VERIFYING STARTUP PROBLEM FIXES

Windows 98 startup and shutdown problems can be the bane of an administrator's life. Standard troubleshooting procedure is to make one change at a time, so that you can eliminate one variable option at a time. That way, you should be able to track down what the change was that finally brought the system back to life.

If you are tracking down a Windows 98 Startup problem, you might want to be able to put the system's original startup files back in place. This establishes a "control" setting, which you can test a solution against. Unfortunately, this technique will not work in situations where the fix modifies other parts of the system, like the registry or Windows system files. However, where changes are required only to startup files, reinstalling the original files could be a great way to "prove" a fix.

To reinstall the original startup files, open the MS Configuration Utility (Msconfig.exe) and click on the General tab. Press the Create Backup button and type in a filename to save the collection of startup files under. Once you have solved your startup problem and want to verify it against the original files, reopen MS Configuration, select the General tab, and click on the Restore Backup button. This will reference the file you created and restore the startup files, allowing you to test your solution.