Speed up boot times dramatically - try Bootvis

[Kenn]

After trying to tweak my system for optimal boot performance, I learned a few things, one of them unintuitive, and I wanted to share them.

1. A lot of people recommend disabling MS Task Scheduler because it's "rarely" used and constantly takes up system resources. However, after doing so, my system took longer to boot, and Windows Networking and IBM Access Connections took over 40 seconds after shell bootup to start. Apparently, Windows uses Task Scheduler to optimize startup order and boot times, and the benefits of leaving it on may outweigh the resource savings of disabling it. Go figure.

2. I downloaded an unsupported tool called Microsoft Bootvis (http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=664), which analyzes your boot process and optimizes it for speed. After running a trace + driver delay and optimizing, my boot times went from 52 seconds (well over a minute including networking) to 28 seconds total.

Now that everything has been reordered on disk, I might try turning off task scheduler again so it doesn't fudge anything up in the future, but for now, I'm very happy with the huge boot time improvements made to my previously unoptimized system

PS - bootvis isn't supported by MS, but I just ran it successfully on IBM preinstalled XP-Pro SP1 and SP2 RTM machines. Works like a charm.[/url]

[benz]

Does it normally take a long time (~10-15min and still counting) to optimize the boot files? I just selected "Optimize system" and let it reboot and now its sitting at the "Optimizing..." screen....

[Nabeel]

I'm afraid to use it...the last time I did, it booted up pretty quick, but everything else was so slow...

[Kenn]

Does it normally take a long time (~10-15min and still counting) to optimize the boot files? I just selected "Optimize system" and let it reboot and now its sitting at the "Optimizing..." screen....

Took about 3 minutes on both the 1.7 and the 1.8ghz t42s...

Did you do a trace first? It needs to reboot your machine and log the original boot order before it can optimize.

Also, if you've tweaked your XP services, make sure you have Com+, event log, rpc, task scheduler, and wmi enabled, bootvis needs those to run.

[Kenn]

I'm afraid to use it...the last time I did, it booted up pretty quick, but everything else was so slow...

So far, everything else is working as it should - odifying the boot order doesn't mess with how fast your programs/computer runs. Word, Onenote, Doom3 are all still runing at pre-bootvis speeds.

[Leon]

Does it or doesn't it? From Microsoft:

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.

[Kenn]

Does it or doesn't it?

Good question - here's the deal. If you're comfortable tweaking your system (modifying the registry, enabling/disabling services by hand, etc.), or if you've used other "unsupported" Microsoft applets like kerneltoys and powertoys, bootvis is the same thing. Microsoft doesn't officially support it, but they've provided it as a tool because a lot of users (and system integrators) know that not having a way to optimize boot order can make a PC seem slow.

Is there a chance it won't work ora chance it'll screw your system up royally? Yes, but it's pretty small. However, if you have important data and haven't backed up or don't have time to reinstall if something does go wrong, then you're right to be wary. But I've just run it on two t42s and just wanted to let people know that it worked brilliantly for both machines.

For me, shaving over 50 seconds of total boot time/driver load is worth the small chance that the program wouldn't work and the even smaller chance that it would seriously break something. But then, I'm also fairly confident that I would be able to recover from any less-than-fatal exception (and heck, there's always the Access IBM partition )

[sugo]

Kenn, by 28 seconds is it the time reported by Bootvis trace? Or does it include BIOS plus Logon/Services startup time?

[benz]

Ah, i realized i had Task Scheduler disabled....turned it back on and got a nice report of whats loading at startup or resume. Bootvis is a pretty nice program, but it really doesnt do anything different than a program I already have and use - DriverHeaven's TweakXP (which has an option to optimize bootup files in the same manner as bootvis...check it out theres a lot of other settings that can improve overall performance as well)

[Leon]

is Microsoft "lying" that "the boot optimization routines invoked by Bootvis.exe are built into Windows XP". ...and that "These routines run automatically at pre-determined times as part of the normal operation of the operating system"?

[benz]

It's probably stuff that they claim the Task Scheduler service does in the background...maybe thats the reason for everyone's HD clicking incessantly when they first get em!

[Kenn]

Kenn, by 28 seconds is it the time reported by Bootvis trace? Or does it include BIOS plus Logon/Services startup time?

28 seconds includes BIOS + shell + logon services (including wireless connection). The trace + driver delay shows the cutoff point at a similar timeframe.

[Kenn]

is Microsoft "lying" that "the boot optimization routines invoked by Bootvis.exe are built into Windows XP". ...and that "These routines run automatically at pre-determined times as part of the normal operation of the operating system"?

It's true that they have some routines in there, but usually bootvis can find a few tweaks in even an otherwise well-ordered standard XP setup...so yes and no?

[Nabeel]

I'm tempted to try it, but I don't wanna take the risk...I don't really shutdown/startup too often anyway, I often leave it on. Perhaps on my desktop I'll give it a try..

[apoll0]

Alright, let's settle it!
I timed my system before Bootvis optimization and after optimization. Here are the results (Win-XP SP1 used):

*First number is BEFORE, Second number is AFTER*

Boot
Start -> Usable: 67s 50s
Start -> Login: 25s 28s
Login -> Usable: 23s 13s

Reboot
Restart -> Bios: 32s 33s
Restart -> Usable: 102s 85s

Shutdown
Turn off -> Shut down: 20s 25s

Hibernate
Into: 14s 15s
Out-of: 14s 13s

Stand-by
Into: 4s 5s
Out-of: 6s 6s

From the results above, it seems Bootvis improve the boot-up time after the login. Everything else: no noticeble difference.

Programs/services running during startup: AVG anti-virus, Daemon Tools, Mobile Meter, Battery maximizer gauge, and some other light IBM drivers.

Kenn: 28s total boot-up time is outrages. I don't know how you manage to get those numbers. I'll try to re-run the optimization scheme to see if I get anywhere near that.

[apoll0]

Well, I re-run the trace and optimization over a couple of time, my start-up time from "boot" to "usable" is still at 50s. But this 17 seconds improvement compare to pre-bootvis
Thanks Kenn!

[yargok]

I installed bootvis, but when attempting to run a trace, it fails to write the file containing the boot info and crashes (the report to microsoft kind). Any ideas?

[Leon]

try restarting it and loading the file.... think it's really there..