How to perform clean boot in windows xp

Back to the top. Clean-boot troubleshooting is designed to isolate a performance problem. To perform clean-boot troubleshooting, you must take a number of actions, and then restart the computer after each action to test whether the action resolved the problem. The clean-boot troubleshooting protocol involves the following steps: 1. Restart in Safe mode or in Safe mode with networking support 2. Remove unsigned drivers 3. Remove registry entries 4. Test user profiles 5.

Turn off third-party services 6. Remove programs Back to the top How to restart in Safe mode or in Safe mode with networking support To troubleshoot potential environmental issues, first restart your computer in Safe mode or in Safe mode with networking support.

If the issue is with a program that does not depend on network connectivity, Safe mode is appropriate. If the issue is with a network program, and you are using a network adapter to connect to a network, Safe mode with networking support may permit you to test the networking program, including browser issues.

Note You cannot use Safe mode with networking support when you use a modem or a PC Card connection to a network because modem drivers and PC Card drivers do not load in Safe mode or in Safe mode with networking support. If you start the computer in Safe mode or in Safe mode with networking support, and you can perform an operation that you previously experienced problems with, the issue is most likely environmental.

For additional information about the System Configuration utility, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: How to troubleshoot by using the Msconfig utility in Windows XP.

At least one driver or service failed to start For additional information about troubleshooting startup issues in Windows XP, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP. Keywords: kbenv kberrmsg kbhowtomaster kbsetup kbtshoot KB Back to the top.

Contact Us. Article ID. How to restart in Safe mode or in Safe mode with networking support. Click Start followed by Run. Click OK. Begin by selecting the Process System. Click OK followed by Restart. If the problem re-appears, it means the cause lies with an entry in your System. Windows 7: What are the system recovery options in Windows? This is similar to starting Windows in Safe Mode , but provides you more control over which services and programs run at startup to help you isolate the cause of a problem.

These steps might look complicated at first glance, but following them in order, step-by-step, will help you get you back on track. Use the following steps to perform a clean boot in Windows Perform a clean boot for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8. Sign in to the computer as an administrator. If you don't have an administrator account, you can create one. Create a local user or administrator account in Windows In the search box on the taskbar, type msconfig and select System Configuration from the results.

Important If the computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might prevent you from following these steps. Only use the System Configuration utility to change the advanced boot options on the computer with guidance from a Microsoft support engineer. Using the System Configuration utility might make the computer unusable.

Under Startup in Task Manager , for each startup item, select the item and then select Disable. When you restart the computer, it's in a clean boot environment. Follow troubleshooting steps to install, uninstall, or run your application. Your computer might temporarily lose some functionality while in a clean boot environment. Reset the computer to start normally after clean boot troubleshooting and resume functionality. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then select Search.

Type msconfig in the search box, and then select msconfig. Select Startup in Task Manager, then for each startup item, select the item and then select Disable.

The computer restarts in a clean boot environment. Your computer might temporarily lose some functionality while in a clean boot environment, however that functionality will return.

Finish troubleshooting and reset the computer to start normally. Select Start , type msconfig. Note If you're prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. On the General tab, select Selective startup , and then deselect Load startup items.

The Use Original Boot. On the Services tab, select Hide all Microsoft services , and then select Disable all. Note This step lets Microsoft services continue to run. If you disable these services, you might permanently delete all restore points. Do not do this if you want to use the System Restore utility together with existing restore points.

Select OK , and then select Restart. After you restart the computer, you'll have a clean boot environment. Then, do one of the following, as appropriate for your situation:. Note If you receive the "The Windows Installer service could not be accessed" error during the installation or uninstallation, you'll need more information.

How to start the Windows Installer service when system services are not loaded. Then install or uninstall the program or update again. If the installation or uninstallation is successful, you issue is resolved and you can start as you usually do. How to reset the computer to start as usual. If the installation or uninstallation still fails, that means this issue is not caused by application or service interference. You mght need to contact the program manufacturer for more specific support.

If the program runs correctly, this issue is caused by application or service interferences. You can find out which application or service is causing the issue. How to determine what is causing the issue by performing a clean boot If the program still doesn't run as expected, this issue is not caused by application or service interference. You might need to contact the program manufacturer for more specific support.

If your problem does not occur while the computer is in a clean boot environment, then you can determine which startup application or service is causing the problem by systematically turning them on or off and restarting the computer. While turning on a single service or startup item and rebooting each time will eventually find the problematic service or application, the most efficient way to do this is to test half of them at a time, thus eliminating half of the items as the potential cause with each reboot of the computer.

You can then repeat this process until you've isolated the problem. Here's how:.