I came across this a long time ago but had totally forgotten about it (age you know)
It's a little Microsoft App called BootVis and it checks and tweaks your XP boot time.
Instructions:
Download BootVis:
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It's a little Microsoft App called BootVis and it checks and tweaks your XP boot time.
Instructions:
BootVis is freeware from MicroSoft. YES! Why? Who knows! (download link at bottom)
It's a great secret weapon to know about, at any rate. BootVis is a small downloadable program (half a meg?) that will precisely diagnose your PCs boot process. Then, it allows you to "Optimize System". You must know only two menu items to click. This is VERY IMPORTANT, for BootVis does a lot of very technical stuff that you don't need. Take the best functions (described below) and leave the rest, unless you know what you're doing.
Download the program (links below). Then proceed:
1. Install the program (click the .exe file)
2. Open from the Start> Programs Menu > Microsoft BootVis
3. Click the TRACE menu.
4. Select from Trace Menu the Next Boot + Drivers Delay option.
5. Small dialogue box will appear. Do nothing but click OK.
6. *Hands off,* now. Let your PC Reboot automatically. On its way back up (slower than usual), it will diagnose your startup routines. All this time, *hands off.* Do not touch the keyboard or the mouse.
8. Even when the PC has come back up to the desktop and appears to be doing nothing....*hands off.* It really IS doing something--you just can't see it. Be patient for just a bit... finally, you'll see the BootVis Interface with all your current boot time graphically displayed. Don't worry about this. Read it if you wish, but you don't need to.
9. Almost done! From the same menu as before, the TRACE menu, click the lowermost option: Optimize System.
10. After clicking Optimize System, *hands off* again! It's automatic from here. Let the PC reboot automatically, BUT:
11. This reboot will take quite a bit longer than normal. Be patient, even when the desktop returns, hands off. It is not done yet! It's done when the BootVis Graphical Information is finally displayed. A bar-type graph will show your new boot processes. How long it takes to load your drivers. How long for prefetch? How long for HDD delay? Etc. At the right end of the graph is a "stem" that rises above the other pieces of the graph, a straight vertical line with a little block on top. You can click (maybe right click) this little "stem" - the block - and see your boot time in 1/100ths of a second.
You can tweak your boot times with this routine as often as you wish. Once a month is probably plenty unless you're loading lots of programs or making other significant changes to msconfig or your boot files. The whole thing takes less than 5 minutes.
Before using BootVis, my boot time was 58.9 seconds. Now, 27.85 seconds.
BootVis's main thing is the optimization of you prefetch parameters. Among other things. You don't need to know anything about prefetch parameters, so don't worry. The good news: BootVis can lob off BIG LOTS OF TIME from your boot process. I think MicroSoft says, unless there's a big problem elsewhere, that the program should make your XP PC boot (from the bottom) in fewer than 30 seconds. My desktop, a big RAMBUS gorilla, boots in about 19 seconds. : ) Happy booting!
Leo Salcedo
Download BootVis:
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