Windows 7: Boot times on Win7

Hi,

Having brought a 2nd new computer recently (jan 11) I have noticed that it boots about 20seconds slower to desktop than my 6 month older one. Now I know what your thinking hardware / software configs might and prob are different, well you would be right. Although not dramatic and surprisingly the slower has less installed being only a month old with only one user and a faster processor.

Computer A (Slower)
Intel I3-540 (O.clocked at 4.2ghz)
4gb Mem 1600mhz
1gig HD
5850 1gb GPU
Win 7 Home Prem
- No CD check on Boot, HD set to be 1st Boot check.

Computer B (Faster
AMD PII X4-955 (3.2ghz)
4gb Mem 1600mhz
500gb HD
460 GT 512mb GPU
Win 7 Home Prem

Both set up to boot straight to user profile. Both patched to the same level.

I have nothing in startup and no gadets running on the slower Pc, but a couple on the faster.

I can only conclude the AMD does a better job than the Intel even though the base clock speed is faster on the intel.

Comments?

Andy

have you checked your msconfig startups?

Startup Programs - Change

type msconfig into your start-menu searchbox, then check the startup tab.

Trace Windows 7 boot/shutdown/hibernate/standby/resume issues - MSFN

How are you timing the startup? Is it from the time that you first press the power button to the point where you reach the desktop? Is it from the point where the BIOS hands off to "starting Windows" until the desktop".

If you are counting your POST time, that could have a big effect. My box at home with an SSD, takes over 23 seconds from a power button press to get through the POSt and to Starting Windows...but then it's only like 14 seconds until full desktop.

+1 for using xbootmgr (as gregrocker linked). It will give you/us a graphical output of what happened, when, and for how long. It doesn't get much easier than that, honestly .

I just took a second look at Soluto which has evolved quite nicely in beta. It will lay out everything that's starting on a map, recommending programs to delay, or pause from starting until opened. It has a sharp graphical interface and seems to be relatively stable.

The only prob is that it uses 14 seconds of boot time to do its analysis, so after I run it for a few days and adjust my boot I will probably Pause it for awhile.

Of course it doesn't analyze closely enough to know if boot is hindered by fragmentation or slow HD reads, as the tool above which Cluberti helped develop and which the pro's use.