Article: Q93457
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 3.x Retail Product
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.1
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s):
Last Modified: 23-SEP-1999
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.1
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SUMMARY
=======
The following information was taken from the Microsoft Windows for Workgroups
version 3.1 SYSINI.WRI file. This article contains the first half of the
SYSINI.WRI file.
MORE INFORMATION
================
SYSTEM.INI File Settings
------------------------
Windows initialization files contain information that defines your
Windows environment. Windows for Workgroups and Windows-based
applications can use the information stored in these files to
configure themselves to meet your needs and preferences.
There are two standard Windows initialization files:
- WIN.INI, which primarily contains settings that Windows for
Workgroups maintains to customize your Windows for Workgroups
environment according to your preferences.
- SYSTEM.INI, which primarily contains settings that customize
Windows for Workgroups to meet your system's hardware needs.
This document describes only a few of the settings in the SYSTEM.INI
file. You can get a more complete listing of the SYSTEM.INI settings
by purchasing the Windows for Workgroups Resource Kit for the
Microsoft Windows Operating System version 3.1. The Resource Kit
provides complete technical information about Windows for Workgroups
for the support professional. It includes a technical reference manual
and a disk containing helpful utilities, system resource-viewers,
drivers, and accessories.
To order the Resource Kit within the United States, call (800)
642-7676.
To order outside of the United States, dial the phone number for your
area. You can find this number on the International Subsidiary card.
Format of the SYSTEM.INI File
-----------------------------
The SYSTEM.INI file contains several sections, each of which consists
of a group of related settings. The sections and settings are listed
in the SYSTEM.INI file in the following format:
[section name]
SettingName=value
In this example, [section name] is the name of a section. The
enclosing brackets ([ ]) are required, and the left bracket must be in
the leftmost column on the screen.
The SettingName=value statement defines the value of each setting. A
setting name consists of any combination of letters and digits in
uppercase or lowercase, and it must be followed immediately by an
equal sign (=). The value of the setting can be an integer, a letter,
a Boolean value, a string, or a quoted string, depending on the
setting. There are multiple settings in most sections.
You can include comments in initialization files. You must begin each
line of a comment with a semicolon (;).
How to Read the Listings in This Document
-----------------------------------------
In this document, settings in SYSTEM.INI are listed alphabetically
within sections. However, the settings do not appear alphabetically in
the SYSTEM.INI file. To change a setting, you need to search for it in
the appropriate section.
The syntax, default value, and purpose appear in the following format.
SettingName=<value>
Default: The Windows for Workgroups default value for this setting or
the value that is used if the setting is not present in your
SYSTEM.INI file.
Purpose: A brief description of the function of the setting.
<value> indicates whether the value should be an integer, a letter, a
range of numbers, a Boolean value, or something else. If you want to
enable a Boolean setting, you can set the value to: True, Yes, On, or
1. If you want to disable the Boolean setting, you can set the value
to: False, No, Off, or 0.
Changing Settings
-----------------
When the Setup program creates the SYSTEM.INI file, it assigns default
values to many of the settings. Other settings have values that
correspond to the type of hardware you are using.
Some settings listed in this document do not usually appear in your
SYSTEM.INI file. Most of these settings have a built-in default value
that is present whether or not the setting appears in SYSTEM.INI. You
might need to change one or more of these values to improve the
performance of Windows for Workgroups or applications with your
system.
To change the values of the settings described in "[Network] Section
Settings" in this document, use the Network option in Control Panel.
For more information about changing your network settings, see Help
for Control Panel and Chapter 9, "Customizing Windows for Workgroups,"
in the "Microsoft Windows for Workgroups User's Guide."
To change the values of the rest of the settings described in this
document, open the SYSTEM.INI file and edit it by using a text editor,
such as Notepad. Do not use a formatting editor, such as Write or a
word processor in document mode; it can corrupt your SYSTEM.INI file.
For more information on how to use Notepad, see Help for Notepad.
Any changes you make to SYSTEM.INI settings do not take effect until
you restart Windows for Workgroups.
Caution: Do not change any settings that are not described in this
document. If you need to change additional settings, refer to the
Windows for Workgroups Resource Kit. Always back up your SYSTEM.INI
file before you change any of its settings. That way, you can restore
the original file if you make incorrect changes. Be careful when
making changes to the SYSTEM.INI file. Your system will not work
properly if you edit this file incorrectly.
[boot] Section Settings
=======================
All settings in this section, except for CachedFileHandles, are
required. If you modify or delete one of these settings, Windows for
Workgroups might not work properly. There are no specific default
values for these settings; Setup assigns values based on your system
configuration.
If you want to run a different application when you start Windows for
Workgroups, change the following setting.
shell=<filename>
Default: None (Setup initializes this value as PROGMAN.EXE.)
Purpose: Specifies the application that runs when you start Windows
for Workgroups. Unless you change this setting, Program Manager runs
when you start Windows for Workgroups. For example, if you want to run
File Manager instead of Program Manager, you could change this setting
as follows:
shell=winfile.exe
[Network] Section Settings
==========================
The [Network] section contains settings that affect how your computer
interacts with the network. You can change most of these settings by
using the Network option in Control Panel. However, to change some
settings, you must edit the SYSTEM.INI file. It is recommended that
you use Control Panel whenever possible to change the settings. For
more information about customizing how your computer interacts with
the network, see Chapter 9, "Customizing Windows for Workgroups," in
the "Microsoft Windows for Workgroups User's Guide" and Help for
Control Panel.
The [Network] section can contain the following settings:
AutoLogon=<boolean>
Default: Yes
Purpose: Specifies whether you will be automatically logged on when
you start Windows for Workgroups. If this setting is disabled, you
will not be logged on. If this setting is enabled, you will be logged
on. If you are using a logon password, the logon dialog box will
appear, asking you to supply your password. To log on, you must supply
your password.
AutoStart=<full-or-base>
Default: Full (for computers that have an 80286 processor)
Purpose: Specifies the type of redirector support that Windows for
Workgroups provides. If the value for this setting is Full, Windows
for Workgroups provides the same support as the virtual redirector
(VREDIR). If the value for this setting is Base, Windows for
Workgroups provides limited redirector support. This setting only
applies if you are using a computer that has an 80286 processor. To
change this setting, you must use Notepad to edit the SYSTEM.INI file.
CacheThisPassword=<boolean>
Purpose: Determines whether the Save This Password In Your Password
List check box in the Enter Password or LAN Manager dialog box is
selected the next time the dialog box is displayed. If this setting is
enabled, the check box is selected. If this setting is disabled, the
check box is not selected. When you select or clear the check box, the
value for this setting changes in the SYSTEM.INI file to reflect the
current state of the check box.
Comment=<string-of-characters>
Default: None
Purpose: Provides a description of your computer. This description
appears next to your computer name in the Connect Network Drive and
Connect Network Printer dialog boxes. The comment value cannot contain
commas.
ComputerName=<name>
Default: The name you provided for your computer during Setup.
Purpose: Specifies the name of your computer. Your computer name must
be unique, can be up to 15 characters long, and can contain letters,
numbers, and any of the following characters:
! # $ % & ( ) - . @ ^ _ ' { } ~
Your computer name appears in the Connect Network Drive, Connect
Network Printers, and Select Computer dialog boxes.
EnableSharing=<0-or-1>
Default: 1
Purpose: Turns sharing on or off. If this setting is enabled, you can
share your resources. If this setting is disabled, you cannot share
your resources.
Note: Windows for Workgroups must be running in 386 enhanced mode for
you to share your resources.
Exclude=<lana number, lana number>
Default: None
Purpose: Specifies that Windows for Workgroups should not use the
protocols represented by the LANA numbers assigned to this setting.
This setting overrides the LANAs= setting. If you are using Novell
NetWare NetBIOS, you will need to exclude it by using this setting.
For more information, see the NETWORKS.WRI online document.
KeepConn=<seconds>
Default: 600
Purpose: Specifies the number of seconds Windows for Workgroups
should wait before disconnecting an implicit connection that is no
longer being used. This is useful if you are performing several
directory searches or lists using an implicit connection, or if you
are performing several tasks that involve pipes. If the applications
that you are using to perform these tasks run slowly, then increase
this value. Otherwise, you should never need to change this setting.
LANAs=<lana number, lana number>
Default: None
Purpose: Overrides the automatic detection of protocols, if you start
the network before starting Windows for Workgroups, and specifies that
Windows for Workgroups should use only those protocols represented by
the LANA numbers assigned to this setting.
LMAnnounce=<yes-or-no>
Default: No
Purpose: Enables or disables LAN Manager compatibility in the browser
on your computer. If your workgroup includes computers or servers that
are running LAN Manager, set this value to Yes.
LMLogon=<0-or-1>
Default: 0
Purpose: Specifies whether you log on to a LAN Manager domain when
you start Windows for Workgroups. If this value is set to 1 and you
have stored the domain password in your password list, Windows for
Workgroups logs you on to a LAN Manager domain and runs your logon
script, if you have one. If the domain password is not in your
password list, the LAN Manager Logon dialog box appears so that you
can pick the domain you want to log on to and specify the password for
that domain. If this value is set to 0, you will not log on to a LAN
Manager domain.
LogonDomain=<domain name>
Default: The workgroup your computer belongs to.
Purpose: Specifies the name of the default LAN Manager domain
(workgroup) that validates your password, if you choose to log on to a
LAN Manager domain when you start Windows for Workgroups.
LogonValidated=<boolean>
Default: No
Purpose: Specifies the value of the LMLogon setting when you last
logged on. If you decide to change the LMLogon value by selecting or
clearing the Log On To LAN Manager Domain check box in Control Panel
while you are still logged on, the LogonValidated setting ensures that
you are logged off properly when you end your Windows for Workgroups
session, or if you choose to log off by using Control Panel. You
should never need to change this setting.
MaintainServerList=<yes-no-auto>
Default: Auto
Purpose: Specifies whether the browser on your computer acts as the
browse master or a back-up browse master. If the value for this
setting is Auto, the browser on your computer will act as either, as
needed. If the value for this setting is No, the browser will never
act as a browse master or a back-up browse master. If the value for
this setting is Yes, the browser will always act as both. If you are
setting up a computer as a dedicated server for a small workgroup of
three to four computers, you may want to set this value to Yes on the
server and to No on the other computers. Otherwise, you should never
need to change this value.
MultiNet=<name>
Default: None
Purpose: Specifies the other networks you have added support for.
PrintBufTime=<seconds>
Default: 45
Purpose: Specifies the number of seconds of idle printing time that
Windows for Workgroups should wait before indicating that the end of a
print job has been reached when printing from an MS-DOS-based
application. When printing to a network printer from an MS-DOS-based
application, your documents do not start printing until the
application finishes processing the print job. If you are using an MS-
DOS-based application that processes print jobs quickly and you want
your documents to print sooner, decrease this value. If you are using
an MS-DOS-based application that takes longer to process print jobs or
if your documents are not printing continuously, increase this value.
The time during which an MS-DOS-based application is suspended is not
counted.
Priority=<number>
Default: 80
Purpose: Specifies the priority given to running your applications
and sharing your resources. The lower the number, the faster your
applications run. The higher the number, the faster your resources are
shared.
Reconnect=<boolean>
Purpose: Determines whether the Reconnect At Startup check box in the
Connect Network Drive or Connect Network Printer dialog box is
selected the next time the dialog box is displayed. If this setting is
enabled, the check box is selected. If this setting is disabled, the
check box is not selected. When you select or clear the check box, the
value for this setting changes in the SYSTEM.INI file to reflect its
current state.
Reshare=<boolean>
Purpose: Determines whether the Reshare At Startup check box in the
Share Directory or Share Printer dialog box is selected the next time
the dialog box is displayed. If this setting is enabled, the check box
is selected. If this setting disabled, the check box is not selected.
When you select or clear the check box, the value for this setting
changes in the SYSTEM.INI file to reflect its current state.
Username=<name>
Default: Your computer name until you log on for the first time. Then
the default value becomes the logon name you specify in the Welcome To
Windows For Workgroups dialog box.
Purpose: Specifies the default logon name used to log on to Windows
for Workgroups. The value for this setting changes to the logon name
you specify when you log on to Windows for Workgroups for the first
time.
WorkGroup=<name>
Default: The workgroup you specified during Setup.
Purpose: Specifies the workgroup your computer belongs to. If this
setting is missing from your SYSTEM.INI file, the Windows for
Workgroups redirector will not load and you will not have full
networking capabilities.
[Password List] Section Settings
================================
The [Password List] section contains settings that specify the
location of the password-list files for each user who logs on to your
computer. The password-list file contains a list of the passwords you
use to connect to password-protected resources.
The [Password List] section can contain one or more occurrences of the
following setting:
<username>=<drive><directory><password-list-filename>
Purpose: Username specifies the logon name of the user; drive
specifies the drive the password-list file is located on; directory
specifies the name of the directory in which the password-list file is
located; and password-list-filename specifies the name of the
password-list file.
[NonWindowsApp] Section Settings
================================
The [NonWindowsApp] section contains settings that affect the
performance of MS-DOS-based applications:
The [NonWindowsApp] section can contain the following settings:
CommandEnvSize=<bytes>
Default: 0 for MS-DOS versions earlier than 3.2. Otherwise, the
default is the value for the /e: option in the shell= command line in
the CONFIG.SYS file.
Purpose: Specifies the size of the COMMAND.COM environment. Note that
running batch files with the extension .BAT starts COMMAND.COM, so
this setting also applies to batch files. The value for this setting
must be either 0 or between 160 and 32768. A value of 0 disables this
setting. If the value is too small or too large, it will be rounded up
to 160 or down to 32768. If the value is less than the current size of
the actual environment, this setting will be disabled, as if it were
set to 0. If you have specified the environment size in a PIF file for
COMMAND.COM, the PIF-file setting overrides this setting.
DisablePositionSave=<0-or-1>
Default: 0
Purpose: When this setting is disabled, the position and fonts used by
an MS-DOS-based application are saved in the DOSAPP.INI file when you
quit the application. If this setting is enabled, the position and
fonts used by an MS-DOS-based application whose settings have not been
previously saved in the DOSAPP.INI file will not be saved. If enabled,
the setting can be overridden for each MS-DOS-based application by
selecting the Save Settings On Exit check box in the Font Selection
dialog box in the application.
FontChangeEnable=<0-or-1>
Default: 1 on systems that use Windows version 3.1 or Windows for
Workgroups grabbers. 0 on systems that use Windows version 3.0
grabbers.
Purpose: Provides the ability to change fonts when running an MS-DOS-
based application in a window on a system that uses version 3.0
grabbers (usually used in 3.0 display drivers). Windows version 3.1
video grabbers (used in 3.1 display drivers) include built-in support
for changing fonts when running an MS-DOS-based application in a
window. If you are using a 3.0 grabber that has not been updated to
include the ability to change fonts and you want to use this feature,
enable this setting. However, with this setting enabled, your screen
may lose characters and the cursor may change size and position
slightly.
LocalTSRs=<list-of-TSR-applications>
Default: DOSEDIT, CED
Purpose: Specifies which terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs
work properly if they are copied to each instance of a virtual
machine. When you start Windows for Workgroups, it detects any TSR
programs that are currently running. If the TSR is on the LocalTSRs
list, Windows for Workgroups copies the TSR to each virtual machine
you run. Many TSRs will not run properly if they are added to this
list. Make sure your TSR is fully compatible with Windows for
Workgroups and can be copied to a virtual machine before you add it to
the list.
MouseInDosBox=<0-or-1>
Default: 1 if an MS-DOS mouse driver is loaded that has the extension
.COM or .SYS and supports the use of a mouse with an MS-DOS-based
application. Otherwise, the default is 0.
Purpose: Specifies whether the mouse is supported when running an MS-
DOS-based application in a window. Mouse support for an MS-DOS-based
application running in a window is automatically available if you are
using a Windows version 3.1 grabber. If you are using a Windows
version 3.0 grabber and you want mouse support, enable this setting.
If you do not want mouse support, disable this setting.
NetAsynchSwitching=<0-or-1>
Default: 0, unless an application is running that supports the use of
the Task Switcher UPI by the NetBIOS.
Purpose: Specifies whether you can switch away from an application
(running in standard mode) after it has made an asynchronous network
BIOS call. If this setting is disabled, you cannot switch away.
Switching away from some applications that make these calls might
cause your system to fail. After Windows for Workgroups detects an
asynchronous NetBIOS call, you cannot switch away from the
application, even if no more of these calls are made. Enable this
setting only if you are sure that the applications you use will not
receive network messages while they are inactive.
ScreenLines=<number>
Default: 25
Purpose: Specifies the number of lines that will be displayed on the
screen when you run an MS-DOS-based application. An application that
specifies a different screen mode can override this setting.
SwapDisk=<drive:directory>
Default: The directory that the TEMP environment variable points to;
if there is no TEMP variable, the default is the root directory of
your first hard drive (usually labeled C:). If you do not have a hard
disk, the default is the root directory of your first floppy disk
drive (usually labeled A:).
Purpose: Provides the name of the disk drive and directory to which
Windows for Workgroups running in standard mode swaps MS-DOS-based
applications.
KBCategory: kbnetwork kbdisplay kb3rdparty kbref
KBSubcategory:
Additional query words: 3.10 wfw wfwg
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Keywords :
Technology : kbAudDeveloper kbWFWSearch kbWFW310
Version : WINDOWS:3.1
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