Slow Windows XP Prof. SP3 startup Options

[bar457]

After clearing out a backdoor trojan with the help of Conspire from the Malware Team of this site, my system is slow to start up. Shutdown is fine but start up is just prolonged through to completion, but then everything seems normal in operation.
I have checked all individual start up applications but none seem to be the cause, so possibly sytem files have been compromised. I have no Windows disk with this OEM computer so am unable to check/repair using: START > RUN > sfc /scannow

Help with this is requested please, see this link for clean up work that has been done:

http://forums.whatthetech.com/index.php?sh...view=getnewpost

Many thanks
Bar457

[Ztruker]

The OEM disc you borrowed probably did not have SP3 on it while your XP computer does, so that is what is was complaining about. You can fix that by slipstreaming SP3 onto a copy of the borrowed disc. This would be good to have in case of any future problems as well.

Create XP CD slipstreamed with SP3:
The simplest way to create a Bootable Windows XP Pro or Home Installation CD Slipstreamed with SP3 is to use Autostreamer. You point to your XP Pro/Home CD, the SP3 Service Pack .exe file, give it a path to write the .iso file to and off it goes. In 5 or 10 minutes you have a .iso file that you can burn to CD with almost any CD burner program you want to use. I used Roxio 7. There is also a good freeware burner called ImgBurn which will do this for you.

Here is the link to Autostreamer: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/System-...ostreamer.shtml

You can download the SP3 .exe here: Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers

If you have an original XP Install CD with no Service Pack applied, not even SP1a then you will need to do the above in two steps. First you will have to splistream SP2 then repeat for SP3.

You can download SP2 .exe here: Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers

The one thing you need to check before doing this is that the borrowed CD is the same as what you have installed. XP Home or XP Pro or XP Media Center Edition.

Once you have a good CD then you can run sfc /scannow and see if that helps.

[bar457]

Hi Ztrucker

The borrowed CD is Windows XP Prof SP3. (32 bit)
I now have a copy of the disk instead of the original.

bar457

[Ztruker]

What is the version and SP level of your system? Look at Control Panel, System to verify.

If it matches the CD you now have, try running sfc /scannow from a Command Prompt again please.

If it doesn't work, post the response you get.

[bar457]

Well this seems odd, this time I ran it and it completed without any pop-up messages at all, then when the moving bar had moved fully to the right it went off screen, no completion message saying all is correct or anything (is that normal completion?).
I ran it a second time and it completed the same, taking about 15 minutes on each occasion. So it did not try to access the disk and therefore that presented no issue.
Strange that previously pop-up messages saying it could not access the disk occurred about 10 times during the scan.

Anyway I have checked the disk compatibility. The system is XP Prof SP3 version 2002 and the disk is XP Prof SP3 version 2009.

bar457

[Ztruker]

That is, unfortunately, normal for XP. Vista and IWn 7 made significant changes to this procee so they now tell you if there are problems.

I know you said you checked all startup items, but lets give this a try:

How does it behave if you boot to Safe Mode with Networking? If better then something is starting at boot that is causing the problem.

Advanced startup options - XP
Advanced startup options - Vista
Advanced startup options - Windows 7

Use msconfig to determine what is causing the problem

These are good tutorials on using msconfig in XP, Vista or Windows 7:
How to use msconfig in Windows XP
How to use msconfig in Windows Vista
How to use msconfig in Windows 7

Click on Start then Run, type msconfig and press Enter.
Click on the Startup tab, record what is currently starting then click the Disable All button.
Reboot and see if it runs better.
If yes then use msconfig to enable several items at a time till you find the culprit.

If no, start msconfig and click on the Services tab.
Check the Hide All Microsoft Services box, record what is currently starting then click the Disable All button.
Again, do a regular boot, see if it runs normal.
If yes then use msconfig to enable services till you find the culprit.

Once you've found the culprit, uninstall it or find out how to eliminate it from your system. Simply disabling it in msconfig is a temporary fix at best.
Enable everything else you disabled.

Note: You will get a message on reboot about using the System Configuration Utility. See here for how to prevent it from displaying in the future: How do I get rid of this msconfig startup error after making changes?

[bar457]

Ok, I started in SAFE mode and it starts quite quickly.
So then I disabled all the msconfig Startup item which did not speed up the slow start.
Then I disabled the Services items which also did not speed up the slow start.

So it appears to be something else in the normal boot up causing the slowdown!
It takes 6 minutes from the moment I click restart to get back fully running.

What does the 'Check all Boot Paths' under the BOOT.INI do?



This post has been edited by bar457: Mar 21 2012, 05:19 PM

[Ztruker]

Check All Boot Paths is for resolvingmulti-boot system problems:

If you have an option in the boot menu that doesn't work, such as a missing version of Windows. Try clicking the "Check All Boot Paths" button in the boot.ini to fix this issue without having to manually edit the boot.ini as instructed below.

Since it starts much better in safe mode it has to be a system service that is causing the problem since disabling all Startup and non-MS services does not make any difference.

From msconfig, on the General tab, try selecting Diagnostic Startup - load basic devices and services only.

From an MS article on this:

To perform a diagnostic startup, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
On the General tab, click Diagnostic Startup, and then click OK.
Restart your computer.

If the problem does not occur, use Selective startup mode to try to find the problem by turning individual services and startup programs on or off.

[bar457]

Well, tried starting in diagnostics mode, but still have slow start.
Just to be sure I tried SafeMode start again and this is definately quicker...!

(every day life brings a new challenge)
bar457

[Ztruker]

Are you using Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking?

[bar457]

Safe Mode with Networking

[Ztruker]

Let's get some more info about your computer: Please Run the PCPitstop Full Tests, here: PCPitstop Full Tests

You must use Internet Explorer as it needs to install an ActiveX program.

Note: Vista/Windows 7 users with UAC must first Right-click IE - Select "Run as Administrator"

If you haven't already registered, Click - Sign up now! (left hand column in User Login), it's free.

Register and create a password
Accept the ActiveX component to allow your machine to run the Full Tests
Registering and accepting the ActiveX are both SAFE and FREE.

The Full Tests take less than 5 minutes for most machines.

Once you have your Results, please post the URL (the http:// stuff) back here into this thread for review.

Note: Vista/Windows 7 users, please close your instance of IE "Running as Administrator" after you are finished reviewing your Results.

Caution: During the testing of Video Adapter, a variety of patterns, shapes, colors and text are “flashed” onto the users monitor screen. In the many thousands of daily uses of the PCPitstop Full Tests over several years, two individuals who suffer epilepsy experienced discomfort and temporary dizziness when viewing the flashing patterns.

If you know that you are susceptible to photo driven seizure, please look away from your screen during the Video Adapter testing sequence.

Note: The PCPitstop Full Tests Results is a free service, but is supported by various paid product advertisements for utilities that "could" remedy the OP's problem.

Since this site is a "free-help" forum, we do not recommend or endorse purchase of automated utilities, and will assist you in manually correcting any problems and settings necessary to optimize your machine's performance. Ask your questions here. We'll help you walk through any necessary steps.

[bar457]

Pitstop results at:

http://www.pcpitstop.com/betapit/sec.asp?conid=24852178

[Ztruker]

Try updating your ATI MOBILITY RADEON X600 driver to the latest level (10.2) available here: ATI Catalyst Legacy Display Driver

You PCPitStop link shows you have an older 8.083 version.

It makes sense that it could be the display driver as one of the things that happens in Safe Mode is the default VGA driver is used instead of the ATI driver.

[bar457]

I removed the old version and installed the new 10.2 version.
There was a popup saying this had not passed Windows testing but I completed the installation.

On restart the desktop has opened in what appears to be VGA mode (large icons) which I had after restart following the removal of old version, and a popup New Hardware Wizard wanting to install new sotware for Video Controller (VGA compatible) and asking me to insert installation CD. I have stopped there with this on the screen and have not progressed.

Something appears to have gone wrong!