What Is an .INI File?
.INI files are plain-text files that contain configuration information.
These files are used by Windows and Windows-based applications to save
information about your preferences and operating environment. "INI" stands
for initialization.
Format of .INI Files
.INI files contain one or more sections. Each section begins with
a section name, which is followed by zero or more entries.
An entry associates a keyname with a value. The general
format is:
[section]
keyname=value
Comments can also be included in the file by prefacing the comment with a
semicolon (;).
Windows and Windows for Workgroups use several standard .INI files for
storing configuration information. These files are WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI,
PROTOCOL.INI, PROGMAN.INI, CONTROL.INI, WINFILE.INI, MSMAIL.INI,
SHARED.INI, and SCHDPLUS.INI. Windows-based programs may also add
sections and entries to WIN.INI, and they may add .INI files in the
Windows directory.
Editing .INI Files
Because .INI files use only plain text, they can be edited using any
text editor or word processor. .INI Master also has a built-in text
editor for making corrections in the .INI files you are diagnosing.
Where to Find More
The best .INI file reference to have is Microsoft's Windows for
Workgroups Resource Kit. In it you will find detailed explanations
for every entry in the standard .INI files.
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