msconfig cannot select normal startup (Windows 7)

Question

The General tab always tick at Selective startup. Try many method to change it to Normal startup but after restart, it still tick at Selective. What should I do?

Answer 1

I don't know the reason why you can't select and retain Normal startup (Load all device drivers and services) but why would you want to?

Maybe it is your unspecified antivirus/antimalware software running on your system of unspecified make and model with unspecified Windows version and Service Pack which might be "protecting" your system from changes.  You can see if temporarily disabling whatever it is will allow you to make the adjustment "stick".

Is there some problem or issue you are troubleshooting or do you just think that is the "best" configuration?

IMHO that is just about the worst msconfig option you can choose since that will cause every Windows Service and every Startup option to load the next time you restart your system and with that your system performance is going to suffer.

With Selective startup, take a look at the Services tab and scroll through the list and see the Services that are not checked to start...  When you choose Normal startup all those things are going to start and be running all day and night with probably nothing to do except consume your CPU and RAM resources.

With Selective startup, take a look a the Startup tab and scroll through the list and see the Startup items that are not checked to start...  When you choose Normal startup all those things are going to start and be running all day and night with probably nothing to do except consume your CPU and RAM resources.

Then select Normal startup (even if it doesn't "stick") and look at the Services and Startup tabs again and you will see that every single item is set to start automatically the next time you restart your system - is that what you really want or would you rather be able to select and choose the things you want starting so your system can have more CPU and RAM resource to run the things you really need running?

Don't click OK or Apply - choose to Cancel unless you really want all that stuff running on your system all day and all night with most of it having nothing to do.

I think on most systems there are quite a few Services and Startup items that are best left unchecked to start - if you want to get the best performance out of your system.  Windows itself already sets too many unnecessary Services to start Automatically when they really don't need to be running at all.  Why make things worse?

This is why I think when the Microsoft engaged Support Engineer "experts" suggest choosing a Normal startup (they always do after using msconfig) it is a terrible suggestion - unless you want your system to run like yak squeeze.