Special use of WindowsXP hardware configuration file

WinXP hardware configuration file, you may only have heard it but did not use it, actually use it well, hardware configuration file can greatly improve the system efficiency, save you A lot of time, and it has some very special usage. The following is a detailed explanation of the hardware configuration file of WinXP.

What is a hardware configuration file?

A hardware configuration file is a series of instructions that tell Windows which devices should be started when starting the computer and which settings are used in each device. When the user installs Windows for the first time, the system automatically creates a hardware configuration file named “Profile 1”. By default, all the Windows installations are enabled in the “Profile 1” hardware configuration file. A device on a computer.

from & ldquo; System Properties & rdquo; & ldquo; hardware & rdquo; dialog, there can be seen a & ldquo; hardware profile & rdquo; button click will open 1 The list of hardware profiles available on the local computer is displayed in the "Available Hardware Profiles" list.

The role of hardware configuration files

Loading only device drivers in hardware configuration files

Under "Available hardware profiles", use the arrow buttons to make needed The hardware profile as the default setting is moved to the top of the list so that only the hardware devices enabled in the selected profile are loaded when Windows starts. Once the hardware profile is created, we can use Device Manager to disable and enable the device in the configuration file so that the device's drivers are not loaded the next time the computer is booted, which increases system startup speed.

Quickly switch between different working environments

As mentioned above, we can create multiple different hardware profiles at the same time to suit different working environments, as long as the hardware configuration file is selected. ”Select on the section "Wait for the user to select the hardware configuration file", then when you start the computer, there will be a "hardware configuration file" similar to the multi-boot menu. Select menu, then you can switch differently. The working environment is gone.

For laptop users, hardware profiles are very useful because most laptops are used in mobile situations when users move laptops from one place to another. The hardware configuration file allows the user to change the device used by the computer. For example, we can create multiple hardware profiles for different occasions, which is very convenient to switch.

Increase startup speed

If you have not created multiple different hardware profiles, or if you want to automatically load the default hardware profile during startup without displaying the list items, then please “ In the hardware profile selection "second" in seconds, enter “0”. Of course, even if you still select a different hardware profile from the list, just press and hold the spacebar at startup to display the list.

Restoring the default configuration

If the hardware changes exceed a certain limit, Windows XP may require the user to reactivate the system, which is very cumbersome. However, if we backed up the original hardware configuration file each time we installed or changed the hardware, just click the “Copy” button from the window in Figure 1, and then copy the configuration file as shown in Figure 2. Type a new file name in the box. If there is a problem later, you can re-import the previously backed up hardware configuration file.

To note here is that the operation must log in as a system administrator's job.

Clearing redundant hardware information in the system

If you frequently plug in and unplug hardware devices due to some needs, the process of repeatedly installing drivers will leave a lot of hardware registrations in the system. Information, when the system starts up, it will repeatedly communicate with these non-existent devices, which will slow down the system. How to clear these redundant hardware information?

It is very simple, we can use “Profile 1 & rdquo; This hardware configuration file is deleted, and then re-create a new hardware file, this is the new system. To be on the safe side, don't delete it right away. Click on the “Copy” button to back up (Profile 2), then rename it, for example, to “Profile”, then restart the computer. Tip:

Windows Cannot determine what configuration your computer is in select one of the following:

1.Profile

2.Profile 2

3. None of the above

Here, “1” and “2” are the hardware configuration files that already exist in the system. Of course, we choose ““3”, so that Windows can re-detect the hardware. The “Check Hardware” dialog box will appear on the screen and prompt “When you start your computer with the new configuration for the first time, Windows must make some adjustments. This process takes about a few minutes, and the “Configure Settings” dialog box will appear, prompting “Windows” has successfully set up the configuration of the new computer, its name is Profile 1”, click “ OK&rdquo ; button, then you can reinstall the driver for the hardware device.

Note: After restarting the system, remember to delete the two hardware configuration files except Profile 1, otherwise you will still be asked which configuration file to use when booting.

After reading the above tutorial, I believe that you have a certain understanding of the WinXP hardware configuration file. In fact, many things in WinXP are ignored by everyone, as long as you can find out their special effects.