Need help with Bootvis - PLEEEEEEASE!!!! K56warnin

[dzikson]

My PC boots over a minute. It's an AMD 2000+ XP, MSI K7T266 Pro2, R8500, 512MB PC2100. Below is the trace from bootvis. I did optimization several times but it doesn't help. I even reformated and reinstalled windows. Tell me what's wrong here please.

[Mr.Tweak]

What other hardware do you use?

[dzikson]

AMD 2000+ XP
MSI K7T266 Pro2
512 MB PC 2100
R8500
2 x IBM 60GB 60 GXP (not making any strange sounds or anything)
Plextor 16/10/40 (actually not unhooked 'cause there's smth wrong with it, PC won't boot when I hook it up)
Pioneer 16X DVD
SoundBlaster Platinum
3Com NIC

BTW, isn't that network delay to long?????

[Mr.Tweak]

Pretty standard setup, sounds like a driver problem to me - HAve you updated all of your drivers to the latest versions?

[dzikson]

I've never had that problem before though. I had my problems but a fresh install always took care of everything and it used to boot after the bar (on WinXp boot screen) moved 3 times. Now I counted it's 27 times!!!!!!!!!!!!! Again it's a brand new XP install and I haven't installed anything else either, except latest R8500 drivers. What else can I check? 4in1's - they come with XP right?

[PersianImmortal]

For starters get rid of some of your startup programs. I can tell you for certain that CTFMON.EXE is completely unecessary. It's a file used by the MS Accessibility tools and unless you're using the accessibility tools, go into MSConfig - Startup tab (Start>Run>MSConfig) and untick it. There may be others depending on what you think you absolutely have to have at startup (I have nothing but RivaTuner low level overclocking on my startup).

As for the delay, it looks to be because it's looking for some network resources and can't find them. It has something to do with your NIC settings, so concentrate there.

Generally a delay like this occurs when XP is looking for something and can't find it. It will retry over and over and time out, usually after a minute or so. So you need to go very carefully over your settings. It doesn't sound like a driver setting because you said you reformatted and it still happens, so it's likely a BIOS setting or a connection fault of some sort.

Sorry I can't be more specific.

[bigjackusa]

Load the latest 4-in-1 drivers listed on the mobo makers site. Windows usually does a poor job of it on its own. You said you didn't load anything else but vid drivers. How come nprotect.exe (Norton Utilities) and nopdb.exe (Speed disk) are running? Is Speed disk set to optimize load times in the background?

[Wiggo]

Also the 4 in 1's that come with XP are pretty dated and using the latest is better. ;)
<center>:cheers:</center>

[PersianImmortal]

Yes forgot to mention the 4-in-1s. I have a quick Via 4-in-1 Driver Recommendations/FAQ post I've reproduced here at Tweaktown Via Forums.

Check it out, it'll answer all your 4-in-1 questions (I hope) :)

[dzikson]

Yeah, I forgot about Norton Utilities 2002.

How do you install 4in1's on WinXP???? Anytime I tried doing this it goes through the install but when I check in device manager it still shows the old ones.

[bigjackusa]

Try reading PersianImmortal's post in the VIA forum like he suggested.

[dzikson]

OK, I read it and still can't install the PCU to CPI bridge. I tried update driver both automatic and manual but it still says Microsoft driver.


Also, could you elaborate on this.

As for the delay, it looks to be because it's looking for some network resources and can't find them. It has something to do with your NIC settings, so concentrate there.

XP has drivers for my NIC (3Com) and I nerver had to do anything else to it and boot time was different. Also XP detects my network settings automaticaly. And also that always worked OK.

[dzikson]

OK I solved the problem but I don't understand it. I used to think that my CDRW was not working properly so I had it unhooked. The "in use" light used to bilnk and I would not be able to open it unless I would unplug it and plug it back in, it used to hapen from time to time. Now I actually unhooked my DVD too and it booted in under 30 secs. I put the DVD back in, didn't even wanted to start and the second time booted in again over a minute. So now I have CDRW installed, so far works OK, restarted like 20 times. Maybe the problem was with the power or IDE cable, which were screwing with CDRW, and my DVD. Too bad it's over a year old so it's not on warranty anymore.

But isn't it strange, when it actually got to windows the drive was working OK so why was it causing boot problems?

[bigjackusa]

If there was a problem with the drive at boot up, the bios would have tried several times to collect the necessary info from the drive. If it finally got everything it needed, then when Windows started, it would have recieved the correct info for the drive from the bios, or it may have polled the drive on its own, and required only info that the drive could easily supply. Try replacing the cable to see if that is the problem.

[dzikson]

The other drive works OK with that cable so far. If it starts going crazy I'll try another cable but so far so good.