INFO: Configuring Parsing of the AUTOEXEC.BAT File

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Windows parses the AUTOEXEC.BAT file during startup by default, which results in the appending of the path statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file to the system path created by Windows.

You can configure parsing of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file in the Registry by doing the following:

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

1. Run REGEDT32.EXE.
2. Modify the following value within HKEY_CURRENT_USER:
   
   Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\ParseAutoexec
   
   1 = autoexec.bat is parsed
   0 = autoexec.bat is not parsed

This has no effect on the parsing of AUTOEXEC.NT or CONFIG.NT by the MS-DOS or 16-bit Windows environments (VDMs).

NOTE: Support for configuring the parsing of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file is also provided via the REGKEY.EXE file included with the Windows NT 3.5 Resource Kit.