SAVE 10 seconds or more on Boot Up Time

[Donald]

Hi From Texas !

This helped me take off (try to remember) 10 or 15 seconds of my boot up time. I will say 10 seconds for sure. I can't say this will work for every one due to different computers and their configuration.-------- When you start up your computer, look for the black screen with the Windows XP logo. Below you will see green lights running from left to right and then repeating. That is the description of the part of the start up that takes your time. You can shorten the time that screen stays up when you boot up saving you from 10 seconds or more.(i hope). If you try this , MAKE A RESTORE POINT, or, Backup the registry. I like a restore point.-----OK-- count the seconds that the screen stays on (onethousand 1,onethousand 2,onethousand 3, and so on) and write them down BEFORE trying this. Now , after you have made the change , count again how long the screen stays on to see if you knocked off any seconds.-----------Don

Re:Slow Start up

If your problem is where the Windows Logo with the blue dots traveling across under the logo, then I recieved a wonderful fix. It does require a Reg hack so use it at your own discression. Back up your reg befofre using this info.

Click Start | Run and type regedit to open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to
HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentCongtrolSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters
In the right pane, right click EnablePrefetcher and select Modify.
Under Value data, change the value from 3 (the default) to 5.
Reboot and you will be amazed at the difference.

I wish I could take credit for this hack but it was passed on to me. It made a big difference on my machine. Best of luck

[imbest123]

Ya someone else posted this back a while ago. It does make a difference but it really depends on their configuration.

[DuNgA]

Just curious, but what do you actually mean by configurations?

[JTH]

Whoa sounds good but what does it cut down on to make it load faster??

[Force Flow]

Originally posted by JTH Whoa sounds good but what does it cut down on to make it load faster??

Hmm... kind of what I'm wondering.

[raftero]

i've wondered what that was,thought it was checking the disk like when you have shut off by pulling plug or something and it checks when you come back on?

[Force Flow]

It *looks* like it does something to either physical memory settings or virtual memory settings.

[EzyStvy]

http://tweakxp.com/display.aspx?id=557

This is an unique technique for XP, which could improve the performance significantly by tweaking the prefetcher (which is a cache folder).

1. run "regedit";
2. goto [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters\EnablePrefetcher];

3. Set the value to either 0-Disable, 1-App launch prefetch, 2-Boot Prefetch, 3-Both ("3" is recommended).

4. reboot.

Guess 5 is an undocumented number

[Statica]

PrefetchParameters is a registry value that controls how XP prefetches data. In short, XP stores a list of files that you frequently access into a prefetch directory (C:\Windows\Prefetch). Your system is basically anticipating what the computer usually needs and then stores it into a one-stop location that it accesses without having to go through your entire harddrive(s) looking for it. Then it during bootup these files are loaded up into your RAM. For example, if during bootup you have an antivirus service called viruskilla.dll, and a game that you are addicted to called killem.exe, then given the right parameters viruskilla.dll and killem.exe will be put in the prefetch directory and loaded up at boot.

Having said that, the above information as posted by Donald is erronous, to my knowledge (and I would appreciate it if you could explain it out more if you believe you are correct, as I would like to know it as well). And I would recommend that you read further.
The key
HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentCongtrolSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters\EnablePrefetcher recognizes only 4 SPECIFIC values

0: Disables Prefetch

1: Application Launch prefetch (this prefetches only the programs that you launch

2: Boot prefetch (this prefetches only files that are loaded during boot

3: Prefetch everything

In essence, I (to the best of my knowledge) do not know of any documented value other than 0,1,2 or 3. I would suspect that a non-specific value will simply disable prefetch, which accounts for a boost in boot speed, however, your frequently loaded programs would lag behind.

How to tweak your prefetch?
Typically, your system is set at 3, to prefetch everything. This may or may not work for you, so I would recommend the following.
Boot to windows, open windows explorer to C:\Windows\prefetch, and delete all the files in the folder. Now go to your reg. editor and change the aforementioned value to 0. Boot and use your computer and take note of system responsiveness. Shut down and reboot again and try to repeat what you did before. Mind you, it isnt just boot time you should be checking, but also load time for bigger programs etc. Once you have taken some readings. Go back and clean out your prefetch director, then change your registry setting to the next value. Repeat and take values. .. and so on.

The point is that more often than not prefetching does make significant difference at least for boot files. It may or may not make a difference if you arent using the same programs over and over. It is up to you to decide. For systems with low memory prefetching is a bad idea because it uses up your memory not for programs and files you want to use, but for programs and files that XP anticipates you will use. For systems with a lot of RAM, it doesnt matter because in spite of loading prefetch data there is lots of RAM left over to run something new.

The only positive step I can recommend is that you remember to clean out your prefetch directory once every few months, especially if you are in the habit of getting addicted to a program or a game and fiddling it with a lot initially and then slowly ignoring it.

HTH

[Donald]

Fort Worth Calling -Hi

Configuration of a computer is the way each person's computer is put together. My computer has different things built into it , or, added on by me which is different from your computers build. I may have 1000 MHz and I have 2000 MHz. Also, I have 512 RAM , but you have 128 RAM . You have different programs loaded into your computer then mine. Different Anti-virus programs we might have. Most of all , when you boot up your computer, you may have 2 programs in your start up, I may have 5 that open when I boot up. It takes time for Windows to add to your boot up time. That is what Configuration is as applied to a computer.---------------------O-- Well,-- people like me are always trying to find ways for our computers to get started FAST----- Don

P.S.: Some of the guys here, have posted more ways to speed up my computer that I will try.