BigDogBigFeet BigDogBigFeet

Where oh where is my msconfig.exe?

▼

Where oh where is my msconfig.exe?

Do I still have it and it's been hidden by an installed app or is something else going on?

from WinCustomize Forums

Hi all, 

Well as a result of Po's thread Virtual Memory Question I've discovered that when I click on start, run and type in msconfig and press enter ...... nothing happens.  I fired up explorer and searched my windows sub, no go and did a system Search twice and again no go.  Did some web searching and discovered one of 2 possibilities an installed app has it hidden from my through a system key setting or in the worst case malware.  At present I'm not suspecting malware.  System has no other problems currently and it's possible any of these progs could have it hidden: Ad-Aware 2007 Free, SpyBot Search and Destroy (I'm new to both of these) I also have Tune-Up Utilities 2006 and please don't gasp, Norton System Works(well mostly, lol).

Anywho, I thought I'd post to see if anyone has some insight as to what's caused this and what Reg Key(s) might be involved.  I'm thinking that's probably what's happened.

308,518 views 157 replies
Reply #126 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Ok.. To who it concerns..The problem is Icon Packager


I reformatted and reinstalled everything, including the pre-release beta stuff. The only I haven't installed is SDC. I have no problems with msconfig or anything else. I installed everything through Impulse.

So, I have to ask. I run XP, are you two running Vista? If not, why hasn't it messed mine up again?
Reply #127 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well that's the mystery Po'. I'm running XP SP2 and because I don't want to spend alot more time sorting out what's what by re-installing everything I had before, I'm gonna wait till later in the week. It's entirely possible there was a bad install (bad XML?) that affected a number of users or some other installation problem. It's certainly fits how my system was behaving. Like the registry keys had issues. It got to the point that msconfig would autoload on every boot and show up in the process viewer only. Also, my system had memory leak issues to the tune of 150MB of ram on a fresh boot. My system is stable again so I'm going to leave well enough alone.

Curtains - Customize Windows with additional styles
Reply #128 from WinCustomize Forums Top
XP sp2
Reply #129 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I just ran msconfig from the run command line and it popped right up, I also have Impulsed installed

vista 32 home edition SP1
Reply #130 from JoeUser Forums Top
John -

I installed Impulse on only one of the 3 XP rigs, on either 3-18 or 3-19, one with IP 3.20.128 - got an "Installation Successful" message, left the "Launch Impulse now box ticked & it immediately crashed on clicking the OK button. Haven't been able to get it installed on that rig since (same issue each time) and haven't attempted it on the other two.

I just double-checked and the machine on which I first encountered the missing msconfig UI actually has IP 3.11.105 & WB 6.00[b].099 installed (my wife's rig - she gets twitchy when I touch it ;) - her computer, that is). That rig has not seen Impulse yet.
Reply #131 from WinCustomize Forums Top
(my wife's rig - she gets twitchy when I touch it


What are we talking about here?  ;p 

Well, perhaps someone at SD can elighten us on monday..?

werewolf.. do u have IP installed?
Reply #132 from WinCustomize Forums Top
(my wife's rig - she gets twitchy when I touch it


What are we talking about here?


 :LOL:  :LOL: 

I, for one, completely overlooked Icon Developer. The time frame is 'right' and it's associated with IP. I'm having no problems on any of my machines (even the ones I tried to replicate the problem on), but I just noticed (for whatever reason) I didn't install the newest ID (Freudian maybe). I still don't know why or where this Vista file reference is coming from...oye. I'd install new ID, but it's almost Monday.....let the Stardockian brain trust figure it out. Maybe while they're at it, they'll replenish the hamster herd in the server cage.

All and all...it's been a real fuckin' hoot (more for some then others, hey John?).
Reply #133 from WinCustomize Forums Top
lol.. yeah I just love problem solving..  X-( 

For what it's worth.. I didn't have ID installed.. just IP.
Reply #134 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I didn't have ID installed


doh!!!!

Well, this will make Zubazski happy........

I give up. X-( 
Reply #135 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I didn't have ID installed


doh!!!!

Well, this will make Zubazski happy........

I give up. X-( 
Reply #136 from WinCustomize Forums Top
/me smiles   . .but with little joy.
Reply #137 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You didn't have to give up twice my friend  :LOL: 

Maybe the Stardockians can work on the forums while their working on this.. get it all working, Forums have been dodgy all weekend. :NOTSURE: 

Reply #138 from WinCustomize Forums Top
i restored IP to the latest stable version, everything is back to normal again, no reformatting needed. I don't blame stardock for this what so ever as i chose to install the 3.90 IP beta and this is sometimes what happens with beta software. I'll just wait now until
the stable release is up and running. :)
Reply #139 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I don't reallly blame em either.. It's good that its been sorted out to some extent tho. :) 
Reply #140 from WinCustomize Forums Top
One of my favorite quotes:
 "Nothing on earth is forcing you to install the beta versions. It can get rough on the bleeding edge. " -- Kris Kwilas, 'Essays on Mind and Matter'
Reply #141 from WinCustomize Forums Top
one of mine is.. There's no excuse for ignorance.. I didn't even know it was a beta.
Reply #142 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well no more problems here except I ran out of activations ...

Someone get me reset so I can get my new partition finished for the final SP1 release.

Thank you... heelllp.....!!!!!!!!!

 :LOL: 

SGT :HOT: 
Reply #143 from WinCustomize Forums Top
IP4 was an alpha. It is the only application I removed after I noticed I couldnt run MSconfig,Ms paint or defragmentor. I still have Impulse ,and WB installed but I never installed the one in impulse. Now that I have removed IP4 alpha everythings fine.

I downloaded it knowing the risks and took a chance, fortunately I lucked out in resolving it.
Reply #144 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yrag - good thing you don't do Linux troubleshooting. You probably would pull your hair out!
Reply #145 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thank you Kris Wilas for helping me out!
Now I can persue my work again this evening as planned.

SGT :HOT: 
Reply #146 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm wondering if this isn't a bug in the OS. I recall now I had exactly the same problem with MSPaint on a prior Win2k machine. I'd click on Paint's icon multiple times but no UI would appear, and I'd find multiple instances of mspaint.exe running in TaskManager. That was my then-current WB development rig and I abandoned MSPaint as my .bmp editor at the time for that reason. I hunted around on a few of the MS tech forums at the time & found others having a similar problem but I never came across a solution or fix. I realize SD apps were installed, but that was a long time ago, in an OS far far away. ;)
Reply #147 from WinCustomize Forums Top
So far what I've found is, at least on my machine, the most likely cause was the beta install of IP4. I've been able to reinstall the latest WB beta and Impulse beta without problems but, attempting to re-install IP4 brought the problems back. Including memory leak issues of about 150MB's after a few days. Rolled back to IP 3.2 and no problems.
Reply #148 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Only fly in that ointment is that IP 3.20 is on one of the affected rigs and 3.11 on another; neither have seen any higher versions & neither have seen Impulse.
Reply #149 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I finally got around to installing SDC. It asked if I wanted to update IP. I did, with the beta. Lost msconfig, defrag, snag-it. It was IconPackager 3.99.[b].047. I immediately uninstalled it and everything went back to normal.

I hope they fix this before it comes out for release. This is the first and only time I have ever had a problem with any SD software or beta's for that matter.
Reply #150 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I finally got around to installing SDC. It asked if I wanted to update IP. I did, with the beta. Lost msconfig, defrag, snag-it. It was IconPackager 3.99.[b].047. I immediately uninstalled it and everything went back to normal.


I experioenced the exact same thing. I have no system issues running IP3.2 and all my system problems return when trying to run IP4. I sent an email to support last weekend regarding this and I got a response it was being forwarded to the Dev's.