Customizing the Boot Sequence and System-Behavior Parameters
Most Windows operating systems automatically configure the default boot sequence.
However, there are many users who may need to modify this. For example, if you have a
multi-boot system, you may need to change the default operating system. Sometimes you
may need to increase the default interval when the boot menu is displayed, add custom
logo files and so forth. Here, we'll discuss some methods for customizing the boot
sequence. These methods aren't complicated, and any system administrator, support
specialist, or advanced user should be familiar with them.
A detailed description of all of the processes that take place when Windows NT-based
systems, including Windows 2000/XP and products of the Windows Server 2003 family
are booting, is provided in Chapter 6
. You will also find information on the role of the
system registry in the boot process there.
To customize the boot sequence of any Windows NT-based system, you simply need to
edit a single INI file: Boot.ini. This file, which is necessary for the OS to boot, resides in
the root directory of the system partition. Because of this, it has the Hidden, System, and
Read-only attributes set. This means that Windows Explorer does not display this file by
default.
To be able to view this and other protected files protected files using Windows Explorer,
log in to the local system as an Administrator. Start the Folder Options applet in Control
Panel or select the Folder Options command from the Tools menu in Windows Explorer
or My Computer. The dialog shown in Fig. 4.1
will open. Go to the View tab, and then
go the Advanced Settings field. Select the Show hidden files and folders option and
clear the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) checkbox.

Figure 4.1: The View tab of the Folder Options Window
Modifying the Boot Sequence and System Behavior via the User Interface
If you are an experienced Windows NT/2000 administrator, you are already accustomed
to the Boot.ini file format and can edit it manually using any text editor. More detailed


Figure 4.3: A dialog prompting the user to create an error report and send it to Microsoft
This option is enabled by default, but if you want to customize its settings or disable the
feature entirely, click the Error Reporting button. The Error Reporting window will
appear (Fig. 4.4
). In this window, you can specify the following options:

Figure 4.4: The Error Reporting window (Windows Server 2003)

Totally disable the Error Reporting service by selecting the Disable error
reporting radio button. Notice that, even if you disable the Error Reporting
service altogether, you can still enable an option that allows the service to inform
you of serious errors (such as STOP errors, also known as Blue Screens of Death).
To do this, select the But notify me when critical errors occur checkbox directly
below the Disable error reporting radio button.

Enable the Error Reporting service by selecting the Enable error reporting
option. In this case, you can configure the service by specifying the types of errors
about which the service must inform you. For example, if the Windows operating
system checkbox is set, the service will report any problems with the Windows
components running in kernel mode. To enable the reporting of errors for add-on
programs, select the Programs checkbox. To further customize the program list,
click the Choose Programs button to open the Choose Programs window (Fig.
4.5). In this window, you can change the default reporting mode by creating a
custom lists of programs to be included in or excluded from error reporting.

Figure 4.5: The Choose Programs window

Note In comparison to Windows XP, the Error Reporting service in Windows Server
2003 has been enhanced further and provided with additional capabilities. For

1. On systems participating in workgroups, open the Control Panel window, double-
click on the Administrative Tools icon, then open the Local Security Policy snap-
in. To control systems attached to domains, start the Default Domain Security
Policy MMC snap-in for the same purp

Note Remember that when a Group Policy setting conflicts with a local setting,
Group Policy overrides local settings. Furthermore, in all cases, settings
established using the MMC snap-in override Control Panel settings. The
settings made in Control Panel apply only if no Group Policy is configured.