Introduction To help you diagnose error messages or other problems for unknown reasons, you should disable common startup programs, settings, and drivers when you start Microsoft Windows XP to eliminate possible software conflicts. This process is called a "clean boot." This article describes how to perform a clean boot, how to start the Windows Installer service, and how to restore your system from a clean boot state.
Note: Some functions may be temporarily lost after performing a clean boot as described. If you restore the settings, you can restore the feature, but you may receive the original error message or encounter a suspicious phenomenon.
How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP
Note: You must be logged in as a member of the Administrators or Administrators group to perform these steps. If your computer is connected to the network, network policy settings may also prevent you from performing these steps.
1. Click "Start", click "Run", type msconfig in the "Open" box, and then click "OK".
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. The "Use original BOOT.INI" check box cannot be cleared.
3. On the Services tab, select the Hide all Microsoft services check box, and then click Disable All.
4. Click "OK" and then "Restart" to restart your computer.
5. After starting Windows, determine if the symptoms still appear.
Note: Look carefully at the General tab and make sure the cleared checkbox is still cleared. If none of these check boxes are selected, proceed to step 6. If you only disable the Load System Services check box, the computer has not performed a clean boot. If the other checkboxes are disabled and the issue is still not resolved, you can ask for help from the manufacturer of the program (which rechecks the checkbox for Msconfig).
If these check boxes are unchecked and the issue is still not resolved, you may need to repeat steps 1 through 5, and you may also need to clear the Load System Services check box on the General tab. This temporarily disables Microsoft services (such as networking services, Plug and Play services, event logging services, and error reporting services) and permanently removes all restore points for the System Recovery utility. Do not do this if you want to preserve restore points for system recovery or if you must use Microsoft services to detect problems.
6. Click "Start", click "Run", type msconfig in the "Open" box, and then click "OK".
7. On the General tab, select the Process SYSTEM.INI file check box, click OK, and then click Restart to restart your computer. If the issue still occurs, the issue is related to the items in the System.ini file. If this problem no longer occurs, repeat this step for the Process WIN.INI File, Load Launcher, and Load System Services check boxes, respectively, until the problem occurs. After the problem occurs, the last item you choose is the item in question.
Note: Microsoft strongly recommends that you do not use the System Configuration Utility to modify the Boot.ini file on your computer without the guidance of a Microsoft support specialist. Modifying this file may render your computer unusable. How to Start the Windows Installer Service
Note: If you disable Load System Services, the Windows Installer service will not start. To use Windows Installer in this situation, you must manually start the service: 1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage. 2. In the left pane, click Services and Applications, and then click Services. 3. In the right pane, right-click Windows Installer, and then click Start. If you run the installer but do not manually start the Windows Installer, you may receive the following error message:
The Windows Installer service could not be Accessed. Contact your support personnel to verify that the Windows Installer service is properly registered.
How to return from a clean boot state 1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK. 2. On the General tab, click Normal Startup - Load All Device Drivers and Services. 3. Click "OK". When you are prompted to restart your computer, click Restart.