1001 Secrets for Windows NT Registry
(Publisher: 29th Street Press)
Author(s): Tim Daniels
ISBN: 1882419685
Publication Date: 12/01/97

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Section I
General System

This section covers a lot of ground. It includes tips for everything from using services on remote machines to successfully uninstalling software. You can change the way your inteface looks, customize your Run command, and ensure that your logon scripts run correctly—and that’s just the beginning.

Services

Have you ever needed to start a service on a remote machine? You can use the tools in the resource kit, but they often aren’t handy or give curious results. Each service has a corresponding registry key and each key has a start value. Each service can have one of these start values:

0x0 Boot
0x1 System
0x2 Automatic
0x3 Manual
0x4 Disabled

To alter the way a service starts, change the appropriate start value for each service. I give two examples and list common services and their registry keys for a generic Windows NT installation. Many other services are available; I just listed a few of the more common ones. Make sure you have your system backed up or have a spare test system when you go spelunking in here.

I-1 Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Atapi
Value Name: Start
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x0

This example starts the Atapi service when the machine boots.

I-2 Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Eventlog
Value Name: Start
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x2

This value makes the event log start automatically on the target computer. To change this configuration, run regedt32.exe and select the computer that has the service you wish to alter.

I-3 Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Alerter
Value Name: Start
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x3

This example makes the alerter service start manually on the target machine.

I-4 Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Browser
Value Name: Start
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x2

This example tells the browser service to start automatically every time Windows NT starts.

I-5 Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Busmouse
Value Name: Start
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x4

This example disables the busmouse service.

I-6 Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: System\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCP
Value Name: Start
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x2

This example sets the DHCP client service to automatic startup mode.

I-7 Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Replicator
Value Name: Start
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x3

This example sets the directory replication service to manual start.

I-8 Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Messenger
Value Name: Start
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x2

This example automatically starts the messenger service so you can send and receive system broadcast messages.

I-9 Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Sermouse
Value Name: Start
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x2

This example sets the serial mouse service to start automatically.

I-10 Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: System\CurrentControlSet\Services\UPS
Value Name: Start
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x4

This value controls the uninterruptible power supply service.


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