Hi there!
It's never a good idea to alter or delete any file on your PC unless
you're absolutely certain about what it does.
In the case of .INI files, this is doubly true. Patterned after the
UNIX concept of .profile files, .INI files, also called
"initialization files" or "profile files", are important system files
that contain information vital to both the function of Windows and
your software. .INI files contain your system and software settings,
registration information and personal settings. Deleting these files
can be disastrous - consequences include the possibility of your
software failing to function properly to your computer refusing to
boot at all. .INI files *can* be modified, but only specific
portions. If you don't know what they do, you're best served to just
leave them alone.
The Decenber, 1997 issue of "Smart Computing" explains .INI files in
depth. Because of copyright concerns, I cannot reproduce the entire
article here. I can, however, provide relevant excerpts:
" The information about your system’s configuration, such as the
amount of memory it has and the installed peripherals, is stored in
the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files. Each time you boot, or start
up, your computer, it must check these files to relearn its settings.
Similarly, Windows has its own set of configuration files that control
that operating environment: the initialization files. These files hold
important information about Windows’ many changeable settings—from
installed fonts to wallpapers, from the cursor’s blinking rate to the
width of the borders around Desktop windows.
Initialization files are known by their .INI extensions (pronounced
“eye ‘n eye” or “innie”). There’s a whole herd of .INI files,
including System.ini, Win.ini, Progman.ini, and Control.ini. You can
find them, along with all of the other .INI files, by checking the
WINDOWS directory on the hard drive."
[...]
" Don’t be surprised to see dozens of .INI files. Typically, a new
.INI file is added to your system each time you install a new Windows
application.
--Inside An .INI.
You’ll rarely actually have to edit an .INI file manually. In fact,
novice (and, sometimes, not-so-novice) users would do better to steer
clear of making these kinds of changes to their system. .INI files
contain valuable information for the running of Windows, and if you
make the wrong changes or deletions, Windows may run improperly or not
at all."
[...]
" Knowledge of .INI files comes in handy when you try to take a
program off your system. You may think that when you delete or
uninstall a program, the program is completely gone. The fact is,
unless you’re using software that finds parts of unwanted programs and
gets rid of them, there are probably remnants of old applications
lurking within the System.ini file. These “leftovers” may be slowing
your system or popping up in places where you don’t need them.
If you go into the System.ini file, you’ll usually find program
drivers or information about deleted programs under section headings
of their own. Anything beneath these section headers that directly
relates to the specific program can be erased along with the header.
In some cases, you might find that specific program drivers are
located in other sections such as [boot] or [386Enh].
Be cautious, though. If you see an entry that you’re unsure about or
don’t have any documentation on, it’s best to leave it alone. The one
thing you can do (besides backing up the file, of course) is REM
(remark) out a questionable command line. Simply place a semicolon (;)
at the beginning of an entry, and Windows will quit recognizing that
line, thinking it’s simply a programmer’s remark. Then, restart your
system. If everything works properly, you can probably safely delete
the questionable line.
These are only a few of the things that can be done within your
system’s .INI files. Though you usually won’t have to manually edit
them, there are times, as we’ve shown, when you’ll be forced to. Just
remember the two cardinal rules of .INI files: Back them up before you
alter them and don’t make a change if you’re unsure of what you’re
changing."
PC Operating Instructions - How .INI Files Work
Hannah Henry
Smart Computing Magazine - December 1997• Vol.8 Issue 12
You can read more about .INI files here:
An INI File
http://www.paris-pc-gis.com/mb_r/doc/using_ini/An_INI_file.htm
Windows 2000 Boot.ini Configuration Resources
http://www.labmice.net/Windows2000/install/bootini.htm
I hope this helps!
--Missy
Search terms: [ ".INI files" explained ], and references from my
personal library. |
Request for Answer Clarification by
bbb-ga
on
27 Mar 2003 21:31 PST
Missy:
Your answer was very thorough and very clear, but I left something
crucial out of the question, so I need to get some further
clarification.
First, I realize that *.ini files should usaully be left alone -— but
I’ve usually seen them in system directories, etc., where I wouldn’t
make any changes.
However, I left out the point of my question: Lately, I’ve seen *.ini
files created by the system in my own data directories, where I have,
typically, word processing (WORD) files.
First, this is disturbing, since it seems like something is wrong
with the system, or it wouldn’t do this. I have worked on PCs since
the dawn of time (1984 or so) and haven’t ever seen this behavior,
except in the past couple of months…on my XP operating system and now
on my system 2000 system (I had to switch from one to the other). WP
directories are data directories, and no computer has ever inserted a
“system” file into them. (I’ve probably worked on about 30 or 40 PCs
at times, my own and at work, etc.)
Second, this causes me active problems. For my work, I have to move
data files around a lot, and this gets in the way now. Example: Say I
have 5 data files in a directory, and I want to delete 3 and move 2
out. I do that, and the directory should now be empty and I would
normally then delete it. But half the time, such a directory has
acquired an *.ini file at some point, and the system warns me not to
delete it. But common sense and 20 years’ experience suggest that this
is not a “real” functioning *.ini file, since it's in a directory
where it shouldn't occur...and in fact, I’ve inadvertently deleted a
few while deleting WORD files.
So this problem is a lot more specific and troubling than I
indicated. First, why is my system behaving so strangely? And second,
do I really have to leave a trail of directories, each containing
nothing but one *.ini file?
Sorry to have omitted the point!
I will add something to the fee, since this is now more work to
answer… anyway: Help.
|
Clarification of Answer by
missy-ga
on
27 Mar 2003 23:07 PST
Hello again!
Let's handle the second part of your query first:
If you've moved or deleted the data to which these .INI files refer,
no, you do not need to leave them there. You can safely delete them.
If the .INI files are appearing in folders you've created yourself,
you may have acquired a "desktop.ini". Those are likewise fine to
delete.
Now for the first part:
There could be any number of reasons why your system is acting this
way. It may be an odd carryover from XP (it's Windows, after all, and
that thing has a mind of its own!). Or it could be something more
sinister.
Fellow Researcher Sublime1-ga suggests opening up the .INI files in
question with a text editor and checking carefully to see what they
refer to. Since the files are readable, you should be able to tell
whether they are needed or not (for example, if it refers to a file
named "Fred", but you've deleted "Fred", you can delete that .INI).
If it is unclear what the .INI is referring to, start looking for
Trojans. Run your anti-virus program and also get yourself a copy of
SpyBot Search & Destroy:
SpyBot
http://security.kolla.de/
If the .INIs in question were dropped by a Trojan, your antivirus
software and SpyBot will flag them and get rid of them for you.
Good luck!
--Missy
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
bbb-ga
on
28 Mar 2003 08:49 PST
Missy:
You have given me some very useful information. I do in fact have a
file called "desktop.ini" -- a possibility you discussed:
["If the .INI files are appearing in folders you've created
yourself,you may have acquired a "desktop.ini". Those are likewise
fine to delete." ]
Below, in fact, is the text of that file. I can't tell what it refers
to--but you have said that it's OK to delete. The system, of course,
warns me that it's a system file and that if I delete it "your
computer may not work properly."
I hope that you're correct!
As far as the other *.INI files, I may not be able to tell what
they're referring to either, but if they pop up in data directories,
I'll delete them.
I do run Norton antivirus regularly, by the way.
But I wish I could stop the *.INI from appearing...
Thanks very much,
Brad
P.S. contents of the DESKTOP.INI file:
[.ShellClassInfo]
IconFile=%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll
IconIndex=27
ConfirmFileOp=0
[{5984FFE0-28D4-11CF-AE66-08002B2E1262}]
PersistMoniker=file://Folder Settings\Folder.htt
PersistMonikerPreview=%WebDir%\classic.bmp
[ExtShellFolderViews]
{5984FFE0-28D4-11CF-AE66-08002B2E1262}={5984FFE0-28D4-11CF-AE66-08002B2E1262}
|
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