Windows 3.1 Resource Kit WIN.INI Section Settings
ID: Q83433
|
3.10 3.11
WINDOWS
kbref kbdisplay kbsound
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".
Additional query words:
3.1 3.10 win31
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