Windows 3.1 Resource Kit WIN.INI Section Settings

Last reviewed: November 22, 1994
Article ID: Q83433

SUMMARY

The information contained in this article is contained in the WININI.WRI file in the Microsoft Windows Resource Kit for the Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.1. The WININI.WRI file may be viewed within the Windows Write utility in the Windows Accessories Group.

The WININI.WRI file contains specific information about the entries.

MORE INFORMATION

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:

  1. WIN.INI, which primarily contains settings that you can use to customize your Windows environment according to your preferences.

  2. SYSTEM.INI, which primarily contains settings that you can use to customize Windows to meet your system's hardware needs.

Caution: Changing settings can lead to undesirable results when you run Windows. Before changing any setting, read "Changing Settings" later in this document.

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, and 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 (;).

Sections in the WIN.INI File

The sections described in the list below most often appear in the WIN.INI file. Your WIN.INI file might not have all of these sections, or it might have additional sections, depending on your system's hardware and software requirements and configuration. For example, if you install a printer or set up applications, additional sections and settings might be inserted by your applications or the software that controls your printer. Refer to your application's documentation for information on those sections and settings.

The following sections appear in WIN.INI and in this document in the following order (however, the order of these sections is not important):

Section         Does
-------         ----

[windows]       Affects several elements of your Windows environment.

[desktop]       Controls the appearance of the screen background
                (desktop) and the positioning of windows and icons.

[extensions]    Associates specified types of files with corresponding
                applications.

[intl]          Describes how to display items for different countries
                and languages.

[ports]         Lists all available output ports.

[fonts]         Lists the font files that are loaded by Windows.

[FontSubstitutes]
                Lists the fonts that Windows uses in place of
                other fonts, only if the other fonts are not installed on
                your system.

[TrueType]      Describes options for using and displaying TrueType
                fonts.

[mci extensions]
                Associates specified types of files with Media
                Control Interface devices.

[network]       Describes network settings and previous network
                connections.

[embedding]     Lists the server objects used in OLE.

[Windows Help] Lists settings used to specify the default size,
                placement, and text colors of the Help window and dialog
                boxes.

[sounds]        Lists sound files assigned to system and application
                events.

[PrinterPorts] Lists installed printers that Windows can access.

[devices]       Lists installed printers that provide compatibility with
                Windows versions 2.x.

[programs]      Lists additional paths that Windows will search to find a
                program file when you try to open an associated data
                file.

[colors]        Defines colors for parts of the Windows display.

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:

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 will not change them. If they are not present, Setup will add them:

Device= Documents= Programs=com exe bat pif

In the [extensions] section, Setup adds one new setting:

bmp=pbrush.exe ^.bmp

Setup adds two new settings, 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 additional settings, 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 OLE:

[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 changed, 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. If you want to change a setting, you will have to search for it within the appropriate section.

This document lists the syntax, purpose, and recommended method for changing each setting using the following format:

SettingName=<value-type>

Default:        This is Windows' built-in value for this setting.
Purpose:        This paragraph briefly describes the function of the
setting
                and its default value (if applicable).
To change:      This sentence states the recommended method for changing
                the value of this setting.

The <value-type> indicates whether the value should be a number, a letter, a range of numbers, or something else.

Changing Settings

When the Setup program created the WIN.INI, file it assigned default values to the settings. Some settings that are listed in this document, may not appear in your WIN.INI file. These settings have the default value. You might want to change one or more of these values to change the appearance or performance of Windows to suit your needs.

Caution: Always back up your WIN.INI file before you make changes so that you can restore the original file in cause you accidently damage the WIN.INI file or make changes that cause problems when running Windows.

There are two ways to change WIN.INI settings:

By using Control Panel to change most settings. This is the safest and most recommended way because there is no need to open the WIN.INI file, where it is easier to make mistakes. For more information on Control Panel, see Chapter 5, "Control Panel," in the Windows User's Guide.

By using a text editor, such as Notepad, to edit the WIN.INI file directly. (Don't use a formatting editor; it can corrupt your WIN.INI file.) This is the method you must use to change the settings that cannot be changed with Control Panel. After you have edited the WIN.INI file, you must restart Windows for the settings to take affect. For more information on how to use Notepad, see Chapter 12, "Additional Accessories," in the Windows User's Guide.

Caution: Be extra 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. In addition, some editors can damage certain characters (those with ANSI values of greater than 127). It is recommended that you use Notepad to change the settings that cannot be changed with Control Panel. The listings in this document indicate which settings you can change with Control Panel.

[windows] Section Settings

The [windows] section contains settings that affect the following parts of your Windows environment:

  Applications that start when you start Windows
  Warning beep
  Printing
  Window border width
  Keyboard speed
  Mouse settings
  Definition of files as documents or programs

The [windows] section can contain the following settings:

Beep=<yes-or-no>

Default:        Yes
Purpose:        If this setting is enabled, Windows sounds a warning
                beep when you  attempt to do something that is not
                allowed.
To change:      Choose the Sound icon from the Control Panel window.

BorderWidth=<number>

Default:        3
Purpose:        Sets the width of the borders around all the windows on
                your desktop except those that have a fixed size. The
                allowed range is 1 (narrowest) to 49 (widest).
To change:      Choose the Desktop icon from the Control Panel window.

CoolSwitch=<0-or-1>

Default:        1
Purpose:        Turns fast task switching on or off. A value of 1 turns
                this feature on. A value of 0 turns it off.
To change:      Choose the Desktop icon in the Control Panel window and
                select or clear the Fast "Alt+TAB" Switching check box.
____________________________________________________________ CursorBlinkRate=<milliseconds>

Default:        530
Purpose:        Indicates how many milliseconds elapse between each blink
of
                the selection cursor.
To change:      Choose the Desktop icon from the Control Panel window.
_____________________________________________________________ Device=<output-device-name>, <device-driver>, <port-connection>

Default:        None
Purpose:        Defines the default printer. The <output-device-name> value
                can be any device name given in the [devices] section. An
                explicit port and driver must be assigned to the device.
The
                <device-driver> value is the filename (without the
extension)
                of the device-driver file. The <port-connection> value is
any
                portname given in the [ports] section.
To change:      Choose the Printers icon from the Control Panel window or
                the Printer Setup command from the Print Manager Options
                menu.
_____________________________________________________________ DefaultQueueSize=<number>

Default:        8
Purpose:        Specifies the number of messages an application's message
                queue can hold.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file. (You should never
                need to change this setting.)
____________________________________________________________ DeviceNotSelectedTimeout=<seconds>

Default:        15
Purpose:        Specifies the default number of seconds for Windows to wait
                for a device to be switched on. A value is saved for each
                printer listed in the [PrinterPorts] section. If the device
                is not turned on during this time, Windows won't print to
the
                device. Note that for some devices, Windows immediately
                displays an error message if the device is not already
turned
                on.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file. This setting serves
                only as the system default value. To change the value for a
                particular printer, choose the Printers icon from the
Control
                Panel window or the Printer Setup command from the Print
                Manager Options menu. This changes the corresponding value
                only in the [PrinterPorts] section.
____________________________________________________________ Documents=<extensions>

Default:        None
Purpose:        Defines files that are considered "documents" by Windows
                File Manager. The listings in the [extensions] section also
                determine which files File Manager recognizes as document
                files, and associates them with a particular application.
The
                extensions listed here are not associated with any
                application. Use this setting to define only document file
                extensions that are not in the [extensions] section.
Separate
                extension names with a space, and do not include the
                preceding periods.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________ DosPrint=<yes-or-no>

Default:        No
Purpose:        Specifies whether Windows should use MS-DOS interrupts
                when printing. When this setting is yes, MS-DOS interrupts
                are used. When this setting is no, printing output is sent
                directly to the port that the printer is assigned to.
To change:      Choose the Printers icon from the Control Panel window or
                the Printer Setup command from the Print Manager Options
                menu, and then clear the Fast Printing Direct to Port check
                box in the Connect dialog box.
____________________________________________________________ DoubleClickHeight=<pixels>

Default:        4
Purpose:        Specifies the height (in pixels) that the mouse pointer can
                move between clicks in a double-click. If the mouse pointer
                is moved further up or down,  the two clicks will be
treated
                as separate single clicks. For example, if
                DoubleClickHeight=10, the mouse pointer cannot move
                vertically more than 5 pixels between clicks for the two
                clicks to be recognized as a double-click. If you enter an
                odd number, it is rounded up to the nearest even number.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________ DoubleClickSpeed=<milliseconds>

Default:        452
Purpose:        Establishes the maximum amount of time between clicks of
                the mouse button that the system will permit for one double-
                click. The lower the value, the less time you have to click
                twice in order to effect a double-click.
To change:      Choose the Mouse icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ DoubleClickWidth=<pixels>

Default:        4
Purpose:        Specifies the width (in pixels) that the mouse pointer can
                move between clicks in a double-click. If the mouse pointer
                is moved further right or left, the two clicks will be
                treated as separate single clicks. For example, if
                DoubleClickWIDTH=10, the mouse pointer cannot move
                horizontally more than 5 pixels between clicks for the two
                clicks to be recognized as a double-click. If you enter an
                odd number, it is rounded up to the nearest even number.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________ KeyboardDelay=<milliseconds>

Default:        2
Purpose:        Establishes how much time elapses after you hold down a key
                before the key starts to repeat.
To change:      Choose the Keyboard icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ KeyboardSpeed=<milliseconds>

Default:        31
Purpose:        Establishes how much time elapses between repetitions of a
                character on the display when you hold down a keyboard key.
                This setting does not  work for all keyboards. If you
delete
                this setting from WIN.INI, Windows Setup will not set this
                speed, but the speed will still be set if you choose the
                Keyboard icon in Control Panel (even if you cancel out of
                it).
To change:      Choose the Keyboard icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ Load=<filename(s)>

Default:        none
Purpose:        Specifies one or more applications that will run as icons
                when Windows is started. This value is a list of one or
more
                program filenames for applications, or documents that are
                associated with an application, each separated by a space.
                Make sure you 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 so that they are 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 386 computers; 400 for 286 computers
Purpose:        Specifies how long to wait before displaying a cascading
                menu.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________ MouseSpeed=<0-or-1-or-2>

Default:        1
Purpose:        Establishes the relationship between mouse movement and
                cursor movement when the value of either MouseThreshold1 or
                MouseThreshold2 is exceeded. When this occurs, Windows
causes
                cursor movement to accelerate according to the value of
                MouseSpeed. If it is 0,  there is no acceleration. If it is
                1, the cursor is moved twice the normal speed when mouse
                movement exceeds the value of MouseThreshold1. If  it is 2,
                the cursor is moved twice the normal speed when mouse
                movement exceeds the value of MouseThreshold1 or four times
                the normal speed if mouse movement exceeds MouseThreshold2.
To change:      Choose the Mouse icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ MouseThreshold1=<pixels>

Default:        5
Purpose:        Establishes the maximum number of pixels that the mouse can
                move between mouse interrupts before Windows alters the
                relationship between mouse movement and cursor movement. If
                the mouse movement exceeds this threshold and MouseSpeed is
                greater than zero, Windows moves the cursor at twice the
                normal speed.
To change:      Choose the Mouse icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ MouseThreshold2=<pixels>

Default:        10
Purpose:        Establishes the maximum number of pixels that the mouse can
                move between mouse interrupts before Windows alters the
                relationship between mouse movement and cursor movement. If
                the mouse movement exceeds this threshold and MouseSpeed is
                equal to 2, Windows moves the cursor at four times the
normal
                speed.
To change:      Choose the Mouse icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ MouseTrails=<number>

Default:        None
Purpose:        Specifies the number of pointers shown on the screen when
the
                MouseTrails option is selected. You can specify a number
                between 1 and 7. Note: This setting is supported only if
you
                are using an EGA, VGA or SuperVGA display driver.
To change:      Choose the Mouse icon from the Control Panel window or,
                if the Mouse dialog box in Control Panel does not include
                the MouseTrails option, use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI
file. ____________________________________________________________ NetWarn=<0-or-1>

Default:        1
Purpose:        Specifies whether Windows should display a warning message
if
                your system is configured to run a network and the network
is
                not running or the wrong network is running. All Windows
                network-related options will be disabled if the network is
                disabled or incorrect. Setting this value to 0 will disable
                the warning message.
To change:      Choose the Network icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ NullPort=<string>

Default:        "None"
Purpose:        Specifies the name used for a null port. This name appears
in
                the Printers-Connect dialog box when a device is installed
                (that is, the device driver is present) but is not
connected
                to any port. This value also appears for such a device in
the
                [devices] section of  WIN.INI.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________ Programs=<extensions>

Default:        com exe bat pif
Purpose:        Defines which files Windows regards as applications.
                Extension names  are separated by a space and do not
include
                the preceding periods.
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. Make sure you
                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.
____________________________________________________________ ScreenSaveActive=<0-or-1>

Default:        0
Purposes:       Specifies whether a screen saver should be displayed if
                Windows is not actively being used. Setting this value to
1,
                enables a screen saver. Setting this value to 0 disables a
                screen saver.
To change:      Choose the Desktop icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ ScreenSaveTimeOut=<seconds>

Default:        120
Purpose:        Specifies the amount of time that Windows must be idle
before
                the screen saver appears.
To change:      Choose the Desktop icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ Spooler=<yes-or-no>

Default:        Yes
Purpose:        Specifies whether or not to send output to the printer
                through Print Manager. Changing this value to no disables
                Print Manager.
To change:      Choose the Printers icon from the Control Panel window
                and select or clear the Use Print Manager check box.
____________________________________________________________ SwapMouseButtons=<0-or-1>

Default:        0
Purpose:        Specifies whether or not to swap the right and left mouse
                buttons. If the value is 1, the buttons are swapped.
To change:      Choose the Mouse icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ TransmissionRetryTimeout=<seconds>

Default:        90 for PostScript printers; 45 for all other printers.
Purpose:        Specifies the default amount of time to give Windows for
                attempted transmission retries. A value is saved for each
                printer in the [PrinterPorts] section. If a successful
                transmission does not occur during this time, Windows Print
                Manager displays a message stating that the printer is not
                receiving characters.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file. This setting serves
                only as the system default value. To change the value for a
                particular printer, choose the Printers icon from the
Control
                Panel window or choose the Printer Setup command from the
                Print Manager Options menu. Changing this setting by using
                Control Panel or Print Manager changes the corresponding
                value only in the [PrinterPorts] section.
____________________________________________________________

[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.

The [desktop] section can contain the following settings: ____________________________________________________________ GridGranularity=<number>

Default:        0
Purpose:        Specifies the size (in units of eight pixels) of the grid
                that Windows uses to position windows on the screen. You
can
                specify a number between 0 and 49.
To change:      Choose the Desktop icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ IconSpacing=<pixels>

Default:        77
Purpose:        Specifies the number of pixels that will appear
horizontally
                between icons. Increasing this number increases the amount
of
                horizontal space between icons.
To change:      Choose the Desktop icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ IconTitleFaceName=<fontname>

Default:        MS Sans Serif
Purpose:        Specifies the font used for displaying icon titles. Change
                this value if the icon title is difficult to read.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________ IconTitleSize=<number>

Default:        8
Purpose:        Specifies the size of the font used for displaying icon
                titles. Change this value if the icon title is difficult to
                read.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________ IconTitleStyle=<0-or-1>

Default:        0
Purpose:        Specifies whether the icon title text should be bold. When
                the value is set to 1, the icon title text is bold. When
the
                value is set to 0, the icon title appears in regular text.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________ IconTitleWrap=<0-or-1>

Default:        1
Purpose:        Specifies whether or not to wrap icon titles. A value of 1
                enables icon title wrapping and increases icon vertical
                spacing by 3 lines. A value of 0 disables icon title
wrapping
To change:      Choose the Desktop icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ IconVerticalSpacing=<pixels>

Default:        Windows determines the default value based on the icon
title
                font and the display you are using.
Purpose:        Specifies the number of pixels that will appear vertically
                between icons. Increasing this number increases the amount
of
                vertical space between icons.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________ Pattern=<b1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7 b8>

Default:        "(None)"  (This string appears when no pattern is
specified).
Purpose:        Specifies a pattern that is used to paint the screen
                background. The eight numeric values define a bitmap eight
                pixels wide and eight pixels high. Each decimal value
                represents a byte, and each byte represents a row of eight
                pixels. The following shows the effect of setting a bit:

   Setting      Effect
   0            Sets the corresponding pixel to the
                background color specified by the Background
                setting in the [colors] section).

   1            Sets the corresponding pixel to the foreground
                color (specified the WindowText setting in the
                [colors] section).

For example, if you set the <b1> value to the decimal value 175, the top row of pixels in the bitmap will appear as the binary equivalent (10101111) according to the preceding table.

To change:      Choose the Desktop icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ TileWallpaper=<0-or-1>

Default:        0
Purpose:        Specifies whether to center the desktop wallpaper or tile
it
                across the screen. When this setting is 0 the wallpaper is
                centered. When this value to 1 the wallpaper is tiled.
To change:      Choose the Desktop icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ Wallpaper=<bitmap-filename>

Default:        "(None)"  (This string appears when no pattern is
specified)
Purpose:        Supplies the name of a bitmap file. This bitmap appears on
                the screen background. You need to include the full
pathname
                of the file if it is not in  the Windows or system
directory.
To change:      Choose the Desktop icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________

[extensions] Section Settings

The [extensions] section contains settings that link groups of document files with an application so that opening one of the document files automatically starts the application.

The [extensions] section can contain settings of the following type: ____________________________________________________________ <extension>=<command-line>

Purpose:        Contains a list of filename extensions that identify
                documents, and corresponding command lines that are invoked
                when you choose a file that has  the associated extensions.

                The <extension> keyname is an extension of one to three
                characters. The <command-line> value is an ordinary DOS
                command line. The command line always begins with an
                application filename (with the .EXE extension). This can be
                followed by any command parameters the application needs,
                usually including the document filename. The caret (^)
                character can be used when the original document filename
is
                needed in the command line; the caret is replaced by the
                document filename without any extension. The most typical
                <extension> entries list the application name and the
                document name; for example:

                cal=calendar.exe ^.cal

                If you run a file called MYFILE.CAL after this association
                has been made, the Calendar progam will start and
                automatically open the file named MYFILE.

To change:      Choose Associate from the File menu in File Manager.
____________________________________________________________

[intl] Section Settings

The [intl] section describes how to display dates, times, currency amounts, and other items for countries other than the United States. The default values reflect U.S. options.

To change any setting in this section, choose the International icon from the Control Panel window.

The [intl] section can contain the following settings: ____________________________________________________________ iCountry=<country-code>

Default:        1
Purpose:        Specifies the country code. This number matches the
country's
                international telephone code, except for Canada, which is
2.
____________________________________________________________ iCurrDigits=<number>

Default:        2
Purpose:        Specifies the number of digits to put after the decimal
                separator in currency.
____________________________________________________________ iCurrency=<number>

Default:        0
Purpose:        Specifies a currency format according to the following:

                        Value           Format
__________________________________________________
0               $2
1               2$
2               $ 2
3               2

The actual currency symbol is specified by the sCurrency value. ____________________________________________________________ iDate=<number>

Default:        0
Purpose:        Specifies a numerical date format according to the
following:

Value           Format
___________________________________________________
0               12/31/90
1               31/12/90
2               90/12/31

The actual date divider is specified by the sShortDate value.

This setting is not used by Windows 3.x and exists only for compatibility with Windows 2.x. ____________________________________________________________ iDigits=<number>

Default:        2
Purpose:        Specifies the number of digits to display after the decimal
                separator in numbers.
____________________________________________________________ iLZero=<0-or-1>

Default:        0
Purpose:        Specifies whether to put leading zeros in decimal numbers
                according to the following:

Value           Format
____________________________________________________
0               .7
1               0.7

The actual decimal separator is specified by the sDecimal setting. ____________________________________________________________ iMeasure=<0-or-1>

Default:        1
Purpose:        Specifies the measurement system according to the
following:

Value           System
___________________________________________________
0               Metric
1               English
____________________________________________________________ iNegCurr=<number>

Default:        0
Purpose:        Specifies a negative number format according to the
following:

Value           Format
____________________________________________________
0               ($1)
1               -$1
2               $-1
3               $1-
4               (1$)
5               -1$
6               1-$
7               1$-
8               -1 $
9               -$ 1
0               $ 1-

The actual currency symbol is specified by the sCurrency setting. ____________________________________________________________ iTime=<number>

Default:        0
Purpose:        Specifies whether to format time using a 12-hour clock or a
24-hour clock.

Value           Format          Meaning
0                       1:00                    12-hour clock
1                       13:00           24-hour clock

The actual time separator is specified by the sTime setting. ____________________________________________________________ iTLZero=<number>

Default:        0
Purpose:        Specifies whether to put leading zeros in time according to
                the following:

Value           Format
__________________________________________________
0               9:15
1               09:15

The actual time separator is specified by the sTime setting. ____________________________________________________________ s1159=<string>

Default:        AM
Purpose:        Specifies the string that follows times before noon in the
                12-hour time format.
____________________________________________________________ s2359=<string>

Default:        PM
Purpose:        Specifies the string that follows times after noon in the
12-
                hour format or that follows all times in the 24-hour format
                (for example, GMT).
____________________________________________________________ sCountry=<string>

Default:        United States
Purpose:        Specifies the name of the country whose standard setting
you
                want to use.
____________________________________________________________ sCurrency=<string>

Default:        $
Purpose:        Specifies the currency symbol you want to use.
____________________________________________________________ sDecimal=<string>
Default:        .
Purpose:        Specifies the punctuation used to separate the fractional
                part of a decimal number from the whole number part.
____________________________________________________________ sLanguage=<string>

Default:        enu
Purpose:        Specifies the language you want to work in. Windows
                applications that provide language-specific tasks, such as
                sorting or spell-checking, use this setting. The following
                are the standard values:

Value           Language
dan             Danish
deu             German
eng             International English
enu             U.S. English
esn             Modern Spanish
esp             Castilian Spanish
fin             Finnish
fra             French
frc             French Canadian
isl             Icelandic
ita             Italian
nld             Dutch
nor             Norwegian
ptg             Portuguese
sve             Swedish
____________________________________________________________ sList=<string>
Default:        ,
Purpose:        Specifies the character used to separate items in a list.
In
                U.S. English, the most common separator is a comma.
____________________________________________________________ sLongDate=<date-picture>

Default:        dddd, MMMM dd, yyyy (e.g., Friday, June 1, 1990)
Purpose:        Specifies your choice for the long date format, including
                abbreviations for the words and different separators,
                according to the following:

Date Picture    Item            Format
M                       Month   1-12
MM                      Month   01-12
MMM                     Month   Jan-Dec
MMMM                    Month   January-December
d                       Day             1-31
dd                      Day             01-31
ddd                     Day             Mon-Sun
dddd                    Day             Monday-Sunday
yy                      Year            00-99
yyyy                    Year            1900-2040

If you want to include the letters d, y, or m in the separator strings, you must enclose the separator strings in single quotation marks, if you are editing the WIN.INI file directly. Control Panel will automatically insert single quotation marks in the correct places. In addition, Control Panel will accept only certain date-picture combinations. Therefore, you should use Control Panel to change this setting. ____________________________________________________________ sShortDate=<date-picture>

Default:        M/d/yy (e.g., 6/1/90)
Purpose:        Specifies your choice for the short date format, including
                abbreviations for the words and different separators,
                according to the list described above in the sLongDate
                listing. Control Panel will accept only certain date-
picture
                combinations. Therefore, you should use Control Panel to
                change this setting.
____________________________________________________________ sThousand=<string>

Default ,

Purpose:        Specifies the symbol used to separate thousands in a number
                with more than three digits. An example, if the value is a
                comma (,), is 3,000.
____________________________________________________________ sTime=<string>

Default:        :
Purpose:        Specifies the character used to separate the hours,
minutes,
                and seconds in time. An example, if the value is a colon
(:),
                is 15:29:31.
____________________________________________________________

[ports] Section

The [ports] section lists all available communications and printer ports, and defines default values; it also lists files to which printer output can be sent.

The [ports] section can contain up to 10 occurrences of the following setting. Any additional occurrences are ignored by Windows. ____________________________________________________________ <portname>:=<baud-rate>,<parity>,<word-length>,<stop-bits>[[,p]]

Purpose:        Specifies an available output port. You can specify no more
                than 10 ports.

                The <portname> keyname must be the name of an output port
as
                it is recognized by MS-DOS. This keyname can be COMx:
(serial
                port, where x represents the port number), LPTx: (a
parallel
                port, where x represents the port number), EPT: (used for a
                specific IBM printer), LPTx.DOS (a parallel port used to
                bypass Windows printing and print directly to a port, where
x
                represents the port number), FILE:, or a filename.

                For COM ports, the <baud-rate> value specifies the port's
                baud rate; the <word-length> value gives the length of a
word
                (in bits); the <stop-bits> value gives the number of stop
                bits to be used; and the [[,p]] option specifies that
                hardware handshaking is in effect.

                LPT (parallel), EPT, FILE, and LPTx.DOSports do not take
any
                parameters.

                The LPTx.DOS ports are used (instead of the corresponding
LPT
                port) to print directly to the port and bypass the Windows'
                special output handling. This port is provides compatiblity
                with Windows version 3.0.

                Specifying a filename for the <portname> will direct output
                to that file. A filename, unlike the other port names, must
                not be followed by a colon (:).

                By using FILE:=, Windows will prompt you to specify a
                filename for the print file when you print.

To change COM port settings: Choose the Ports icon from the Control Panel
                window. To change or add other ports:  Use Notepad to edit
                the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________ LPT1.DOS=<pathname> LPT2.DOS=<pathname> LPT3.DOS=<pathname> LPT4.DOS=<pathname>

Default:        None
Purpose:        Enables printing directly to a parallel port. Use these
                settings to bypass Windows' special parallel port output
                handling when printing.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________

[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.
____________________________________________________________

[FontSubstitutes] Section Settings

The [FontSubstitutes] section describes fonts which are recognized by Windows as the same typeface. This is useful if you want to work on documents created using Windows 3.0 that include fonts whose names have changed in Windows 3.1.

The [FontSubstitutes] section contains one or more occurrences of the following setting: ____________________________________________________________ <font-name>=<font-name>

Default:        Helv=MS Sans Serif
                Tms Rmn=MS Serif
                Times=Times New Roman
                Helvetica=Arial
Purpose:        Specifies the font that Windows will use in place of
                another font, only if that font is not installed on your
                system. For example, if you are viewing a document that is
                formatted in Helvetica, but Helvetica is not installed on
                your system, Windows will use Arial to display the
document.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________

[TrueType] Section Settings

The [TrueType] section describes options that affect the use and display of TrueType fonts in your Windows applications.

The [TrueType] section can contain the following settings: ____________________________________________________________ OutlineThreshold=<number-of-pels-per-em>

Default:        256
Purpose:        Specifies the number of pels-per-em at which Windows will
                render TrueType fonts as outline fonts instead of as bitmap
                fonts. Using bitmap fonts is faster, but requires more
                memory. If you are low on memory, decrease this value. Do
not
                specify a value over 300. If you do, you might encounter
                problems using  TrueType fonts.
 To change:     Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________ TTEnable=<0-or-1>

Default:        1
Purpose:        Enables or disables TrueType fonts. Setting this value to 1
                enables TrueType fonts so that they are available in your
                Windows applications. Setting this value to 0 disables
                TrueType fonts. In this case, TrueType fonts are not
                available in your applications.
To change:      Choose the Fonts icon from the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________ TTIfCollisions=<0-or-1>

Default:        0
Purpose:        Specifies whether or not to use TrueType fonts in place of
                other fonts if both types of fonts are installed on your
                system and have the same font name. If this value is set to
                1, the TrueType font will be used. For example, Windows
                provides both a bitmap and a TrueType version of the Symbol
                font. If you set this value to 0, Windows will use the
                TrueType version.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________ TTOnly=<0-or-1>

Default:        0
Purpose:        Specifies whether or not to list only TrueType fonts in the
                fonts dialog box in Windows applications. If this value is
                set to 1, only TrueType fonts are listed. If this value is
                set to 0, all fonts installed on your system are listed.
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 device drivers. Whenever a media file is selected, Windows will use 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.
____________________________________________________________

[network] Section Settings

The [network] section describes network settings and previous network connections.

The [network] can contain the following settings: ____________________________________________________________ <drive>=<network server and share>

Purpose:        Shows the network connections that are restored each time
                Windows is started.
To change:      Choose the Network Connections command from the Disk menu
                in File Manager.
____________________________________________________________ InRestoreNetConnect ____________________________________________________________ Restore=<0-or-1>

Default:        1
Purpose:        Specifies whether or not to reconnect to the network
servers
                you were connected to in your previous Windows session.
This
                setting works for MSNet, Lan Manager Basic, and Lan Manager
                2.0. If this value is set to 1, you will be reconnected to
                the network servers each time you start Windows. If this
                value is set to 0, you will not be reconnected.
To change:      Choose the Networks option from the Control Panel window,
                or if the Network dialog box for your network does not
                include a reconnect option, use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI
                file.
____________________________________________________________ <port>=<network printer path>

Purpose:        Shows the path for a network printer and the port the
printer
                is assigned to. This connection is restored each time
Windows
                is started.
To change:      Choose the Printers option from the Control Panel window,
                or the  Network Connections command from the Options menu
in
                Print Manager.
____________________________________________________________

[embedding] Section Settings

The [embedding] section lists the OLE objects, their description, the program that is used to create them, and their file format. This information also appears in the Registration Info Editor. It is recommended that you use the Registration Info Editor to register applications or edit application information for OLE. The [embedding] section is included in the WIN.INI file only to maintain compatibility with Windows 3.0 and 3.0 applications.

The [embedding] section can contain one or more occurrences of the following setting: ____________________________________________________________ <object>=<description>,<description>,<program file>,<format>

Purpose:        Specifies the objects used as servers for OLE. The <object>
                keyname specifies the name of the server object.

                The <description> keynames provide a description of the
                server object. The second description appears in the list
of
                registered file types in the Registration Info Editor.

                The <program file> keyname identifies the path and name of
                the executable file for the application that is used to
                create the object.

                The <format> keyname identifies the format of the file. The
                value for this setting is most often "picture", which is
                metafile format.

To change:      Run the Registration Info Editor (REGEDIT.EXE) from File
                Manager or from Program Manager.
____________________________________________________________

[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 panel.

The [Windows Help] section can include the following settings: ____________________________________________________________ M_WindowPosition=<number>,<number>, <number>,<number>,<number> H_WindowPosition=<number>,<number>, <number>,<number>,<number> A_WindowPosition=<number>,<number>, <number>,<number>,<number> C_WindowPosition=<number>,<number>, <number>,<number>,<number>

Purpose:        Defines the default size and position of the main Help
                window, and the History, Annotate, and Copy dialog boxes.

                The first <number> defines the x coordinate of the upper-
left
                corner. The second <number> defines the y coordinate of the
                upper-left corner. Both these numbers define the default
                position of the main Help window, and the History,
Annotate,
                and Copy dialog boxes.

                The third <number> defines the default width of the Help
                window and dialog boxes. The fourth <number> defines the
                default height of the Help window and dialog boxes. Both
                height and width are measured in pixels.

                The fifth <number> specifies whether or not the main Help
                window is maximized. A value of 1 indicates that it is
                maximized. A value of 0 indicates that the main window is
the
                default height and width. Changing this value has no effect
                on the size of the dialog boxes, since they cannot be
                maximized.

To change:      Move or size the main Help window, or the History,
                Annotate, or Copy dialog boxes. The values are updated in
the
                WIN.IN file automatically.
____________________________________________________________ JumpColor=<red-value> <green-value> <blue-value>

Purpose:        Specifies the color of text that, when chosen, leads to a
new
                panel of help information. For example, entering 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 panel (the type of panel used for glossary
                definitions). For example, entering 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
                panel 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 panel (the type of panel used for glossary
                definitions), located in a different help file.
To change:      Use Notepad to edit the WIN.INI file.
____________________________________________________________

[sounds] Section Settings

The [sounds] section lists the system events that support sound and the sound files that are assigned to each event.

The [sounds] section can contain one or more occurrences of the following setting: ____________________________________________________________ <system event>=<filename>,<description>

Purpose:        Specifies the sound file assigned to and a description of a
                system event. The <filename> is the name of the sound file.
                The <description>  is a text string that describes the
system
                or application event.

To change:      Choose the Sound icon in the Control Panel window.
____________________________________________________________

[PrinterPorts] Section Settings

The [PrinterPorts] section lists the printers Windows can use and the printer driver, port assignment, and timeout values for each printer.

The [PrinterPorts] section can contain one or more occurrences of the following setting:

<device-name>=<driver-name>, <port-name>, <DeviceNotSelectedTimeout>,<TransmissionRetryTimeout> [[,<port-name>,<DeviceNotSelectedTimeout>, <TransmissionRetryTimeout>,...]]

Purpose:        Specifies driver, port, and timeout information for a
                printer.

                The <device-name> keyname is the name of the printer. The
                <driver-name>  value is the printer driver filename.

                The <port-name> value is the name of the port assigned to
the
                printer. If a printer is not assigned to a port the
                <port-name> value is the string specified in the NullPort
                setting (in the [windows] section).

                The <TransmissionRetryTimeout> value determines the amount
of
                time (in  seconds) allowed for attempted transmission
                retries.

                The <DeviceNotSelectedTimeout> value determines the number
of
                seconds Print Manager will wait for the device to be
switched
                on.

                If the timeout values are not specified for a particular
                port, Windows uses the default settings listed in the
                [windows] section for that port.

Caution: When changing a setting in this section, be sure it does not conflict with a corresponding setting in the [devices] section. Problems may occur if an installed printer does not appear in the [PrinterPorts] section.

To change:      Choose the Printers icon from the Control Panel window or
                choose the Printer Setup command from the Print Manager
                Options menu.
____________________________________________________________

[devices] Section Settings

The [devices] section lists the installed printers. The settings in this section match those in the [PrinterPorts] section, without the timeout values. This section is necessary only for Windows version 2.x applications, which look to the [devices] section for this information.

The [devices] section can contain one or more occurrences of the following setting: ____________________________________________________________ <device-name>=<driver-name>, <port-name> [[,<port-name>,...]]

  Purpose:      Specifies an installed printer.

                The <device-name> keyname is the name of the printer. The
                <driver-name> value is the printer driver filename. The
                <port-name> value specifies the port that is assigned to
the
                printer. If the printer is not currently assigned to a
port,
                the <port-name> value is the string specified in the
NullPort
                setting (in the [windows] section).

Caution: When changing a setting in this section, be sure it does not conflict with a corresponding setting in the [PrinterPorts] section. Problems may occur if an installed printer does not appear in the [PrinterPorts] section.

To change:      Choose the Printers icon from the Control Panel window or
                choose the Printer Setup command from the Print Manager
                Options menu.
____________________________________________________________

[Programs] Section Settings

If you use File Manager or Program Manager to open a document file that is associated with a file type in the Registration Database, and File Manager or Program Manager cannot find the program file that starts the application specified by the file type, Program Manager or File Manager will look in the [Programs] section ot the WIN.INI file for the path to the program file. If the path is not in the [Programs] section, Program Manager or File Manager will display a dialog box in which you can specify the path. The path you specify is then added to the [Program] section.

The [Program] section can contain one or more occurrences of the following settings: ____________________________________________________________ <program file>=<drive>:<directory>\<program file>

Purpose:        Specifies the drive, directory, and executable program file
                needed to start an application.

                The <program file> keyname specifies the name of the
program
                file that Windows was searching for when you tried to open
                the associated data file.

                The <drive> keyname specifies the drive on which the
program
                file is located. The <directory> keyname specifies the
                directory in which the program file is located. The second
                <program file> keyname specifies the name of the executable
                program file, located in the specified drive and directory,
                needed to start the associated application.
____________________________________________________________

[colors] Section Settings

The [colors] section defines the colors for components of the Windows display.

The colors section can contain settings of the following type: ____________________________________________________________ <component>=<red-value> <green-value> <blue-value>

Purpose:        The <red-value>, <green-value>, and <blue-value> values are
                integers  that specify the relative intensities of red,
blue,
                and green, respectively. These settings can range from 0
                (minimum intensity) to 255 (maximum intensity).

                The <component> keyname can be any one of the following:

Keyname             Refers to
ActiveBorder        Border of the active window

ActiveTitle         Active title bar

AppWorkspace        Application workspace for Windows
applications

Background          Screen background (desktop)

ButtonFace          Button face

ButtonHilight       Highlight around the top and left
side of buttons

ButtonShadow        Button shadow

ButtonText          Button text

GrayText            Text that is dimmed (as in an unavailable
                    command name)

Hilight             Background of highlighted text

HilightText         Highlighted text

InactiveBorder      Border of the inactive window

InactiveTitle       Inactive title bar

InactiveTitleText   Inactive title-bar text

Menu                Menu background

MenuText            Menu text

Scrollbar           Scroll bar

TitleText           Title-bar text

Window              Window workspace

WindowFrame         Window frame

WindowText          Window text

To change:      Choose the Color icon from the Control Panel window.

Reference(s):

Microsoft Windows Resource Kit 3.1, "WININI.WRI".


KBCategory: kbref kbdisplay kbsound
KBSubcategory:
Additional reference words: 3.1 3.10 win31


THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Last reviewed: November 22, 1994
© 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.