After the Power On Self Test

[WyattWhiteEagle]

What all happens after the power on self test?

 

[Bree]

What all happens after the power on self test?

It is explained here...


Understanding the Startup Process - Windows 7 Tutorial

 

[WyattWhiteEagle]

It is explained here...


Understanding the Startup Process - Windows 7 Tutorial

Thank you

That info helped me know how I need to ask my question more properly.

Here goes...

After the "Starting Windows" logo has completed, it seems that I'm still waiting from 3 to 5 minutes for everything to load up. The antivirus, wifi connection, desktop icons, etc.

I have a very light-weight startup set in msconfig.exe and the slowing seems to have begun after a clean install and completing Windows Update.

After completing Windows Update, I disable the Windows Update in services.msc until it is time to do more updating.

What could be bogging it down and how might I correct the problem?

 

[iko22]

Hi,
that is not the correct way to switch off Windows Update.
Try this tutorial approach Windows Update Settings - Change and select "Never check for Updates (Not Recommended)".

 

[WyattWhiteEagle]

Hi,
that is not the correct way to switch off Windows Update.
Try this tutorial approach Windows Update Settings - Change and select "Never check for Updates (Not Recommended)".

OK Thank you and I have made the changes.

Surely that can't be the only thing bogging. There has to be more than that.

 

[Megahertz07]

There are many things that can slow down a startup.

- Disk Issues
- Corrupted System files
- Antivirus.

Open a CMD window as administrator and type:
chkdsk c:
If it find any problems, type:
chkdsk C: /f
It will say the disk is in use and if you want to schedule to next start = Yes
Restart

Then do a system file check:
Open a CMD window as administrator and type:
sfc /scannow
report

 

[Barman58]

The easiest way to find out what may be causing a delay on startup is to download Autoruns this is a totally free utility and is part of the Sysinternals suite from Microsoft.

You may be surprised at how much is actually loaded to a system when you switch on, there are full instructions on the use of the utility on the webpage and there are facilities to check online what any of the particular entries do

It also has the ability to uncheck items which stops them being loaded on every boot, (this means you can easily reverse the action if it causes issue, by rechecking the item) - you can also fully delete any item, with care when you are sure you do not need it.

The utility includes everything that is auto loaded on start including services, Tasks added via the Task scheduler, and even additions to the right click menus - They are separated into tabs which contain similar functions. You can also hide all Microsoft entries (useful to prevent accidentally removing system entries )

 

[WyattWhiteEagle]

There are many things that can slow down a startup.

- Disk Issues
- Corrupted System files
- Antivirus.

Open a CMD window as administrator and type:
chkdsk c:
If it find any problems, type:
chkdsk C: /f
It will say the disk is in use and if you want to schedule to next start = Yes
Restart

Then do a system file check:
Open a CMD window as administrator and type:
sfc /scannow
report

uh oh...i think chkdsk is broken.
I run chkdsk and schedule for next start then I restart but then chkdsk doesn't start and neither does anything else. At that point the fan is running, the lights are on, the screen is on but its black and it is without the DOS cursor at the top left corner of the screen.

 

[iko22]

Could be a disk issue.

Use the Disk Diagnostic Tool from the HDD manufacturer's web site. Test the disk on another computer if necessary.

 

[Megahertz07]

You ran check disk without the /f (fix) before you schedule it.
What kind or problems it found?
Can you boot the laptop?

 

[WyattWhiteEagle]

There are many things that can slow down a startup.

- Disk Issues
- Corrupted System files
- Antivirus.

Open a CMD window as administrator and type:
chkdsk c:
If it find any problems, type:
chkdsk C: /f
It will say the disk is in use and if you want to schedule to next start = Yes
Restart

Then do a system file check:
Open a CMD window as administrator and type:
sfc /scannow
report

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>chkdsk c:
The type of the file system is NTFS.

WARNING! F parameter not specified.
Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
285696 file records processed.
File verification completed.
380 large file records processed.
0 bad file records processed.
0 EA records processed.
45 reparse records processed.
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 3)...
339298 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned.
0 unindexed files recovered.
CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 3)...
285696 file SDs/SIDs processed.
Security descriptor verification completed.
26802 data files processed.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
36475936 USN bytes processed.
Usn Journal verification completed.
Windows has checked the file system and found no problems.

976657407 KB total disk space.
283045792 KB in 241243 files.
161292 KB in 26803 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
418083 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
693032240 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
244164351 total allocation units on disk.
173258060 allocation units available on disk.

C:\Windows\system32>sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

C:\Windows\system32>

Could be a disk issue.

Use the Disk Diagnostic Tool from the HDD manufacturer's web site. Test the disk on another computer if necessary.

I wasn't able to locate Toshiba's Disk Diag Tool. Hopefully Acer's Western Digital Disk Diag Tool is helpful enough :/


Disk Diagnostics Report

Test Option: QUICK TEST
Model Number: TOSHIBA MQ01ABD100
Unit Serial Number: 57TKPNZHT
Firmware Number: AX1R4C
Capacity: 1000.20 GB
SMART Status: PASS
Test Result: PASS
Test Time: 12:35:59, December 16, 2019

Test Option: EXTENDED TEST
Model Number: TOSHIBA MQ01ABD100
Unit Serial Number: 57TKPNZHT
Firmware Number: AX1R4C
Capacity: 1000.20 GB
SMART Status: PASS
Test Result: PASS
Test Time: 15:54:16, December 16, 2019

 

[iko22]

That's a good result.

Is there only the one Active Disk?

 

[WyattWhiteEagle]

The easiest way to find out what may be causing a delay on startup is to download Autoruns ...

In Autoruns, Is there a way to see the start to finish time elapse of each item?

Some of the items are highlited, what do the different colors mean?

Which tab is the one most useful to see everything from the "Welcome" screen to usability?

 

[WyattWhiteEagle]

That's a good result.

Is there only the one Active Disk?

The only other Drives I use is an external and a few flashdrives which I don't keep those plugged in. Then there's the optical drive. I'm not sure if its a CD-R/W or a DVD-R/W. I hardly ever use the cd drive. lol

 

[iko22]

What is the Boot Order in BIOS?
Is it HDD first, or CD/DVD first?

If CD/DVD is first, then the Boot sequence will waste time checking for CD/DVD media, when there is none.

 

[Barman58]

It was changed to have your system drive HDD, (or more often SSD these days) boot first some years ago, due mainly to a spate of issues with malware (on USB rather than CD/DVD) that could be loaded on boot up. Of course if you used a bootstrap on another device or did a lot of installs this could be reversed if you were careful. My memory goes back to the days when there could be two different floppy disk drives and an optical, (CD), in line to boot from if present before the system disk