Can't find MSCONFIG/task mgr grayed out

Where it says, "X:\I386" you need to replace the X with the correct drive letter for your optical drive.

now I get can't open input file d:\i386 etc. I can see the file at d:\i386

now I get can't open input file d:\i386 etc. I can see the file at d:\i386

What is it you are trying to do? The command you should be entering is:

EXPAND -R d:\I386\MSCONFIG.EX_c:\WINDOWS\PCHEALTH\HELPCTR\BINARIES

I'm trying to follow the Kelley fix. Using EXPAND -R d:\I386\MSCONFIG.EX_c:\WINDOWS\PCHEALTH\HELPCTR\BINARIES I get the following: "can't open input file: d:\I386\MSCONFIG.EX_c:\WINDOWS\PCHEALTH\HELPCTR\BINARIES" What now?

OK I was finally able to get Kelley's fix to run. But I still can't run msconfig from the run box. It says windows can't find msconfig. Usually, when my cpu is at 100% the hog is firefox. Why is that? Even when I am not at 100% cpu, programs load very slowly.

I am afraid I don't know why you are having such problems. How much free disk space do you have? RAM? And how is your page file configured?

i have about 5 gig left on a 40 gig drive, 1gig of ram, system managed page file currently at 1535

Well 5 Gig is not a lot. And a Windows managed page file means it is constantly expanding and contracting as needed. I would suspect that 5 gig is pretty fragmented too.

I would uninstall any programs you don't need to free up some space, then clean out all the clutter to rid system of thousands of temporary files. Note that deleting cookies will force the manual entry of user names and passwords for sites requiring them on your next visit, so make sure you know them. Use one of the following methods:

• ATF Cleaner 3 is a tiny, simple, easy to use, temporary file cleaner for Windows, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Opera users.
  
  
• CCleaner is a popular tool for more advanced users. During installation, uncheck the option to install the Yahoo toolbar. Before first use, check Options > Settings and ensure Only delete files in Windows Temp folders older than 48 hours is unchecked. CCleaner's Issues section is also an excellent Registry cleaner, but as with any Registry cleaner or editing tool, it should only be used with extreme caution by experienced users. I recommend you create a System Restore point, and you should always backup the Registry before making any changes. Be sure to follow CCleaner’s prompts to make the necessary backup. You can configure CCleaner to leave cookies from the trusted sites you visit often.
  
  
• To delete temporary and no longer needed files (including old System Restore points) with Windows Disk Cleanup:
  
  
  • In My Computer, right click on drive, then select Properties > Disk Cleanup,
  • When Disk Cleanup calculation is complete, check the desired Files to delete boxes - uncheck Compress old files unless you are very low on disk space (Note: Highlighting each entry will reveal a description of items being deleted),
  • Optional - Remove all System Restore points, except the most recent
    
  • Click the More Options Tab,
  • Under System Restore, click Clean up… to remove all but the most recent restore points, then follow prompts to complete action,
• Click OK and follow prompts to complete and exit Disk Cleanup.

NOTE Some files cannot be deleted while Windows is running. They will be marked for deletion at next boot. Expect the computer to take longer to boot up the first time after cleaning with one of the above utilities.

TIP - Delete all Temporary Internet Files and Cookies before scanning for malware on your hard drives. It is counterproductive to defrag with 1000s of tiny temporary files on the drives, and a waste of time during scans.

ok increased my disk space to 8.5 gig. What should the page file be set at?

There no easy answer for that and if you ask 10 experts you will likely get 10 answers.

But here's my take (canned text) on that:

If possible, move Page File to a second drive. Not only will it free up some disk space, but it should give a little performance boost too as it frees up some of the duties of your boot drive.

Ideally, you want set up the page file on an empty drive so that it will be the first thing on the drive. If not possible, then it is not a big deal.

To move your Page File, follow these procedures:

Defrag the new drive
Right click on My Computer > Properties
Click on the Advanced Tab, then under the Performance section, click on Settings
Click on the Advanced Tab, then under Virtual Memory, click on the Change button.

Click on the C drive to highlight it, and click on No Paging file, then click on Set.

IMPORTANT: If you don't click the "Set" button, it won't set!

Now click on the drive where you want the Page File and here you have a choice. Either select System Managed Size or Custom size. XP actually does pretty well if you let it manage the Page File, as long as it is a large drive with lots of free space. I'm old school so I prefer to manage it myself. In some cases, the variable size Page File in Windows managed systems has contributed to fragmentation problems, especially on a crowded disk. So I use a "fixed" size page file by setting the initial and maximum size to the same value.

I start by setting mine using the old tried-and-true formula of 1.5 times the RAM amount for both Initial and Maximum size. For example, if you have 1Gb of RAM, that's really 1024Mb. 1024 X 1.5 = 1534Mb. Enter your choice then hit Set, and OK, OK, OK.

Then reboot.

Note above I said, I start by using the 1.5 X RAM formula. If you have lots of RAM, say more than 1Gb, then the OS/CPU will have lots of room to work with, and will not need to hit the slow hard drive's page file very often. This means you may be able to reduce the size to 1Gb, or even 512Mb. Windows expects to find a Page File so you cannot eliminate it. And exceeding the 1.5 to 1 ratio is only necessary with very small amounts of RAM; 256Mb or less.

The only correct way to determine the size needed for your PF is to check your memory usage in Task Manager after you have used your computer through a typical "session". Start Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt Delete) and click on the Performance tab. Look at the Commit Charge (K) section.

Total = amount of memory system is currently using
Limit = RAM + Page File
Peak = the maximum amount of memory your system has used since last reboot

For computers with plenty of RAM, if the peak never exceeds the amount of RAM installed, then a Page File isn't even needed! However, Windows expects to find a PF, and if none present, it will create a new one. Therefore, all computers must have a PF, but for most folks with lots of RAM (say 1 - 2Gb or more) it can sure be smaller than 1.5 X RAM. With 1Gb of RAM, I start at no more than 1024Mb (1Gb) for the initial and 1024 for the max. Then use the computer and keep an eye on the Peak. If it starts bumping up close to the Limit, you may have to increase it a bit.

For computers with less than 512Mb, and low free disk space, proper PF setup is very critical. Setting both the same size sets a "fixed" size Page File. Again, I would set to 1024 for both values, then watch the Peak values, adjust as necessary. Too little will cause low memory errors, too much wastes valuable disk space.

Having said all that, with small amounts of RAM, the hard drive will always be taking a beating - increasing wear and tear, and adding to heat concerns within the case. I urge you to increase your RAM - preferably to 1Gb (although 512Mb would still be good). This will greatly improve over-all performance, including your graphics processing, and it will ease some of the burden on your drive.

all that's done. I still can't run msconfig from the run command.

are you still with me?

I'm here but out of ideas now.

Thanks, anyway. Let me know if you come up with anything.

Hopefully someone else reading will have some ideas.