Slow Windows XP Boot

My Windows XP SP2 computer boots up slower than it once did. During the splash screen the scroll bar takes 21-23 sweeps to finish. I suspected that a driver was the issue. I enabled boot log and resolved a few problems there but it still takes the same amount of time. Now I have tried booting in safe mode with the command prompt to watch the process. All of the drivers load fast with the last one being "agp440.sys" then there is a long delay.

Is "agp440.sys" the problem or is it the next step of the boot-up process that is causing the delay?
What is the next step in the boot-up process after the drivers are installed?

I ran multiple Virus Scan, Spyware and RootKit Removal, Defrag, ChkDsk and Disk Clean-up with no change in boot speed.

The IDE Transfer Mode is "Ultra DMA Mode 5"

I ran BootVis the report shows:
Disk Init Time = 4.11 Sec
Driver Init Time = 14.34 sec
*Prefecthing Init Time = 40.79 sec
Registry+Pagefile Init Time = 9.95 sec
Vedio Init Time = 1.16
Shell Init Time = 1.22 sec

I think I need to focus on reducing the Prfetching Init Time. Whatever that is.

 

You may benefit from general computer maintenance and also malware removal procedures. Work through this link http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407

Also you may have far too many software applications starting at boot up. These can be drastically reduced to just the necessary applications using StartUpCPL

I don't believe agp440.sys is your problem. This delay happens with many pc's when booting in to safe mode. I would not advise you to remove a system file unless you feel experienced enough in doing so, even with a current System Restore back up.

 

I've tried to reduce the number of programs and services that are started using MSCONFIG and AutoRUNS. I've also booted up in safe mode still slow.

What is prefetching?

 

In Windows>prefetch,open the folder,and delete all the files you see in the prefetch folder(but only the files in the folder not the folder).Restart you comp and see the boot time.
BTW,when is the last time you defrag your comp?

 

Prefetching is where the computer does something ahead of it's required time, such as the processor requesting something from main memory, to reduce the wait time when it is actually needed.

 

Bootvis was a major breakthrough. Between it and the "C:\Windows\Prefetch"
I have making hugh improvments in my boot-up time.

I'm new to this board so maybe it's not my place to critic the replys and I appreicate them all but when someone says that they removed malware and ran chkdsk or defrag don't replay by saying maybe you should run malware and defrag GEEZ. Read what I posted. I've been fighting this for months.

I've ran Malware Removal, Spybot, RootKit Removal, Adaware, CHKDSK, Disk Clean-up, Disk Defrag, UniBlue Registry Booster, Registery Defrag, RegRun Registry Compressor, DriverGuide, DriverAgent. I reduced the number of services to a bare minimum. I investigated and tweeked hundred of items using the SystInternals AutoRuns program.

Not a single one made one second difference in boot-up speed.

BootVis is the answer.
After chasing the issue off and on for months. Here are my results since I downloaded BootVis this afternoon.

(Note: some of these task overlap during the boot process)
- Original BootVis Report
Disk Init Time = 4.11 Sec
Driver Init Time = 14.34 sec
Prefecthing Init Time = 40.79 sec
Registry+Pagefile Init Time = 9.95 sec
Vedio Init Time = 1.16
Shell Init Time = 1.22 sec
Logon+Service = ? sec

- Ran Uniblue Registry Boster Registery Scan
- Ran CrapCleaner
- Ran Uniblue Registry Boster Registery Defrag
- Moved all the files in "C:\Windows\Prefetch" folder to a new folder.
Disk Init Time = 4.12 Sec
Driver Init Time = 11.94 sec
Prefecthing Init Time = 32.94 sec
Registry+Pagefile Init Time = 9.72 sec
Vedio Init Time = 1.18 sec
Shell Init Time = 1.09 sec
Logon+Service = 53.79 sec

-Ran BootVis Optimizer routine
Disk Init Time = 7.11 Sec
Driver Init Time = 11.83 sec
Prefecthing Init Time = 24.71 sec
Registry+Pagefile Init Time = 3.68 sec
Vedio Init Time = 1.39 sec
Shell Init Time = 1.00 sec
Logon+Service = 50.32 sec

 

People often come to the forums and state they ran malware removal applications. We have specific approved software here for that, and to be fair, the list you initially provided was not very comprehensive. Hence why I linked you in to the official MGs Malware Removal guide. Had you listed the full set of tools you eventually went on to list, my advice may have been to miss this step.

Also the Windows Disk clean up and defrag are pretty minimal, so other more effective tools are recommended in the guide.

Also to remove start up items through msconfig is not recommended due to the lack of back-up this provide should anything go wrong. StartUpCPL is a preferable application for this.

It is also helpful to remember that we are working blind here. We cannot see what you have done or what you are seeing, especially if you do not give us all the details. Not all advice given is bad advice, even if it is things you have already tried. Other members just voluntarily try to be thorough and effective in supporting you - please don't be too hard on them for simply trying to help you A little thanks goes a long way when we do provide something useful, such as an understanding of a term you are not familiar with

Glad you are getting the problem resolved

 

I shouldn't have said what I said but about the feedback, sorry that I went there. Yes it is hard working blind and not knowing what I've done if I don't tell you. Thanks for not coming down on me too hard for that and thanks for the input on StartUpCPL.

Back to this BootVis. I've read a lot of posts about slow boot-ups and never once heard anyone mention it. Or the "C:\Windows\Prefetch" folder. In order to solve a problem we must break it down into pieces. But like my posts gave you little info so does most available information about the boot-up process. I felt that I was working blind. It seems very hard to find a breakdown of what happens and when. Even AutoRuns doesn't tell the whole story.

BTW I downloaded BootVis from this site so qudos(sp?) to MajorGeeks.Com for having it. More people need to know about.