- Find out how to set up OpenVPN on Windows 10. OpenVPN is one of the most secured protocols. It can be installed on all major OS. Find out how to set up OpenVPN on Windows 10. Try CactusVPN for Free. Use VPN and Smart DNS for free for 24 hours. Normally you’ll find it in the following path: C: Program Files OpenVPN config.
- Jan 09, 2018 The root web.config of default web site is displayed in c:inetpubwwwroot. Wwwroot folder is the root path of default web site. If it is not displayed, you could go to IIS manager and add a authorization rule. When IIS is writing the configuration, it will create the web.config automatically.
The 32-bit version of Windows 10 can run a 16-bit application. When you execute legacy application into Windows 10, Windows prompted to add NTVDM, the NT virtual DOS machine. After installing it and a restart you should be able to launch the application. But I noticed few applications running in Windows 7 cannot run (rightly) under Windows 8.1 or 10.
The vast majority of the computer programs we use — be they office suites, web browsers, or even video games — are configured through a system of menu interfaces. It has almost become the default way we use our machines. But some programs require you to take a step beyond that, and you actually have to edit a text file in order to get them to run as you wish.
These text files are — unsurprisingly enough — called “config files”. If you want to take the leap from “user” to “power user”, you’re going to need to know how to tweak them.
What Are Config Files?
Before we get into the technical nitty-gritty, let’s first concretely define what a configuration file is.
Config files are essentially files that contain information required for the successful operation of a program, which are structured in a particular way. Rather than being hard-coded in the program, they are user-configurable, and are typically stored in a plaintext file (although I have previously seen programs that have used SQLite databasesLearn SQL Or Create A Simple Database With SQLite Database BrowserLearn SQL Or Create A Simple Database With SQLite Database BrowserHave you ever found yourself in need of a database, but you can't really afford Microsoft Access, and you certainly can't afford to install and operate an Oracle server at home. Whether your goal is...Read More as their config files).
Surprisingly, there’s no defined standard on how config files should work, or what they should look like. It’s entirely up to the whim of the developer of the program.
Some config files are structured in a format of the developer’s own design. Others use widely-known standards used to structure data, like JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), YAML (YAML Ain’t Markup Language) or XML (eXtensible Markup Language) format. Some programs load the information stored in their config files when they start, while others periodically check to see if it has been changed.
Config Files In Windows 10 Desktop
If you’re a Linux user, you’re probably going to be familiar with these, as many basic maintenance tasks require you to edit config files. If you want to tweak GRUB to dual-boot your systemHow to Dual-Boot Windows & Linux OSes on Your ComputerHow to Dual-Boot Windows & Linux OSes on Your ComputerIt's like having two computers in one - start your system up and choose between Windows and Linux. It's called dual-booting, and it gives you access to two of the best operating systems on the...Read More, or set up a web serverHow To Set Up An Apache Web Server In 3 Easy StepsHow To Set Up An Apache Web Server In 3 Easy StepsWhatever the reason is, you may at some point want to get a web server going. Whether you want to give yourself remote access to certain pages or services, you want to get a community...Read More, you’re going to have to deal with them.
Although it’s not an exclusively Linux thing. Depending on what you’re doing, you might have to edit them in Windows or Mac OS X.
What Do Config Files Look Like?
Now, let’s take a look at some real-world config files. As we mentioned earlier, they come in all different shapes and sizes. One config file you’re almost certainly familiar with is the hosts file, which is used on Windows, Mac, and Linux to manually map IP addresses to hostnames.
On Windows, you can find it under c:windowssystem32driversetchosts. On Mac and Linux, it’ll be in /etc/hosts.
As you’ll notice, the hosts file uses whitespace to separate elements, with each hostname having its own line. Furthermore, the hosts file allows the user to add annotations and comments, which all begin with a hash symbol.
Where Is Fsx Config File In Windows 10
On Linux and Mac OS X, some programs require the user to store the config file in the home directory, with a period at the beginning of the filename. These config files sometimes have the file extension .rc, and are colloquially called “dotfiles”.
One program which follows this particular convention is the Vim text editorThe Top 7 Reasons To Give The Vim Text Editor A ChanceThe Top 7 Reasons To Give The Vim Text Editor A ChanceFor years, I've tried one text editor after another. You name it, I tried it. I used each and every one of these editors for over two months as my primary day-to-day editor. Somehow, I...Read More. In the past, we’ve talked about how to customize VIM by editing its config fileVim Is Awesome: Make It Better With These 5 CustomizationsVim Is Awesome: Make It Better With These 5 CustomizationsText editors might not be sexy, but they are important. One of the most powerful Linux text editors is VIM (short for, Vi Improved), and here we show you how to extend its functionality further.Read More.
Config files are even used by video games to define and control some of the behavior, such as keymappings. The config file below is taken from Black Mesa — a fan-made remake of the original Half Life.
In the original Deus Ex, which was released in 2000, the user actually had to edit the config file to enable cheats!
How to Edit Config Files
So, now we know what config files are used for, let’s talk about how we can edit them.
To do this, you’re going to need a text editor. Don’t use a word processor, as these can add formatting to the file which would prevent them from being read by the program.
Windows users already have a text editor pre-installed. I’m talking about Notepad. Although it’s worth stressing that there are a number of great third-party text editors available for Windows, including Notepad++, Atom, and Sublime Text Editor.
On Linux, the closest analog to Notepad is Geditgedit: One Of The Most Feature-Filled Plain Text Editors [Linux & Windows]gedit: One Of The Most Feature-Filled Plain Text Editors [Linux & Windows]When you think of plain text editors, the first thing that may pop into your head is Windows' Notepad application. It does exactly what its job description states - plain features for a plain text...Read More. You also might want to consider using a command-line text editor, like Nano or Vimnano vs. vim: Terminal Text Editors Comparednano vs. vim: Terminal Text Editors ComparedAlthough Linux has become easy enough for practically anyone to use without ever having to use the Terminal, there are some of us who regularly use it or are curious about how one can control...Read More. For the sake of sheer efficiency, I heavily lean towards the Vim text editor. This makes it easy for me to precisely jump to different positions within the config file, simply by using just a handful of keystrokes.
On Mac OS X (or MacOS Sierra, is it will soon be knownWhat's New in macOS Sierra? The New Features Coming to Your MacWhat's New in macOS Sierra? The New Features Coming to Your MacOS X is dead, long live macOS.Read More), there are a number of text editors that come pre-installed. You’re probably familiar with TextMate. It also includes a number of command-line text editors, like Vim and Nano.
When you edit the file, it’s important to ensure you follow the conventions of it. This can be worked out just by looking at it. Some config files, like the hosts file, will explain these conventions to you. Others will force you to read some documentation, or a couple of blog posts.
Finally, if the config file being edited is structured in a JSON or XML format, you might want to use a more powerful text editor with syntax highlighting. I recommend Atom. This will improve your accuracy by showing you when you’ve made a mistake.
What If It Isn’t Working?
Finally, let’s touch on what happens when things go wrong. In my own experience, the problems associated with editing config files tend to fall into two camps.
The first is permissions. If you’re unable to save your changes, it could be because you’re trying to do it as an ordinary user. In order to prevent accidental damage, many config files are only editable by those with administrator-level privileges.
Fixing this is easy. On Mac and Linux, try escalating your privileges with the sudo command. So, if you were editing your hosts file, you’d run:
On Windows, right-click Notepad (or whatever text editor you’re using) and select Run as administrator.
The second common problem is user error. If things aren’t working, it might be your fault. Check that you haven’t made any typos, and that you’ve followed the conventions of the config file. It does sound obvious, I know, but a simple spelling mistake, or forgetting to close a pair of speech marks can render your entire file useless.
A good way to avoid problems is to make a copy of the config file before you make any changes. This way, if something goes wrong, you can restore the copy and start again!
Config Files Are Important
More than important, they’re an essential part of using Linux. Knowing how to properly edit them can help you endlessly.
Are there any other essential skills you feel that beginner-to-intermediate Linux users need to know? Let me know in the comments below.
Explore more about: Linux, Terminal.
- Thank you! This was very useful.
Config.xml File
The Config.xml file is an optional User State Migration Tool (USMT) 10.0 file that you can create using the /genconfig option with the ScanState.exe tool. If you want to include all of the default components, and do not want to change the default store-creation or profile-migration behavior, you do not need to create a Config.xml file.
However, if you are satisfied with the default migration behavior defined in the MigApp.xml, MigUser.xml and MigDocs.xml files, but you want to exclude certain components, you can create and modify a Config.xml file and leave the other .xml files unchanged. For example, you must create and modify the Config.xml file if you want to exclude any of the operating-system settings that are migrated. It is necessary to create and modify this file if you want to change any of the default store-creation or profile-migration behavior.
The Config.xml file has a different format than the other migration .xml files, because it does not contain any migration rules. It contains only a list of the operating-system components, applications, user documents that can be migrated, as well as user-profile policy and error-control policy. For this reason, excluding components using the Config.xml file is easier than modifying the migration .xml files, because you do not need to be familiar with the migration rules and syntax. However, you cannot use wildcard characters in this file.
For more information about using the Config.xml file with other migration files, such as the MigDocs.xml and MigApps.xml files, see Understanding Migration XML Files.
Note To exclude a component from the Config.xml file, set the migrate value to 'no'. Deleting the XML tag for the component from the Config.xml file will not exclude the component from your migration.
In This Topic
In USMT there are new migration policies that can be configured in the Config.xml file. For example, you can configure additional <ErrorControl>, <ProfileControl>, and <HardLinkStoreControl> options. The following elements and parameters are for use in the Config.xml file only.
<Policies>
The <Policies> element contains elements that describe the policies that USMT follows while creating a migration store. Valid children of the <Policies> element are <ErrorControl> and <HardLinkStoreControl>. The <Policies> element is a child of <Configuration>.
Syntax:
<Policies> </Policies>
<ErrorControl>
The <ErrorControl> element is an optional element you can configure in the Config.xml file. The configurable <ErrorControl> rules support only the environment variables for the operating system that is running and the currently logged-on user. As a workaround, you can specify a path using the (*) wildcard character.
- Number of occurrences: Once for each component
- Parent elements: The <Policies> element
- Child elements: The <fileError> and <registryError> element
Syntax:
<ErrorControl></ErrorControl>
The following example specifies that all locked files, regardless of their location (including files in C:Users), should be ignored. However, the migration fails if any file in C:Users cannot be accessed because of any other reason. In the example below, the <ErrorControl> element ignores any problems in migrating registry keys that match the supplied pattern, and it resolves them to an Access denied error.
Additionally, the order in the <ErrorControl> section implies priority. In this example, the first <nonFatal> tag takes precedence over the second <fatal> tag. This precedence is applied, regardless of how many tags are listed.
Important The configurable <ErrorControl> rules support only the environment variables for the operating system that is running and the currently logged-on user. As a workaround, you can specify a path using the (*) wildcard character.
<fatal>
The <fatal> element is not required.
- Number of occurrences: Once for each component
- Parent elements: <fileError> and <registryError>
- Child elements: None.
Syntax:
<fatal errorCode='any'>
<pattern></fatal>
Parameter | Required | Value |
---|---|---|
errorCode | No | 'any' or 'specify system error message here' |
You use the <fatal> element to specify that errors matching a specific pattern should cause USMT to halt the migration.
<fileError>
The <fileError> element is not required.
- Number of occurrences: Once for each component
- Parent elements: <ErrorControl>
- Child elements: <nonFatal> and <fatal>
Syntax:
<fileError></fileError>
You use the <fileError> element to represent the behavior associated with file errors.
<nonFatal>
The <nonFatal> element is not required.
- Number of occurrences: Once for each component
- Parent elements: The <fileError> and <registryError> elements.
- Child elements: None.
Syntax:
<nonfatal errorCode='any'>
<pattern></nonFatal>
Parameter | Required | Value |
---|---|---|
<errorCode> | No | 'any' or 'specify system error message here'. If system error messages are not specified, the default behavior applies the parameter to all system error messages. |
You use the <nonFatal> element to specify that errors matching a specific pattern should not cause USMT to halt the migration.
<registryError>
The <registryError>element is not required.
- Number of occurrences: Once for each component
- Parent elements: <ErrorControl>
- Child elements: <nonfatal> and <fatal>
Syntax:
<registryError></registryError>
Parameter | Required | Value |
---|---|---|
<errorCode> | No | 'any' or 'specify system error message here'. If system error messages are not specified, the default behavior applies the parameter to all system error messages. |
You use the <registryError> element to specify that errors matching a specific pattern should not cause USMT to halt the migration.
<HardLinkStoreControl>
The <HardLinkStoreControl> element contains elements that describe how to handle files during the creation of a hard-link migration store. Its only valid child is <fileLocked>.
Syntax:
<HardLinkStoreControl> </HardLinkStoreControl>
- Number of occurrences: Once for each component
- Parent elements: <Policies>
- Child elements: <fileLocked>
Syntax:
<HardLinkStoreControl></HardLinkStoreControl>
The <HardLinkStoreControl> sample code below specifies that hard links can be created to locked files only if the locked file resides somewhere under C:Users. Otherwise, a file-access error occurs when a locked file is encountered that cannot be copied, even though is technically possible for the link to be created.
Important The <ErrorControl> section can be configured to conditionally ignore file access errors, based on the file’s location.
<fileLocked>
The <fileLocked> element contains elements that describe how to handle files that are locked for editing. The rules defined by the <fileLocked> element are processed in the order in which they appear in the XML file.
Syntax:
<fileLocked></fileLocked>
<createHardLink>
The <createHardLink> element defines a standard MigXML pattern that describes file paths where hard links should be created, even if the file is locked for editing by another application.
Syntax:
<createHardLink>
<pattern></createHardLink>
<errorHardLink>
The <errorHardLink> element defines a standard MigXML pattern that describes file paths where hard links should not be created if the file is locked for editing by another application. USMT will attempt to copy files under these paths into the migration store. However, if that is not possible, Error_Locked is thrown. This is a standard Windows application programming interface (API) error that can be captured by the <ErrorControl> section to either cause USMT to skip the file or abort the migration.
Syntax:
<errorHardLink>
<pattern></errorHardLink>
<ProfileControl>
This element is used to contain other elements that establish rules for migrating profiles, users, and policies around local group membership during the migration. <ProfileMigration> is a child of <Configuration>.
Syntax: <
ProfileControl> </ProfileControl>
<localGroups>
This element is used to contain other elements that establish rules for how to migrate local groups. <localGroups> is a child of <ProfileControl>.
Syntax:
<localGroups> </localGroups>
<mappings>
This element is used to contain other elements that establish mappings between groups.
Syntax:
<mappings> </mappings>
<changeGroup>
This element describes the source and destination groups for a local group membership change during the migration. It is a child of <localGroups>. The following parameters are defined:
Parameter | Required | Value |
---|---|---|
From | Yes | A valid local group on the source machine that contains users selected for migration on the command line. |
To | Yes | A local group that the users are to be moved to during the migration. |
appliesTo | Yes | nonmigratedUsers, migratedUsers, AllUsers. This value defines which users the change group operation should apply to. |
The valid and required children of <changeGroup> are <include> and <exclude>. Although both can be children at the same time, only one is required.
Syntax:
<changeGroup From='Group1' To= 'Group2'> </changeGroup>
<include>
This element specifies that its required child, <pattern>, should be included in the migration.
Syntax:
<include>``</include>
<exclude>
This element specifies that its required child, <pattern>, should be excluded from the migration.
Syntax:
<exclude>`` </exclude>
Sample Config.xml File
Refer to the following sample Config.xml file for additional details about items you can choose to exclude from a migration.