WIN XP Very Slow at Splash Screen during Startup
I recently built myself a new computer. Let me give you the components:
-Asus A8N32 SLI Deluxe Motherboard
-2GB Crucial Ballistix RAM
-AMD Athlon X2 4400+ Processor
-Zalman CNPS 9500 Heatsink CPU Cooler
-OS Drive Western Digital Raptor 150GB SATA
-Data Drive Western Digital 400GB SATA
-Plextor 716A DVD/RW
-Liteon DVD-ROM
-Two nVidia 6800 Ultra PCIe graphics cards running in SLI
-PCI Expansion card with 3USB and 2Firewire ports on it
-Floppy Drive / Card Reader 3.5' Drive
-Windows XP Professional
Everything has been running very well. I have only one problem. After I have made any changes to Windows (ie firewall setting changes, install a new program, windows updates) it takes forever for the system to boot.
It posts and gets to the Windows splash screen with the bar on the bottom very fast. But then it sits at that screen for up to three minutes sometimes. Then it just continues to load fine and it runs great.
Please note that I only notice this after I have made changes. And not when I make ANY change. It seems kind of random. However, if I just go to the start menu and restart the computer, it would boot just fine and not spend the extra time at that screen right now. So it does not do this every time. Usually it does not do it unless I have changed something or installed some software or something. But if I just do a restart then it will not do it.
By the way I am not overclocking anything, and I have not overclocked anything on this system. I have the bios at all the defaults, the only things I changed were the boot options as far as the order. I disabled the floppy drive and card reader, and the second hard drive from the boot options thinking that maybe that was hanging it up, but it seems to make no difference. So right now I have everything disabled excpet my plextor DVD drive and the main hard drive for the boot sequence. It is set to look at the optical drive first, then move on to the hard drive. But changing this around did not seem to help either. It is after the windows splash screen loads.
Anybody have any ideas at all? Thanks so much!
-Asus A8N32 SLI Deluxe Motherboard
-2GB Crucial Ballistix RAM
-AMD Athlon X2 4400+ Processor
-Zalman CNPS 9500 Heatsink CPU Cooler
-OS Drive Western Digital Raptor 150GB SATA
-Data Drive Western Digital 400GB SATA
-Plextor 716A DVD/RW
-Liteon DVD-ROM
-Two nVidia 6800 Ultra PCIe graphics cards running in SLI
-PCI Expansion card with 3USB and 2Firewire ports on it
-Floppy Drive / Card Reader 3.5' Drive
-Windows XP Professional
Everything has been running very well. I have only one problem. After I have made any changes to Windows (ie firewall setting changes, install a new program, windows updates) it takes forever for the system to boot.
It posts and gets to the Windows splash screen with the bar on the bottom very fast. But then it sits at that screen for up to three minutes sometimes. Then it just continues to load fine and it runs great.
Please note that I only notice this after I have made changes. And not when I make ANY change. It seems kind of random. However, if I just go to the start menu and restart the computer, it would boot just fine and not spend the extra time at that screen right now. So it does not do this every time. Usually it does not do it unless I have changed something or installed some software or something. But if I just do a restart then it will not do it.
By the way I am not overclocking anything, and I have not overclocked anything on this system. I have the bios at all the defaults, the only things I changed were the boot options as far as the order. I disabled the floppy drive and card reader, and the second hard drive from the boot options thinking that maybe that was hanging it up, but it seems to make no difference. So right now I have everything disabled excpet my plextor DVD drive and the main hard drive for the boot sequence. It is set to look at the optical drive first, then move on to the hard drive. But changing this around did not seem to help either. It is after the windows splash screen loads.
Anybody have any ideas at all? Thanks so much!
ASKER
I have defragged it. But I have not run chkdsk. I will do that.
Thanks!
Thanks!
This free tool from Microsoft (no longer supported by MS) is still available around the internet, and may be of help:
http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/BootVis-Download-3465.html
BootVis is a performance trace visualization tool for use with Windows XP systems. Customer research shows a frequently requested feature that users want from their PCs is fast system startup, whether from cold boot or when resuming from standby or hibernation.
http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/BootVis-Download-3465.html
BootVis is a performance trace visualization tool for use with Windows XP systems. Customer research shows a frequently requested feature that users want from their PCs is fast system startup, whether from cold boot or when resuming from standby or hibernation.
ASKER
Thanks, I will give it a shot.
ASKER
Bootvis did not seem to help me out. Thanks for the ideas though!
ASKER
No one have anything to add on this topic?
ASKER
I found the answer!!!!!!
Turning off NCP option on my boot drive took care of the problem. Apparently the ASUS A8N32 board and some drives with NCQ enabled are causing the hang. I found this solution on some other boards.
SO, the answer is to disable NCQ on the boot drive and everything works great now.
Do I get the points since I answered my own question?
Turning off NCP option on my boot drive took care of the problem. Apparently the ASUS A8N32 board and some drives with NCQ enabled are causing the hang. I found this solution on some other boards.
SO, the answer is to disable NCQ on the boot drive and everything works great now.
Do I get the points since I answered my own question?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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No great revalations, I'm afraid. Just wondering if you have looked in the Event Logs for any errors. Also, have you run chkdsk on the boot drive and defragged it?
John