Windows XP forum: Windows XP takes a long time to startup

Have you ckecked for spyware&/or adware. Good Luck Gordon

I used bootvis on my laptop and all worked OK. But on my desktop I tired so many times and I got after the first reboot always the message "The number of physical drivesin the trace file is 0 - Trace file has invalid system configuration information"

Can someone shed some light on how to resolve ?
Thanks.

downloaded Microsoft BootVis, installed and executed exactly as per recomendation by Leo-Salceto in his ''Try this - Ms BootVis'' published 05/27/05 in response to ''Windows XP takes a long time to start'' -05/19/05 (dream431ca).
Now my computer will not boot up in normal mode. I can only start in ''Safe'' mode. I tried 'System Restore' to an earlier date without any effect. It will only start in safe mode. I suspect that some drivers got rmoved.(Leo has issued a revised instruction where he says not to click OK after selecting ''drivers delay option'')
I am afraid to download MS BootVis again and again go through the proces in Safe mode. I would be most grateful if either Leo Salceto or someone familier
with MS BootVis can help me.
Thanks
zeeman

"The number of physical drives in the trace file is 0 - Trace file has invalid system configuration information"

I get this same error message. I've yet to see a dircet answer to this
that resolves the issue. Is there one?

(havent yet found where to provide info below to always appear)

Windows XP Home / Athlon 2G / 1G ram / 2-internal 80g drives , 1 external 160g USB drive / ATI All-In-Wonder 9kPro Video-TV 64M

I know this thread is years old, but I only came across the problem recntly and it may help someone else looking for a solution. After much hunting around, discovered that temporararily disconnecting my USB card reader solved the problem...bootvis ran fine. I understand that you should also disconnect any other sort of USB drives you may have attached to your PC

Since some of you HAVE found that BootVis speeds up boot time, Microsoft's take on it may be confusing. Basically, they say that XP already has built-in boot optimization equivalent to BootVis. Here's the doc:
==========
BootVis.exe Tool for System Manufacturers
Updated: September 19, 2003

About Bootvis.exe
Bootvis.exe is a performance tracing and visualization tool that Microsoft designed to help PC system designers and software developers identify performance issues for boot/resume timing while developing new PC products or supporting software.

Please note that Bootvis.exe is not a tool that will improve boot/resume performance for end users. Contrary to some published reports, Bootvis.exe cannot reduce or alter a system's boot or resume performance. The boot optimization routines invoked by Bootvis.exe are built into Windows XP. These routines run automatically at pre-determined times as part of the normal operation of the operating system.

If you are an end-user seeking to resolve issues for boot/resume performance on your PC, we recommend that you contact the vendor from whom you purchased the PC. For information from Microsoft on specific issues, you can search Knowledge Base for Windows XP product issues related to "resume time." Knowledge Base is a free information service available at: http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=fh;[ln];kbhowto

You can also post questions to the Microsoft Windows XP Newsgroups at: http://support.microsoft.com/newsgroups/?pr=newsgwinxp&Product=winxp

If you are a software developer or system designer seeking assistance for using Bootvis.exe in your development efforts, please work with your usual Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) contacts for developer support. To get developer support if you do not already have a contact, please see: http://msdn.microsoft.com/support/

The Bootvis.exe tool is no longer available from this site.

When you follow the routine explained above, what you're doing essentially is forcing XP to carry out the optimization routine that Microsoft *hopes* their big OS will run for you now and then. And in an ideal Windows World, which we all know rarely exists, this might happen. But, Microsft's "official word" about BootVis is also that their objective was to optimize the prefetch parameters, etc., such that users (customer$)could get a fast boot--fewer than 30 seconds. Why? Because it's one of the major complaints regarding all Windows versions, and in marketing surveys they learned that it's near the top of the list of things customers wish Windows would do that it normally doesn't do. Nobody likes a slow boot, and Uncle Bill knows this. So, he sayeth, Let XP customers boot in fewer than 30 seconds, and it was so, and it was good.

Now, if you want to believe that using BootVis to force the process that Microsoft intends to happen but usually doesn't...if you want to believe that forcing this process won't *drastically* increase your boot speed, then that's fine.

Personally, when my PC is taking 58.8 seconds to boot, I'll make the assumption that the optimization routine that was supposed to have worked _didn't work_. And I'll take three minutes to run the routine manually. A computer of mine was actually taking 58.8 seconds to boot, I ran this program _precisely_ as one must, and it immediately began booting in 27.85 seconds, which is cool with me. After a couple of weeks I can check and usually the PC is taking longer to boot. I run BootVis and it's back, give or take a second or so, to 27.85. So, it seems to me, it's a case of 2 + 2 = 4.

I've seen XP machines that would take several MINUTES to boot, and they'd been running for _months_! So, why didn't the "built-in" optimization function fix this? Why hadn't it fixed my 58.8 second computer? I'll hazard a speculation: it was simply screwed up. Just as System Restore so often fails, so does any other program that's supposed to take care of itself fail. All the conditions necessary for such complex automations simply do not, in the real world, show up at the same time, in the precise place and manner required for the automation to work.

Peace,
Leo

I was having a lot of trouble with all programs opening I ran a complete bootvis and walla it made a big difference. thanks for the info

This is not your thread and to get the best attention, make a new post and follow the forum note you see in red letters.

If you toasted your OS with BootVis, prepare to reinstall the OS.

Bob

At the end of the install and run etc, I didn't get Bootvis graphical screen. I have run the prigram again I let it run without touching any keys etc still at the end I don;t get the screen you're talking about.

My computer takes 5 mins to completely boot up.I find this really annoying.I am 14 years old and i need advice how to make my boot time increase rapidly.I have an intel celeron processor win xp 256RAM and used up 5GB out of 24GB on my hard drive.If anyone replies,please give me step by step instructions how to increase my boot time using bootvis and any other software.Please use simple english and if you can't explain in simple english, use hard words that you can use.I am highly educated so i will definitely understand.

It's me again.Could anyone please tell me how make a new discussion and i ed to know how to increase the boot time for my comp.I have done all the things that you have told me to do but i need to know how to use bootvis in other ways to make the boot time reduce.I use mcafee security center and super antispyware.Only mcafee loads atstart up but i have alot of other screens that come up e.g intel celeron processor menu, an old screen coms up saying i have 32RAM and a load of other old description about my comp.I now have 256RAM so i just wanted to know how to take this screen off.I also have another screen that looks like a command prpmpt but does not display any information , just a blank screen.How coul i take these scrrens off because they take 30 secs to load up.

It was going o.k with 256ram at the start,took 1min to startup, then it took 2mins and now 2mins and 20secs.I need a solution e.g software and i need to know how to use boot vis.How do i look at my computers BIOS ?
I only allow mcafee to startup when my comp boots.
I have 1100 megahurtz.

Hello, my system was running real slow whenever it reboot, it would go to a blue screen a take a long time to show the desktop icons...so I say this bootvis and decided to give it a try and the first step in the process it shut down my Pc...at this time I thought it was apart of it it suppose to do...but it kept restarting and never boot fully...since my pc is unable to boot to tell exactly what's inside...from the top of my head...Wins_xp w/S2...1GB mem...2.4GH intel proc...I'm not sure what else I can tell about this system...I really would like some help with getting my system to boot fully...thanks in advance for your help.

do some general checking and cleaning first.

1] Check your Startup processes.

Goto Start > Run and type in ''msconfig'', (without the quotes), click the Startup tab and see what programs are loading on startup.

Anything there that you do not need immediately, or looks suspicious, remove the tick to stop it from loading when you startup.

You can use this site;
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm
to find out what all these programs are for. It is not an easy site to navigate, but is useful nevertheless.

2] Check your background running processes.

Right click the Taskbar, and select Task Manager. Click the Processes tab, and see what processes are running in the background. Any that you don't want, disable them in the Services console, (Start > Run, type in ''services.msc''). In the Services console click on the Extended tab, highlight the process you want to disable, right click, choose Properties, and change the Startup type: option.

This site will help you decide which processes are needed, which are not, and which are/maybe viruses;
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

3] Remove unwanted files.

Goto Start > All Programs > Accessories > System tools and click Disk Cleanup. Remove all Temporary Internet Files, Temp Files, and empty the Recycle Bin.

4] Use your suite of anti-malware programs.

Update the definitions of all your anti-malware programs, ie anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-adware, and in Safe Mode scan with each. (To enter Safe Mode, restart the computer, and just before it begins to load Windows, press the F8 key once a second until a startup options menu appears. Select Safe Mode).

5] If you have not done so recently, scan your disk for errors, and defrag the disk.

6] Make sure your firewall is turned on when you are connected to the internet.

Good luck

Mark