Automated Configuration Procedures
Kenn's
19980202: Automated Configuration Procedures
February/1998
Tech
Notes
Tech Note #2
Technicians who have joined the division in the past few years may be unaware that it has been our practice to automatically apply several Windows configuration standards during the anti-virus installation process. In most cases, the changes will make little or no difference to the operation of the system (particularly if the system has been already configured to division standards). In some cases, however, you may notice that installing the anti-virus software actually improves the performance of a workstation slightly, or that an odd problem disappears afterwards. Very rarely do these configuration standards cause any problems, but a list follows, for the interested. As you can see, there are far fewer changes made to Windows 95 workstations than to the Windows 3.1x systems. This is due in no small part to the fact that CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT play a smaller role in Windows 95, and that some of these standards are built right into the Windows 95 operating system.
Windows 95 Automated Configuration Procedures:
i. Workstations are set to never be Browse Master.
ii. SCANDISK is set to run during the boot process. Command line switches ensure all fixed disks are checked, errors are repaired automatically, corrupt clusters are deleted, and the screen does not pause to show the summary.
iii. The Spool MS-DOS Print Jobs setting is disabled for all parallel ports except LPT1.
Windows 3.1x Automated Configuration Procedures:
i. Workstations are set to never be Browse Master.
ii. SCANDISK is set to run during the boot process. Command line parameters ensure that all fixed disks are checked, errors are repaired automatically, corrupt clusters are deleted, and the screen does not pause to show the summary.
iii. DEFRAG is set to run during the boot process. Command line parameters ensure that the C: drive is defragmented, using the "unfragment files" setting.
iv. The PATH statement is edited to ensure that the Windows directory is accessed first, and that the DOS and root directory are second and third.
v. The TEMP and TMP environmental variables are set to the TEMP subdirectory of the Windows directory. If the directory does not exist, it is created.
vi. Any files in the TEMP directory with an extension ending in MP are deleted automatically at bootup.
vii. The STACKS statement is written/edited to ensure there are at least 9 stacks at least 256 bytes in size.
viii. The FILES statement is written/edited to ensure that DOS can access at least 50 files simultaneously.
ix. The size of the command interpreter environment is set to 2048 bytes.
x. Extended Control-C checking is disabled.
xi. The F5 and F8 keys are disabled at boot to prevent bypassing the boot sequence. Also, the pause between the "Starting MS-DOS" message and the boot process is skipped.
xii. The maximum number of breakpoints in Windows is set to at least 768.
xiii. The DMA buffer size in Windows is set to at least 250.
xiv. On systems with 8 MB of RAM or less, the vcache setting is changed to 512 KB.
xv. On systems with CD-ROM drives, MSCDEX is loaded before SMARTDRV.
xvi. On systems running SMARTDRV, the BUFFERS statement is deleted from CONFIG.SYS.
DISCLAIMER: This document is intended for the reference of computer support personnel within Winnipeg School Division No. 1. There is no warranty or liability if procedures recommended here have an adverse affect on any systems. Use them at your own risk. Any trademarks mentioned are the property of their owners, none of whom have certified any information provided here. Opinions expressed here are personal only and do not represent the policy of Winnipeg School Division No. 1 or any other organization anywhere.
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