Tuesday Tech Bench:: Using MSCONFIG to your advantage

The Tech Bench is an article series targeting the IT professionals who fix the everyday problems we all see. There may be information here that confuses the typical computer user. Consider yourself warned.

Often times, people have too many programs on their computers, or they install so much on their computers that startup is agonizingly slow. Fear not, for there is a fix for this feisty fiend!

MSCONFIG, commonly known as the "System Configuration Utility," has been a utility available in Windows since the Windows 95/98 era, providing a way to modify startup values for many kinds of system elements. The application has been hidden, though; you cannot find the application in the Start Menu directly. The most important part of this tool is the ability to modify commonly used startup programs, or analyze if a system has been compromise by spyware or viruses.

Running MSCONFIG can be done from Start / Run, or Win + R keystrokes on a Windows machine. When the Run window appears, entering MSCONFIG will cause the utility to appear. The tab of importance is aptly named "Startup."


By unchecking elements in this list, you can control exactly what starts automatically on your computer, and make your computer run just a little bit faster.

When you apply the changes and restart your computer, MSCONFIG will start automatically with the system and ask if you'd like to continue making any changes. This is an expected behavior, and you can tell the utility to not start with a checkbox in that dialog window.

This utility is very helpful in any technical environment, and almost a necessary tool for any tech bench!