X41 HDD slow, so why not run windows from the SD card?

Message

matt.choules · #1 Post by **matt.choules** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 11:30 pm

Anyone know if this would be possible?
Install a slipstreamed copy of windows onto a 4GB SD card, and run it from the built in reader?
Thought then maybe the internal 1.8 inch could be used for storage or whatever...?

I plan to get another gig of RAM for mine, and am trying to figure out what programs i can remove from the processes list too... If anyone can suggest things taht can be gotten rid of, that would be great.

matt.choules · #2 Post by **matt.choules** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:51 pm

Any thoughts on this?

#3 Post by **tomh009** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:00 pm

Have you tested your SD card speed? How long does it take copying a 1 GB file ...
1. From HD to HD
2. From HD to SD
3. From SD to HD

That'll probably give you a good idea of whether it can be made to work ...

pianowizard · #4 Post by **pianowizard** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:37 pm

I bet the SD card is even slower than the 4200rpm HDD.

K0LO · #5 Post by **K0LO** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:04 pm

Not to mention that the X41 can't boot from the SD card....

matt.choules · #6 Post by **matt.choules** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:05 pm

Int. HDD = 1.8 inch 4200rpm IBM drive
SD = Viking Interworks SD card via Internal SD Reader
Ext. HDD = 3.5 inch Maxtor 60gb 7200rpm (6L040J2) via USB2.0

Test results:

Int. HDD to SD - 4 min 08 secs
SD to Int. HDD - 5 min 47 secs
Int. HDD to Ext. HDD - 0 min 48 secs
Ext. HDD to Int. HDD - 0 min 50 secs
SD to Ext. HDD - 5 min 51 secs
Ext. HDD to SD - 4 min 08 secs

File size 999,769,962 bytes

I gather from this that the card i am testing is not a very quick one, but it was only a budget one:
http://www.vikingcomponents.com/varchiv ... _sheet.pdf
If i got a new faster one:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0070176324
Maybe it might be faster?

What do you guys think?

Moderator edit: Shortened second URL link

matt.choules · #7 Post by **matt.choules** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:16 pm

Really? Theres no way to boot from the SD?
Not even if you take off the security functions (fingerprint reader etc)?

#8 Post by **tomh009** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:18 pm

matt.choules wrote:I gather from this that the card i am testing is not a very quick one, but it was only a budget one

Since you are only getting about 4 MB/s, I suspect it's not the card but the X41's SD interface. My X31's CF interface is quite slow, and it looks like the same might be true of your X41's SD interface.

SD card performance info here:
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/no_nav ... =6007-8472

matt.choules · #9 Post by **matt.choules** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 7:38 am

When my camera equipment is returned by the police i shall do another with my faster SD card, but i see you points...

I guess i'll just have to cut down the running processes to a minimum and hope the RAM does the rest!

If i posted a HiJackThis report could anyone help be get rid of the non-essential tasks please?

matt.choules · #10 Post by **matt.choules** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:22 am

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 1:26:55 PM, on 12/18/2006
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Virtual Token\vtserver.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ibmpmsvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\EvtEng.exe
C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\S24EvMon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\IPSSVC.EXE
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashServ.exe
C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\Bluetooth Software\bin\btwdins.exe
C:\Program Files\Sunbelt Software\Personal Firewall\kpf4ss.exe
C:\Program Files\mst software\mst Defrag\mstDfrgS.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\QCONSVC.EXE
C:\Program Files\Sunbelt Software\Personal Firewall\kpf4gui.exe
C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\RegSrvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMAgent.exe
c:\program files\lenovo\system update\suservice.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\TPHDEXLG.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\TpKmpSVC.exe
C:\Program Files\IBM ThinkVantage\Rescue and Recovery\rrservice.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Lenovo\Scheduler\tvtsched.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe
C:\Program Files\Sunbelt Software\Personal Firewall\kpf4gui.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\tp4serv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\TpShocks.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\ThinkPad\UTILIT~1\EzEjMnAp.Exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Lenovo\PkgMgr\HOTKEY\TPHKMGR.exe
C:\Program Files\Lenovo\PkgMgr\HOTKEY\TPONSCR.exe
C:\Program Files\Lenovo\PkgMgr\HOTKEY_1\TpScrex.exe
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMax4PNP.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\THINKV~2\PrdCtr\LPMGR.exe
C:\Program Files\IBM ThinkVantage\Client Security Solution\cssauth.exe
C:\Program Files\IBM ThinkVantage\SafeGuard PrivateDisk\pdservice.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast4\ashDisp.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Lenovo\Scheduler\scheduler_proxy.exe
C:\Program Files\ThinkVantage\AMSG\Amsg.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\IBM ThinkVantage\Client Security Solution\pwmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\msiexec.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Matt\Desktop\HijackThis.exe

O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: DriveLetterAccess - {5CA3D70E-1895-11CF-8E15-001234567890} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\dla\tfswshx.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TrackPointSrv] tp4serv.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IgfxTray] C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TPKMAPHELPER] C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\Utilities\TpKmapAp.exe -helper
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TpShocks] TpShocks.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TP4EX] tp4ex.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ControlCenter] "C:\Program Files\ThinkVantage Fingerprint Software\ctlcntr.exe" /startup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [EZEJMNAP] C:\PROGRA~1\ThinkPad\UTILIT~1\EzEjMnAp.Exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TPHOTKEY] C:\PROGRA~1\Lenovo\PkgMgr\HOTKEY\TPHKMGR.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMAXPnP] C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMax4PNP.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMAX] C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\Smax4.exe /tray
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LPManager] C:\PROGRA~1\THINKV~2\PrdCtr\LPMGR.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [cssauth] "C:\Program Files\IBM ThinkVantage\Client Security Solution\cssauth.exe" silent
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PDService.exe] "C:\Program Files\IBM ThinkVantage\SafeGuard PrivateDisk\pdservice.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PWRMGRTR] rundll32 C:\PROGRA~1\ThinkPad\UTILIT~1\PWRMGRTR.DLL,PwrMgrBkGndMonitor
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [BLOG] rundll32 C:\PROGRA~1\ThinkPad\UTILIT~1\BatLogEx.DLL,StartBattLog
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avast!] C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast4\ashDisp.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TVT Scheduler Proxy] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Lenovo\Scheduler\scheduler_proxy.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [amsg] C:\Program Files\ThinkVantage\AMSG\Amsg.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: Send To &Bluetooth - C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\Bluetooth Software\btsendto_ie_ctx.htm
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\IBM\Java142\jre\bin\NPJPI142.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: IBM Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\IBM\Java142\jre\bin\NPJPI142.dll
O9 - Extra button: Software Installer - {D1A4DEBD-C2EE-449f-B9FB-E8409F9A0BC5} - C:\Program Files\Lenovo\PkgMgr\\PkgMgr.exe
O11 - Options group: [JAVA_IBM] Java (IBM)
O18 - Protocol: widimg - {EE7C2AFF-5742-44FF-BD0E-E521B0D3C3BA} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\btxppanel.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: igfxcui - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\igfxsrvc.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: NavLogon - C:\WINDOWS\
O20 - Winlogon Notify: psfus - C:\Program Files\ThinkVantage Fingerprint Software\psfus.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: QConGina - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\QConGina.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: tpfnf2 - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\notifyf2.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: tphotkey - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\tphklock.dll
O23 - Service: avast! iAVS4 Control Service (aswUpdSv) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Antivirus - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashServ.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Web Scanner - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe" /service (file missing)
O23 - Service: Bluetooth Service (btwdins) - Broadcom Corporation - C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\Bluetooth Software\bin\btwdins.exe
O23 - Service: EvtEng - Intel Corporation - C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\EvtEng.exe
O23 - Service: ThinkPad PM Service (IBMPMSVC) - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ibmpmsvc.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\1150\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: IPS Core Service (IPSSVC) - Lenovo Ltd. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\IPSSVC.EXE
O23 - Service: Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall 4 (KPF4) - Sunbelt Software - C:\Program Files\Sunbelt Software\Personal Firewall\kpf4ss.exe
O23 - Service: mst Defrag Service (mstDfrgS) - mst software, Martin Stiemerling, Germany - C:\Program Files\mst software\mst Defrag\mstDfrgS.exe
O23 - Service: IBM PSA Access Driver Control (PsaSrv) - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\PsaSrv.exe
O23 - Service: QCONSVC - Lenovo - C:\WINDOWS\System32\QCONSVC.EXE
O23 - Service: RegSrvc - Intel Corporation - C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\RegSrvc.exe
O23 - Service: Spectrum24 Event Monitor (S24EventMonitor) - Intel Corporation - C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\S24EvMon.exe
O23 - Service: SoundMAX Agent Service (SoundMAX Agent Service (default)) - Analog Devices, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMAgent.exe
O23 - Service: System Update (SUService) - - c:\program files\lenovo\system update\suservice.exe
O23 - Service: ThinkPad HDD APS Logging Service (TPHDEXLGSVC) - Lenovo. - C:\WINDOWS\System32\TPHDEXLG.EXE
O23 - Service: IBM KCU Service (TpKmpSVC) - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\TpKmpSVC.exe
O23 - Service: TSS Core Service (TSSCoreService) - IBM - C:\Program Files\IBM ThinkVantage\Client Security Solution\ibmtcsd.exe
O23 - Service: TVT Backup Service - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\IBM ThinkVantage\Rescue and Recovery\rrservice.exe
O23 - Service: TVT Scheduler - Lenovo Group Limited - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Lenovo\Scheduler\tvtsched.exe
O23 - Service: Protector Suite Virtual Token (vtserver) - UPEK Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Virtual Token\vtserver.exe

seneca · #11 Post by **seneca** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 9:16 am

tomh009 wrote:
matt.choules wrote:I gather from this that the card i am testing is not a very quick one, but it was only a budget one
Since you are only getting about 4 MB/s, I suspect it's not the card but the X41's SD interface. My X31's CF interface is quite slow, and it looks like the same might be true of your X41's SD interface.

SD card performance info here:
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/no_nav ... =6007-8472

Have you tried booting something off the CF-slot? And btw, the gains of using a flash card as a hdd is lower power consumption and faster seek times. Not throughput.

matt.choules · #12 Post by **matt.choules** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 1:33 pm

The x41 has an SD slot only. No CF.

#13 Post by **tomh009** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:14 pm

You could use a CardBus CF adapter but that would still only give you about 6 MB/s.

But without a swap file it might still be OK ... could be worth a shot.

matt.choules · #14 Post by **matt.choules** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 5:12 pm

I need my laptop for music production, for which i use an Echo Indigo pcmcia card... So i can't really do that either.

Hmmm.... i guess the boot from flash memory isn't going to come to anything.

Can anyone help me work through the needless tasks in my HJT report?

^_^

#15 Post by **tomh009** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 9:47 pm

I find it hard to work through other people's process lists as I don't know what you need and what is important to you. Do you use Bluetooth? Intel wireless and IBM Access Connections? Do you need a third-party firewall and Internet security suite in addition to what Windows has built in? And so on ...

But what I would suggest is that you take a look at Task Manager after you have been running all day. Look at those processes and see which ones are using up 20-50-100 MB of memory -- or have used up 30+ seconds of CPU time, and think about whether you have actually used them today ...

The next step would be to add the i/o columns to Task Manager, especially since your disk is slow, and look at the amount of i/o they are doing ...

dsigma6 · #16 Post by **dsigma6** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 8:21 am

like tomh009 said, only you can determine what is "unnecessary." You can turn off tons of processes, like r&r, lenovo scheduler, css, pkgmgr, but once again, only you know what you want.

(not that I recommend turning them off, just saying)

matt.choules · #17 Post by **matt.choules** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:04 pm

I've stopped windows firewall and am using kerio and avast as they are the lightest i can find, as for bluetooth, i never use it.
I occasionally use wireless, but i tend to turn it on and off as needed...
Not sure what IBM Access Connections is for really.

As for CPU time, these are the worst:

mstDefragS.exe 0:22:39 - lovely software, but can't figure out how to make it run only when i want it to, and not at start up.
kpf4ss.exe 0:21:37 - kerio, needed.
IPSSVC.exe 0:16:32 - no idea what this is
vtserver.exe 0:06:41 - no idea what this is

System Up Time: 1 day, 6 hours, 37 mins.

can anyone tell me what AMSG.exe is for?

dsigma6 · #18 Post by **dsigma6** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:44 pm

Did you do a google search for AMSG.exe? I did, and the first result pointed to ThinkVantage.

matt.choules · #19 Post by **matt.choules** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:01 pm

Been trying to figure out what ThinkVantage actually is...
As far as i can tell its a collection of programs to try and make your pc/laptop more secure, run better and generally ease use.
Thats fine, but some of these things i could do without.
Are these running by default upon windows login?

I can't see me needing the following from start-up:
Access IBM
IBM Rescue and Recovery
IBM System Migration Assistant
Simplified Asset management

(Although i might want to use them in the future... So i don't really want to uninstall all of them)

Can i disable them from running at login, by which i mean, does anyone know the process names of these particular programs?

Many thanks.

#20 Post by **tomh009** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:54 am

I believe all those are downloadable from Lenovo so you can uninstall for now.

Your IPSSVC is a VPN client and VTSERVER is the fingeprint reader software.

As for Access Connections, some readers here swear by it (you can set up wireless profiles and it will only connect to the wireless network in that profile). Personally I use Windows' built-in stuff which will connect to any preferred network within range. Either one can work well -- if you ever only connect to a handful of networks (and they are not called "default" or "linksys") the Windows one is probably the easier one.

X41 HDD slow, so why not run windows from the SD card?

X41 HDD slow, so why not run windows from the SD card?

Who is online