanners.

Since it is written in a 32bit interpreted language, it can be easily modified for new
threats. Before downloading the needed files, the scipts will; make sure the there is no
hosts file, make sure the "DataBasePath" hasn't been altered from
%SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc and fushes then DNS cache. It will also make sure there
is no malware chaining off Explorer.exe in the Registry "shell" location. The script will
also detect if it is being executed in Safe Mode or Normal Mode.

In Win9x/ME it will perform simililar checks and process WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI.

In addition each script has a "kill process" procedure. Each script version has a file
called "killproc.txt". The objective is to append the list with the name of an executable
file like; RUNDLL32.EXE. Before a scan is performed in each script, "killproc.txt" will
be parsed for the list of EXE files and successively kill each running process providing the
scanners greater efficacy.
 
A

Art

Hi Art - That's an interesting tool and I'm adding it to my "chest". :)
However, I'm a little concerned about the possibility of a naive user doing
damage with it without some detailed guidance, since it exposes some pretty
fundamental stuff on the same page with a Delete button.

Advanced users only :)
BTW, I'd like to publically thank you for your Updaters - they are very
useful and the one for SysClean has been a standard recommendation in my
Blog. (I just wish it handled the Controlled Pattern Release I discuss
there as an Option. Hint! Hint! :) ) However, I find that it's no
longer listed on your page nor downloadable from the link I was using. I've
currently substituted an alternate link for the moment. Have you pulled
this down? If not, could you post or email me (remove spaces: jrbyrd @
adelphia.net) appropriate download links to use for the program and for any
writeup since I'll need to update that Blog to represent the current state
of affairs. Thanks,

I had lost interest in doing updaters. The one for Trend's SysClean is
long gone ... lost in the shuffle of purchasing a couple of new
machines and installing Win 2K pro. I have salvaged and recently
revised the F-Prot for DOS updater, since a user sweet talked me into
it :) But I look at it as stuff of the dim past. I have no need for
any of it myself.

It's quite easy to write a batch file for simple updating chores using
Wget. You use the -N switch to have it only download if the file is
newer than the one in the folder.

Sorry, but I'm not going to let myself get schnookered into putting up
a new SysClean updater :) The guy on the virus newsgroups who has been
active with helping users along these lines is David Lipman. I think
he might have something. Check with him.

Art

http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
J

Jim Byrd

Hi David - OK, that sound pretty good. I'd already included
Sysclean_FE.exe
in the SysClean section of the Blog, and I'll take a look at the others.
I suspect from your descriptions that they might want their own separate
section, but let me take a look. Thanks very much for the input - as you
can tell, keeping that Blog up-to-date is a very non-trivial process, and I
really appreciate any help I can get. LOL
 
D

David H. Lipman

From: "Jim Byrd" <[email protected]>

| Hi David - OK, that sound pretty good. I'd already included
| Sysclean_FE.exe
| in the SysClean section of the Blog, and I'll take a look at the others.
| I suspect from your descriptions that they might want their own separate
| section, but let me take a look. Thanks very much for the input - as you
| can tell, keeping that Blog up-to-date is a very non-trivial process, and I
| really appreciate any help I can get. LOL
|
| --
| Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP
| My, Blog Defending Your Machine, here:
| http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/
|

Cool Jim.

Any feedback would be *greatly* appreciated. Especially if you have any ideas that can be
scripted to improve the efficacy of the respective scanners.

Art has been a great inspiration and I can't say enough good things about him and his past
work ! ;-)
 
A

Art

Art has been a great inspiration and I can't say enough good things about him and his past
work ! ;-)

How good of you to say that, David! "Attaboys" are few and far between
in the roughhouse of newsgroups.

You certainly deserve some "attaboys" for all the time and effort
you've put into helping people. Keep up the good work!

Art

http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
D

David H. Lipman

From: "Art" <[email protected]>

| On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:26:45 -0400, "David H. Lipman"
|
| How good of you to say that, David! "Attaboys" are few and far between
| in the roughhouse of newsgroups.
|
| You certainly deserve some "attaboys" for all the time and effort
| you've put into helping people. Keep up the good work!
|
| Art
|
| http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg

Thanx Art. That's *greatly* appreciated especially in the light of all the Troll attacks I
get.
 

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