Windows Cannot Find Msconfig

The guide assists you in repairing a Windows system that throws the error message Windows Cannot Find Msconfig when you try to load the tool.
MSConfig, which stands for Microsoft System Configuration Utility, is an administrative tool that gets distributed with the Windows operating system.
It has been designed by Microsoft to provide quick access to several system settings, files and parameters. This includes startup items, Windows services, boot options, and ini files like boot.ini or system.ini.
Note: Microsoft changed the configuration of msconfig in newer versions of Windows. It removed the option to manage startup items for instance.
MSConfig can be accessed from the run command by using Windows-R, typing msconfig, and hitting the Enter-key.
Fixing Windows Cannot Find Msconfig
It happens in rare cases that Windows cannot start the application. The operating system displays the error message "Windows cannot find MSConfig. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then click Search.
Once you have made sure you have typed the name correctly, you may face a problem that may have been caused by data corruption, or a virus.
There are basically two possibilities why Windows displays the error message. The first is that the file is no longer in the default directory on the hard drive; The second that the file path in the Registry links to a wrong location or does not exist at all.
Finding MSConfig.exe
The first task is to locate msconfig.exe on the computer system to find out if the program exists. The default directory where Microsoft places the file is \WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\binaries on Windows XP systems and Windows\system32\ on Windows Vista systems and newer versions of Windows.
If the file turns out to be in that directory skip ahead to step 2 in which you check the correct file path in the Windows Registry. If the file is not there at all you need to add it back there. The easiest way to do that is by extracting it again from the Windows installation CD or DVD.
To extract it from the Windows CD you need to run a command from the command line. Press Windows-R, type cmd and hit the Enter-key.
Type in the following command if you run Windows XP: (assuming E is the letter of the drive containing the Windows CD and C:\WINDOWS\ the location of the Windows installation.
EXPAND -R E:\I386\MSCONFIG.EX_ C:\WINDOWS\PCHEALTH\HELPCTR\BINARIES
Windows Vista users run the following command instead: (again assuming E is the DVD drive and C:\Windows the Windows installation directory)
EXPAND -R E:\I386\MSCONFIG.EX_ C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32
Correcting the msconfig path
Windows stores path information about selected applications in the Windows Registry. Start the Windows Registry by using Windows-R, typing regedit, and hitting the enter-key. Then navigate to the following Registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths
Check if an entry named msconfig.exe exists. If it does check the default value which should be the path information pointing right to the location of msconfig.exe in the Windows directory. You can double-click the default entry to change the path if it is the wrong one.
If the msconfig.exe key does not exist in the Windows Registry do the following:
- Right-click the App Paths key and select New > Key from the menu that is appearing.
- Name the new key MSCONFIG.EXE.
- Double-click the default value in the right window and add the full path to msconfig.exe as the value. The default path is usually C:\Windows\System32\msconfig.exe, but you need to check it to make sure that it is correct.
The changes are immediate which means it is possible to try to run msconfig again to see if the change has fixed the problem.


What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277