BYO MSCONFIG toolbox using Mscfgtlc.xml

[®®®]

A Microsoft KB article was published showing how to add your own applications to the msconfig "Tools" tab in Vista. It works pretty straightforward by creating a file called "Mscfgtlc.xml", adding the tools you would like to show up and moving the file to the %WINDIR%\system32 folder.

I made an example file using the template you can find in the KB 954385 article:

<MSCONFIGTOOLS>

<TOOL NAME="Display IP Address" PATH="%windir%\system32\cmd.exe" DEFAULT_OPT="/k %windir%\system32\ipconfig.exe" ADV_OPT="/k %windir%\system32\ipconfig.exe /all" HELP="Displays the network IP address."/>

<TOOL NAME="Release IP Address" PATH="%windir%\system32\cmd.exe" DEFAULT_OPT="/k %windir%\system32\ipconfig.exe /release" ADV_OPT="" HELP="Releases the network IP address."/>

<TOOL NAME="Renew IP Address" PATH="%windir%\system32\cmd.exe" DEFAULT_OPT="/k %windir%\system32\ipconfig.exe /renew" ADV_OPT="" HELP="Renews the network IP address."/>

<TOOL NAME="Network Adapters" PATH="%windir%\system32\ncpa.cpl" DEFAULT_OPT="" ADV_OPT="" HELP="Shows Network Adapters"/>

<TOOL NAME="Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool" PATH="%windir%\system32\mrt.exe" DEFAULT_OPT="/F:Y" ADV_OPT="" HELP="Full Scan and automatically remove infections."/>

<TOOL NAME="File Signature Verification" PATH="%windir%\system32\sigverif.exe" DEFAULT_OPT="" ADV_OPT="" HELP="Scans and shows unsigned (aka not WHQL) drivers (and their corresponding files)."/>

<TOOL NAME="Driver Verifier Manager" PATH="%windir%\system32\verifier.exe" DEFAULT_OPT="" ADV_OPT="" HELP="Verifies stability of all drivers installed."/>

<TOOL NAME="Windows Error Reports and Solutions Center" PATH="%windir%\system32\wercon.exe" DEFAULT_OPT="" ADV_OPT="" HELP="Shows information and checks online for solutions to application problems you encountered in the past."/>

</MSCONFIGTOOLS>

Of course you can invoke all tools residing in %WINDIR%\system32 anyways by typing in the name of tool in the RUN box, but then again sometimes you cannot recall the filename (like rstrui aka RestoreCenter) that's why the msconfig approach is handy.

Feel free to add any more useful tools... and share with us.