Q85427: WININI.WRI: Microsoft Windows & MS-DOS 5 for IBM PS/2
Article: Q85427
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 3.x Retail Product
Version(s):
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s):
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows 3.1
- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system version 5.0
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SUMMARY
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The following information was taken from the Windows & MS-DOS 5 for IBM PS/2
WININ.WRI file.
MORE INFORMATION
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WIN.INI File Settings
Windows initialization files contain information that defines your
Windows environment. Windows and Windows 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 maintains to
customize your Windows environment according to your preferences.
SYSTEM.INI, which primarily contains settings that customize Windows
to meet your system's hardware needs.
This document describes only a few of the settings in the WIN.INI
file. You can get a more complete listing of the WIN.INI settings by
purchasing the Windows Resource Kit for the Microsoft Windows
Operating System Version 3.1. The Resource Kit provides complete
technical information about Windows version 3.1 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 Windows Resource Kit within the United States, dial:
1-800-642-7676
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 WIN.INI File
The WIN.INI file contains several sections, each of which consists of
a group of related settings. The sections and settings are listed in
the WIN.INI file in the following format:
[section name]
keyname=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 keyname=value statement defines the value of each setting. A
keyname is the name of a setting. It can consist of any combination of
letters and digits in uppercase or lowercase, and it must be followed
immediately by an equal sign (=). The value can be an integer, a
string, or a quoted string, depending on the setting.
You can include comments in initialization files. You must begin each
line of a comment with a semicolon (;).
Updating WIN.INI from Previous Versions of Windows
If you update your system to Windows version 3.1 from Windows version
3.0, Setup automatically updates your WIN.INI file by making the
following changes. For detailed information about these settings,
refer to the Windows Resource Kit for the Microsoft Windows Operating
System Version 3.1.
In the [windows] section, Setup adds three new settings:
KeyboardDelay=
ScreenSaverTimeout=
DosPrint=
If the following settings are already present in the 3.0 version of
the WIN.INI file, Setup does not change them. If they are not present,
Setup adds them:
Device=
Documents=
Programs=com exe bat pif
In the [extensions] section, Setup adds one new setting:
bmp=pbrush.exe ^.bmp
Setup adds two other settings to the [extensions] section, if they are
not already present in the 3.0 version of the WIN.INI file:
pcx=pbrush.exe ^.pcx
rec=recorder.exe ^.rec
In the [ports] section, Setup adds:
LPT1.DOS
LPT2.DOS
Setup adds three other settings to the [ports] section, if they are
not already present in the 3.0 version of WIN.INI:
FILE:
COM3:=9600,n,8,1,x
COM4:=9600,n,8,1,x
Setup adds the following section and settings to support TrueType
fonts:
[FontSubstitutes]
Helv=MS Sans Serif
Tms Rmn=MS Serif
Times=Times New Roman
Helvetica=Arial
Setup adds the following sections and settings to support multimedia:
[mci extensions]
wav=waveaudio
mid=sequencer
rmi=sequencer
Setup adds the following sections and settings to support sound:
[sounds]
SystemDefault=ding.wav, Default Beep
SystemExclamation=chord.wav, Exclamation
SystemStart=tada.wav, Windows Start
SystemExit=chimes.wav, Windows Exit
SystemHand=chord.wav, Critical Stop
SystemQuestion=chord.wav, Question
SystemAsterisk=chord.wav, Asterisk
Setup adds the following section and settings to support object
linking and embedding:
[embedding]
SoundRec=Sound,Sound,SoundRec.exe,picture
Package=Package,Package,packager.exe,picture
PBrush=Paintbrush Picture,Paintbrush Picture,pbrush.exe,picture
Setup also makes additional changes, depending on the applications and
devices installed on your system.
How to Read This Document
In this document, WIN.INI settings are listed alphabetically within
sections. However, the settings do not appear alphabetically in the
WIN.INI file. To change a setting, you need to search for it within
the appropriate section.
This document lists the syntax, default value, purpose, and
recommended method for changing each setting, using the following
format.
SettingName=<value-type>
Default: The Windows default value for this setting.
Purpose: This paragraph briefly describes the function of the
setting and its default value (if applicable). To change: Describes
the recommended method for changing the value of this setting.
<value-type> indicates whether the value should be an integer, a
letter, a range of numbers, or something else.
Changing Settings
When the Setup program creates the WIN.INI file, it assigns default
values to the settings. Some settings that are listed in this document
may not appear in your WIN.INI file.
There are two ways to change WIN.INI settings:
You can use Windows Control Panel to change most settings. This is
the safest and most recommended way because there is no need to open
and edit the WIN.INI file, where it is easier to make mistakes. For
more information about Control Panel, see Chapter 5, "Control Panel,"
in the Microsoft Windows User's Guide.
You can use a text editor, such as Windows Notepad, to edit the
WIN.INI file directly. (Do not use a formatting editor; it can corrupt
your WIN.INI file.) You must use this method to change the settings
that you cannot change by using Control Panel. After you have edited
the WIN.INI file, you must restart Windows for the settings to take
effect. For more information about Notepad, see Chapter 12,
"Additional Accessories," in the Microsoft Windows User's Guide.
Caution: Always back up your WIN.INI file before you make changes so
that you can restore the original file in case you accidentally damage
the WIN.INI file or make changes that cause problems when running
Windows. It is recommended that you do not change any settings that
are not described in this document. However, if you need to change
additional settings, refer to the Windows Resource Kit for the
Microsoft Windows Operating System Version 3.1. Be careful when using
a text editor to edit the WIN.INI file. Incorrect changes to WIN.INI
can cause unexpected results when you run Windows.
[windows] Section Settings
--------------------------
The [windows] section contains settings that affect general areas of
your Windows environment, such as which applications run when you
start Windows and how information appears on your screen.
The [windows] section can contain the following settings.
DoubleClickHeight=<pixels>
Default: 4
Purpose: Specifies the height (in pixels) that the mouse pointer can
move between clicks when you double-click. If the mouse pointer is
moved further up or down, the two clicks are treated as separate
single clicks. For example, if DoubleClickHeight=10, the mouse pointer
cannot move vertically more than 5 pixels between clicks in order for
the two clicks to be recognized as a double-click. If you use an odd
number, it is rounded up to the nearest even number. This setting is
helpful if you are using a pen-tablet pointing device. To change: Use
Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
DoubleClickWidth=<pixels>
Default: 4
Purpose: Specifies the width (in pixels) that the mouse pointer can
move between clicks when you double-click. If the mouse pointer is
moved further right or left, the two clicks are treated as separate
single clicks. For example, if DoubleClickWidth=10, the mouse pointer
cannot move horizontally more than 5 pixels between clicks in order
for the two clicks to be recognized as a double- click. If you use an
odd number, it is rounded up to the nearest even number. This setting
is helpful if you are using a pen-tablet pointing device. To change:
Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
Load=<filename(s)>
Default: None
Purpose: Specifies one or more applications to run as icons when
Windows is started. This value is a list of one or more filenames of
applications, or documents that are associated with an application,
each separated by a space. Specify the complete path if the
application or document is not located in the Windows directory. To
change: Add the application to the StartUp group in Program Manager,
and then select the Minimize On Use check box in the Properties dialog
box.
MenuDropAlignment=<0-or-1>
Default: 0
Purpose: Specifies whether menus open right-aligned or left-aligned
with the menu title. If this setting is 0, menus open so that they are
left-aligned. If it is 1, menus open so that they are right-aligned.
To change: Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
MenuShowDelay=<milliseconds>
Default: 0 for 80386 computers; 400 for 80286 computers.
Purpose: Specifies how long Windows waits before displaying a
cascading menu. To change: Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
Programs=<extensions>
Default: com exe bat pif
Purpose: Defines which files Windows considers applications. A
filename extension is separated by a space and does not include the
preceding period. To change: Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
Run=<filename(s)>
Default: None
Purpose: Causes Windows to run one or more specified applications
when Windows is started. The value is a list of one or more filenames
of applications, or documents associated with applications, each
separated by a space. Specify the complete path if the application or
document is not located in the Windows directory. To change: Add the
application to the StartUp group in Program Manager.
[desktop] Section Settings
--------------------------
The [desktop] section contains optional settings that control the
appearance of the screen background (desktop) and the positioning of
windows and icons on the screen. Most of these settings (which are not
listed in this document) can be changed by using Control Panel. The
following setting must be changed by editing the WIN.INI file.
IconVerticalSpacing=<pixels>
Default: Windows determines the default value based on the icon
title font and the display adapter you are using.
Purpose: Specifies the number of pixels that appear vertically
between icons. Increasing this number increases the amount of vertical
space between icons.
[fonts] Section Settings
------------------------
The [fonts] section describes one or more font files that are loaded
when Windows is started.
The [fonts] section can contain one or more occurrences of the
following setting.
<font-name>=<font-file>
Purpose: Specifies a font file. The <font-name> keyname is the
descriptive name of a font. The <font-file> value is the filename of a
file that contains font resources. To change: Choose the Fonts icon
from the Control Panel window.
[mci extensions] Section Settings
---------------------------------
The [mci extensions] section contains settings that associate
different types of media files with different Media Control Interface
(MCI) device drivers. Whenever a media file is selected, Windows uses
the associated driver to play it.
The [mci extensions] section can contain one or more occurrences of
the following setting.
<extension>=<mci-device-type>
Purpose: Associates files that have the specified extension with the
specified MCI device driver. Windows uses the specified driver to play
the media file associated with it. To change: Use Notepad to edit the
WIN.INI file.
[Windows Help] Section Settings
-------------------------------
The [Windows Help] section includes settings that specify the size and
placement of the Help window and dialog boxes, as well as the color of
text
that, when chosen, displays a macro, pop-up window, or new Help
window.
The [Windows Help] section can include the following settings.
JumpColor=<red-value> <green-value> <blue-value>
Purpose: Specifies the color of text that, when chosen, leads to a
new window of Help information. For example, specifying 000 000 000 as
values results in black text on a white background. To change: Use
Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
PopupColor=<red-value> <green-value> <blue-value>
Purpose: Specifies the color of text that, when chosen, displays a
pop-up window (the type of window used for glossary definitions). For
example, specifying 000 000 000 as values results in black text on a
white background. To change: Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
MacroColor=<red-value> <green-value> <blue-value>
Purpose: Specifies the color of text that, when chosen, runs a Help
macro. To change: Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
IFJumpColor=<red-value> <green-value> <blue-value>
Purpose: Specifies the color of text that, when chosen, leads to a
new window of Help information, located in a different Help file.
To change: Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
IFPopupColor=<red-value> <green-value> <blue-value>
Purpose: Specifies the color of text that, when chosen, displays a
pop-up window (the type of window used for glossary definitions),
located in a different Help file. To change: Use Notepad to edit the
WIN.INI file.
Additional query words: 3.10 3.1 5.00a 5.0a WIN31 DOSWIN
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Keywords :
Technology : kbWin3xSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin310 kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS500
Version : :
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