How todo multiple configs with 98SE?

Years ago when everything was set up through the config.sys and autoexec.bat I'd set up a menu choice system to select just what type of config I wanted to boot at. This was when system resources were at a premium and certain progs needed certain things.

Now with this 98 and the IS suites and 256M ram, I again am getting into resource issues. Some progs I use need all the system they can get... Acad.. Rhino,and other engineering and geo engineering that do not access the web. For these times I want to boot with only the basics 98 needs and not load all the TSRs that the Internet security does.

I looked in my 98 reference ( "Windows 98 Professional Reference" by Bruce A.Hallburg & Joe Casad published by New Riders), but user profiles and system policy things do not identifiy user select option at boot other than basically GUI stuff. I need to controll the TSRs.

I can select boot up options (startup) from the config tools under system info but then have to reboot and not forget to set it back for the next boot. Its convoluted. I also do not want to have to manually tell it each one under the 98 boot options menu.

I want it to come up to a menu list of predefined boot configs, select one and have it boot up with those config settings.

There must be something I'm not seeing... certainly MS allowed for multiple boot options???

Any ideas?

Thanks
Dave
Hillsboro, Ohio

 

confused

The Norton IS startup programs are being executed from various run statements in the registry.

If I remember right it processes the registry before processing the config.sys and autoexec.bat. (right?)

So what your saying is to move those from the registry's startup group and execute them from config.sys or the autoexec? Since they are programs... not devices ... likely the autoexec.

According to my reference... the boot process is this

1) after BIOS is done with POST it calls the IO.sys (bootstrap)

2) it then loads the hardware profile from the registry.

3) then processes the config.sys

4) then processes the autoexec.bat

5) then win.com

6) then VxDs (whats a VxD?)

7) then goes to protected mode

8) loads configuartion manager

9) queries all PnP and installed devices

10) then Kernel32.dll and krnl386.exe, gdi.exeand gdi32.exe

11) then user.exe and user32.exe

12) then win.ini

13) then anything in the Startup Folder (nothing in mine).

Doesn't say when system ini is processed.

It also doesn't say when the registry is processed (other than the hardware config portion)

My Norton programs are the last thing to set up during its boot (at least visually). So does that mean that they need to wait until the boot process has proceeded to install all drivers and VxDs etc and be in protected mode? I think yes. In that case since the win.ini is the last file to be processed they should execute form it... but then how does one do selective options with in it?

I need to research more before attempting this. In fact I may set up a different machine to test it all out with first.

But any additional info would be appreciated. Surely others have had to do this.

Im going to do a manual boot to see what does what when before I do anything.

Dave