Sorry to bother, but my Win XP Pro still loads up in 4mins!!

[hotmat4]

I've posted before about this topic, the suggestions didn't work. I'm desperate to get this to load-up in 30secs at least 1 min. I've got a Dual-bootable system with Win Me and Win XP. I know the dual-boot isnt a problem because before I had Win XP on its own, but then it loaded up in 4mins.
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This is my computer specs
Intel Celeron 500mhz
160mb RAM
Win ME & Win XP
ATI AIW 128 PRO Graphics Card
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I've tried the bootvis program which somebody recommended, still didnt work. Has anyone got any suggestions of how I could get it to load-up in 30secs or know y this is happening?

Thanx

[ngnr]

I recall seeing your other post but I can't recall all the other answers. Did you check to see if your RAM was all being recognized? With 160 that's at least 2 sticks so maybe one of them is dead. That could make a large difference especially if you are perhaps only running with 32 of your 160. Sorry you're still having trouble.

[hotmat4]

I don't think its my memory because my BIOS startup sees the 160mb RAM fine. Somebody in my last topic on this problem said something about a BIOS setting which effects the load-up of WIN XP. I can't remember now. Actually I'll go and check it out now in MY Posts. I just don't know y.

[hotmat4]

I've just looked and somebody said that its something called ecc checking in the BIOS i need to disable if possible. I'll try it out l8r, but wat happens if i cant do that??

[ngnr]

Try it and come back. But, you may have to face the fact that your copy of XP is crap so if you can't return it, you may be stuck with the problem or get another copy.

[leebo]

When you start your computer, does it take a while to count your RAM?
I have over 500 megs and it not only takes a long time for it to be counted, it counts it THREE times!
I can't turn that off, so I hit "Esc" and it bypasses the count and continues to boot right away.

Or does it take forever to get past the black screen with the progress bar at the bottom?
If so, you may have a piece of hardware installed that XP is having a hard time recognizing. Start by checking Device Mgr. for yellow exclaimation points. Remove the device and see what happens.

[hotmat4]

I havent tried these things yet, but I've thought, it could be my dead hard-drive I have in there still. It was a 10gb hard-disc, but eventually it started getting errors on it, tried scan-disking it, worked for a while and poof, there it went. The bios can see the hard-disc but doesnt want to load it up. Maybe at the weekend, i'll take it out, and see what happens. My dad will eventually get me 40gb hard-drive to replace my 10gb secondary drive so I can do a whole lot more TV captures. Thanx for helping me guys, but plz keep racking your brains.

P.S. - can i confess that my Win XP Pro is a cracked copy. my dad got it for me, I didnt get it. I'm only 14.

[hotmat4]

It gets stuck at the progress bar bit and my Memory check at the start only takes 5secs.

[ngnr]

No confession required. I saw that from the other post. That doesn't mean for sure it's the problem but it could be. It could also be that dead drive.

[kinneera]

The most common cause of windows (any version) taking an excessively long time to load is the presence of bad devices or device drivers. That dead hard drive is a definite red flag. Why are you even leaving it in there?

[tinycorkscrew]

I'd be surprised if it weren't the dead drive. Take it out.

XP loads incredibly fast for me, faster than 95, 98, or ME.

[HT]

Using your "My Documents" folder to store large ".exe" (possibly downloaded)files in will slow your systems bootup and shut down speed. Your "My Documents" folder by default, directory structure uses your personal profile, which has to be loaded during startup and saved during shut down. If you right click on "My Documents" and look at the properties, the path will probably look similar to this "C:\Documents and Settings\Default User". You will also notice there is a "move" button, which is how I resolved this problem. I created a "My Documents" folder directly under my C: drive and used this move option to move my files to the newly created folder. The path will then look like this "C:\My Documents" and will no longer load with your profile. Hope this helps.

HT

[hotmat4]

I took my dead hard-drive out last night, and whohay. Now Win XP loads up in 10secs flat. It was the half-dead drive. Win XP was trying to get details from it, but the hard-disc refused, Win Xp knows it's there but cant be accessed at all. I'm glad it works now, 4 mins, I couldnt believe it when i first got it.

Thanks for the help you guys.