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How to restore my boot up speed
Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit. SP2. Intel Pentium Dual CPU [email protected], 4.0GB RAM
For the last 5 or 6 days my computer has been very slow to boot up, taking anything up to 4 minutes from switching on to being usable. Previously I have been up and running in around 90 seconds. I have run CCleaner and also done a full scan with MS Security Essentials - to no avail.
According to msconfig my Start Up items are only Windows Defender, Microsoft Security Essentials and Registry Booster.
The only software that I have installed recently (Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 and Picasa) I have also uninstalled and neither of these items are showing in my Programs and Features so I am happy that the Uninstalls have been effective. I have also recently copied a CD of photographs (350MB) to my hard drive and subsequently erased it.
I have been advised by the so-called technical experts that the only solution is a complete reinstall of Windows but I am reluctant to do this for fear of losing valuable data.
Can anyone please suggest anything that I can do to restore my previous boot up speed?
Thanks in advance
For the last 5 or 6 days my computer has been very slow to boot up, taking anything up to 4 minutes from switching on to being usable. Previously I have been up and running in around 90 seconds. I have run CCleaner and also done a full scan with MS Security Essentials - to no avail.
According to msconfig my Start Up items are only Windows Defender, Microsoft Security Essentials and Registry Booster.
The only software that I have installed recently (Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 and Picasa) I have also uninstalled and neither of these items are showing in my Programs and Features so I am happy that the Uninstalls have been effective. I have also recently copied a CD of photographs (350MB) to my hard drive and subsequently erased it.
I have been advised by the so-called technical experts that the only solution is a complete reinstall of Windows but I am reluctant to do this for fear of losing valuable data.
Can anyone please suggest anything that I can do to restore my previous boot up speed?
Thanks in advance
Answers
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Remove Registry Booster. You certainly don't need that running.
Switch off start up Windows Defender and just use it when you need to.
Check Task Manager for other processes running.
If not clear, try 'clean' booting to see what effect that has.
This sort of problem is typically caused by a bad Audio or Video driver install.
Switch off start up Windows Defender and just use it when you need to.
Check Task Manager for other processes running.
If not clear, try 'clean' booting to see what effect that has.
This sort of problem is typically caused by a bad Audio or Video driver install.
Windows Defender should not be running if you are running MSE. They can conflict with one another. Use the control panel to disable Windows Defender outright and let MSE do the job on it's own.
As AlBags said, audio and video drivers are a common culprit here. Look at your system restore log file to view changes you've made between now and when the system was booting normally. You may see something you've overlooked.
As AlBags said, audio and video drivers are a common culprit here. Look at your system restore log file to view changes you've made between now and when the system was booting normally. You may see something you've overlooked.
Apologies Albags, Mobius and Rojash but since I've done another CClean and various other tinkerings I seem to have lost my AB account. I have therefore reregistered with the new name, MichaelZZ.
Many thanks, everyone, for your prompt replies to yesterday's question.
You mention a bad audio or video driver install. I have had the computer now for a couple of years and it ran without problems until last week. Can the bad install that you referred to suddenly manifest itself after 2 years?
I have run a scan using a program called Driver Detective which I found lurking in Programs and Features. This has identified a number of out of date drivers, notably:
Display adapter ATI Radeon HD3600
Generic PnP monitor
NVIDIA nForce networking controller
ATI function driver for high definition audio ATI AA01
VIA high definition audio
NVIDIA nForce System Management
and some others
Having identified these I then get to a screen which highly recommends that I register Driver Detective to automatically download and fix all the driver problems. I haven't taken this step, firstly because I don't understand it and secondly because I am suspicious. Questions for you guys: are you familiar with Driver Detective? Howmuch does it cost? Will it cause more problems than it solves? Incidentally, I have manually, via Control Panel / System & Maintenance / Administrative tools, ... Device Manager, etc, installed the driver update for the Display Adapter. This has not had any benefit. Is it worth doing the same for all the other drivers that are referenced in Device Manager? (Is this, in fact, what Driver Detective does - for a fee?)
Other comments:
Event log - appears to be unavailable
Although Windows Defender is shown on Control Panel, it appears to be turned off. Right clicking gives the options Open and Create Shortcut. Windows Defender does not appear on Programs and Feature
Many thanks, everyone, for your prompt replies to yesterday's question.
You mention a bad audio or video driver install. I have had the computer now for a couple of years and it ran without problems until last week. Can the bad install that you referred to suddenly manifest itself after 2 years?
I have run a scan using a program called Driver Detective which I found lurking in Programs and Features. This has identified a number of out of date drivers, notably:
Display adapter ATI Radeon HD3600
Generic PnP monitor
NVIDIA nForce networking controller
ATI function driver for high definition audio ATI AA01
VIA high definition audio
NVIDIA nForce System Management
and some others
Having identified these I then get to a screen which highly recommends that I register Driver Detective to automatically download and fix all the driver problems. I haven't taken this step, firstly because I don't understand it and secondly because I am suspicious. Questions for you guys: are you familiar with Driver Detective? Howmuch does it cost? Will it cause more problems than it solves? Incidentally, I have manually, via Control Panel / System & Maintenance / Administrative tools, ... Device Manager, etc, installed the driver update for the Display Adapter. This has not had any benefit. Is it worth doing the same for all the other drivers that are referenced in Device Manager? (Is this, in fact, what Driver Detective does - for a fee?)
Other comments:
Event log - appears to be unavailable
Although Windows Defender is shown on Control Panel, it appears to be turned off. Right clicking gives the options Open and Create Shortcut. Windows Defender does not appear on Programs and Feature
1) I'm not sure how you'd remove defender from vista, I've only seen how to disable it. hopefully rojash will come back on that one.
2) no don't use driver detective, it's a waste of money, just goto the support section of the computer manufacturers website and you can download all the latest drivers for free direct from them.
3) what do you mean event viewer is unavailable? is there no short cut for it, do you get an error when you try and run it?
2) no don't use driver detective, it's a waste of money, just goto the support section of the computer manufacturers website and you can download all the latest drivers for free direct from them.
3) what do you mean event viewer is unavailable? is there no short cut for it, do you get an error when you try and run it?
Thanks for your reply Chuck.
Yes, when I go to Control Panel, etc etc the Administrative Tools screen shows a number of shortcuts but when I try to open Event Viewer I get the Error Message
X Event log service is unavailable. Verify that the service is running. (Not surprisingly, it's the same if I go direct to the Events Log under the Admin Tools heading.)
Yes, when I go to Control Panel, etc etc the Administrative Tools screen shows a number of shortcuts but when I try to open Event Viewer I get the Error Message
X Event log service is unavailable. Verify that the service is running. (Not surprisingly, it's the same if I go direct to the Events Log under the Admin Tools heading.)
OK, this won't hurt if I'm wrong, so it's worth a go and this problem can cause both a slow startup and the event viewer problem.
You'll need to be logged in as an administrator enabled account for this to work, then open a command prompt (start > run type in CMD and press enter) and then in the command prompt window type (with no quotes) "netsh winsock reset" and press enter.
Wait a few seconds for it to complete and then restart the computer.
As I said, it may or may not help, but it won't hurt to try it.
You'll need to be logged in as an administrator enabled account for this to work, then open a command prompt (start > run type in CMD and press enter) and then in the command prompt window type (with no quotes) "netsh winsock reset" and press enter.
Wait a few seconds for it to complete and then restart the computer.
As I said, it may or may not help, but it won't hurt to try it.
Stupid Registry programs themselves mess with the Registry.
Open Registry editor and browse to see if this entry is there ..
If it IS there, you need for sure to uninstall that Registry cleaner .. check if the entry is STILL there, back up the registry or the individual reg entry .. and remove this line completely. The Event Viewer will then start ok.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\S
ervices\Eventlog\Parameters
Open Registry editor and browse to see if this entry is there ..
If it IS there, you need for sure to uninstall that Registry cleaner .. check if the entry is STILL there, back up the registry or the individual reg entry .. and remove this line completely. The Event Viewer will then start ok.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\S
ervices\Eventlog\Parameters
Thanks Chuck.
I have tried your suggestion, having first ensured in User Account Control that I am logged in as Administrator.
When I type netsh winsock reset at the Command prompt I get the message, The Requested Operation Requires Evaluation and I am then immediaately taken back to the prompt. Have I read your words correctly or do I need underscores?
Thanks again
I have tried your suggestion, having first ensured in User Account Control that I am logged in as Administrator.
When I type netsh winsock reset at the Command prompt I get the message, The Requested Operation Requires Evaluation and I am then immediaately taken back to the prompt. Have I read your words correctly or do I need underscores?
Thanks again
Have to agree with al on this one, using any registry cleaner has as much, if not more chance of causing problems then solving (normally non-existent) problems.
In answer to your previous point, did you actually try the restore winsock command after opening the command prompt with ctrl + shift + enter?
In answer to your previous point, did you actually try the restore winsock command after opening the command prompt with ctrl + shift + enter?
Bad Hardware Device Drivers (Graphics, Audio or Network)
Processes with no file (files missing)
Malware or virus infections.
Common to slow boots.
Why not run HijackThis and just save a log to look at FIRST?
But I still reckon the Registry is modified to stop the Event Viewer.
If you can get that running you will see some hardware driver problems listed if they are there.
Processes with no file (files missing)
Malware or virus infections.
Common to slow boots.
Why not run HijackThis and just save a log to look at FIRST?
But I still reckon the Registry is modified to stop the Event Viewer.
If you can get that running you will see some hardware driver problems listed if they are there.
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