eMachines T6528: why does it take so long to completely load Windows and the desktop?

[mshan]

My dad's got an eMachines T6528 computer and when he starts the computer up, it literally takes an additional minute from the appearance of the Windows desktop to complete loading everything so that the system isn't sluggish.

There wasn't a lot of bloatware to start with, he hasn't installed a lot of programs, and I've run spyware and antivirus scans.

Can a 2 MB cache on the hard drive be responsible for this? (I've upgraded to 2 x 512 MB RAM and it made no difference. Chipset is Nvidia 6100 / 410 and cpu is an Athlon 64 3500+).

Do these eMachines run a lot of hidden diagnostics, or should a reasonably fast 8 MB hard drive fix the problem?

 

[pkme2]

You should check Windows Startup and see all the junk that is booting up.

If you know what you're doing, you can uncheck startup items.

System Tray/MSConfig

Whats your system tray look like? How many icons are lurking down there? Do you really need quicktime, nvidia/ati console, sound panel, running in the background.

Type MSCONFIG from the Run command in the start menu
Goto Startup Tab, and Disable all.
Have a look and activate your Firewall software, and AV software if you must.
Reboot. If you really need anything else, MSconfig again, and activate the software you need.

 

[mshan]

How do I access Windows Startup?

EDIT: should the 2 MB cache explain the slow startup after the Windows desktop appears?

 

[pkme2]

Originally posted by: mshan
How do I access Windows Startup?

EDIT: should the 2 MB cache explain the slow startup after the Windows desktop appears?

At start,
Click run
Follow above instructions.

Your 2MB cache doesn't affect startup.

 

[mshan]

I'll try that on his computer, but I uninstalled the minimal bloatware eMachines initially installed.

Is it possible that the eMachines is running some hidden diagnostics, or did they just do a sh*tty job when they did the Windows install at the factory?

 

[pkme2]

By turning off the unnessary startup items, you will eliminate all those items that run at bootup, hence a faster startup.

 

[Rubycon]

Download hijackthis and post your logs.

You may want to do that in the software forum or have the friendly moderator move the thread for you.

 

[mshan]

Computer has had that sluggish initial load, even from initial booy.

Do you think it's still worth running hijackthis?

 

[Rubycon]

Is there AV installed?

McCrappy and Norton Almost a Virus (Home) will always make things slow.

It's like driving with the handbrake on.

 

[mshan]

AVG Anti-Virus free edition. McAfee was factory installed, but I deleted it.

I did the MSCONFIGU disable everything, and it did seem to speed things up (still a moderate amount of sustained hard drive activity after theWindows desktop appears).

I am going to reenable everything and try and do that hijackthis log so I know what I can safely disable.

 

[mshan]

Hijackthis log file:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 9:15:44 PM, on 11/26/2006
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
c:\program files\common files\logitech\lvmvfm\LVPrcSrv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgemc.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec\Norton Ghost 2003\GhostStartService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\New Boundary\PrismXL\PRISMXL.SYS
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Software Vault\Hijackthis\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://www.gateway.com/g/sidepanel.html...etail&Br=EM&Loc=ENG_US&Sys=DTP&M=T6528
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.gateway.com/g/startpage.html...etail&Br=EM&Loc=ENG_US&Sys=DTP&M=T6528
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://www.gateway.com/g/startpage.html...etail&Br=EM&Loc=ENG_US&Sys=DTP&M=T6528
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.gateway.com/g/startpage.html...etail&Br=EM&Loc=ENG_US&Sys=DTP&M=T6528
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: Browser Address Error Redirector - {CA6319C0-31B7-401E-A518-A07C3DB8F777} - c:\windows\system32\BAE.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Easy-WebPrint - {327C2873-E90D-4c37-AA9D-10AC9BABA46C} - C:\Program Files\Canon\Easy-WebPrint\Toolband.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MSConfig] C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\MSConfig.exe /auto
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: Real.com - {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Shdocvw.dll
O9 - Extra button: Yahoo! Messenger - {E5D12C4E-7B4F-11D3-B5C9-0050045C3C96} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\YahooMessenger.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Yahoo! Messenger - {E5D12C4E-7B4F-11D3-B5C9-0050045C3C96} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\YahooMessenger.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O16 - DPF: {4ED9DDF0-7479-4BBE-9335-5A1EDB1D8A21} - http://download.mcafee.com/molbin/shared/mcinsctl/4,0,0,101/mcinsctl.cab
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupda...86/client/wuweb_site.cab?1161201936015
O16 - DPF: {6E32070A-766D-4EE6-879C-DC1FA91D2FC3} (MUWebControl Class) - http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftup...86/client/muweb_site.cab?1161202005406
O23 - Service: AVG7 Alert Manager Server (Avg7Alrt) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Update Service (Avg7UpdSvc) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG E-mail Scanner (AVGEMS) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgemc.exe
O23 - Service: GhostStartService - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec\Norton Ghost 2003\GhostStartService.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\11\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: iPodService - Apple Computer, Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: Logitech Process Monitor (LVPrcSrv) - Logitech Inc. - c:\program files\common files\logitech\lvmvfm\LVPrcSrv.exe
O23 - Service: LVSrvLauncher - Logitech Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Logitech\SrvLnch\SrvLnch.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
O23 - Service: Pml Driver HPZ12 - HP - C:\WINDOWS\system32\HPZipm12.exe
O23 - Service: PrismXL - New Boundary Technologies, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\New Boundary\PrismXL\PRISMXL.SYS

 

[pkme2]

You have a lot listed that really not necessary. All the add-on exe's for example.

Maybe you need to remove all programs that not used anymore.
Go to Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs, delete unneccesary, rarely used stuff.

Do a defragment on the HDD too.
Have you got all MS Updates?

 

[mshan]

Drive has been defragmented and Windows updated.

I see some residue of McAfffee anti-virus above, but am not sure what it correlates with in MSCONFIG.

 

[Rubycon]

Download the trial of diskeeper 10 and analyze. Perhaps your MFT is too small?

 

[pkme2]

If you know how to regedit, you can delete all references to McAffee AV.

Your HDD speed does contribute a little, but its the programs loading that makes the slowdown.

I did a re-install on an older Dell desktop and the resulting boot speeds were about 1 minute to desktop, after loading.

 

[mshan]

What is "MFT"?

(computer is essentially factory install from eMachines)

Also, you guys see an obvious culprits for slow load times in the HiJackThis log above?

Haven't gone in and used Regedit, but have used multiple sweeps with RegScrubXP.

 

[Rubycon]

Is the C drive FAT32 or NTFS?

more information

 

[mshan]

NTFS.

I just downloaded Diskeeper 10. Run defrag before I realized I should analyze first.

Should I run defrag on the boot thing too?

EDIT: after running the Diskeeper standard defrag, I found this info:
Total MFT size: 55 MB
MFT records in use: 56,635
Percent MFT in use: 99
Total MFT fragments: 2

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: mshan
NTFS.

I just downloaded Diskeeper 10. Run defrag before I realized I should analyze first.

Should I run defrag on the boot thing too?

Analyze and look at health report. If it's red 98% of the time it's due to 99% MFT utilization. Pad the MFT and do an offline defrag. The wizard will do everything for you - just select recommended size and proceed.

 

[mshan]

"Analyze and look at health report. If it's red 98% of the time it's due to 99% MFT utilization. Pad the MFT and do an offline defrag. The wizard will do everything for you - just select recommended size and proceed."

Not sure how to do this.

And should I be doing this boot time defragmentation?

 

[Rubycon]

Boot time defrag usually commences after padding.

There's a section under settings and MFT will be listed there.

 

[mshan]

Total MFT size: 55 MB
MFT records in use: 56,635
Percent MFT in use: 99
Total MFT fragments: 2

Does this mean I need to pad the MFT (if so, how do I do that), andthen do a boot time defrag with all options selected?

EDIT: hasn't really affected boot up times yet, but I can definitely see an increased snappiness of the system with Diskeeper 10. If I buy the Home version of this program, can I install it on more than one of my computers, and with a fresh install is all I have to do is reenter the software key?

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: mshan
Total MFT size: 55 MB
MFT records in use: 56,635
Percent MFT in use: 99
Total MFT fragments: 2

Does this mean I need to pad the MFT (if so, how do I do that), andthen do a boot time defrag with all options selected?

Yes!

Under settings there is a selection for MFT. We're on DK9 Enterprise so it may be different in 10. I have a XP64 box with DK10 but it's on the other end of the ship. :Q

 

[mshan]

Only thing I see on Home is a configuration tab and I don't see any option for MFT there.

Only thing I see is boot time defrag, with lots of sub boxes to potentially be selected.

Is it safe to just run this with everything selected?

EDIT: went ahead and did a boot time defrag (just remembered that I had Ghosted the system partition before installing a webcam yesterday) and it said the MTF was already defragmented and that the page file was not fragmented. Rebooted, did a manual defrag, and rebooted. Can still hear the hard drive with sustained activity for about a minute after the Windows desktop appears (system is sluggish and slow to respond during this time)

??

 

[Rubycon]

Yes that version may not support MFT padding.

How is the performance after everything loads at startup?