How do I streamline Windows boot with multiple hard drives?

[VERTIGGO]

I am booting XP from an SSD with plenty of horsepower, but it still seems to be a little sluggish when the screen is blank. I am almost positive it's due to having 6 other HDDs and 2 DVDs, since it has slowed down since i installed with just the SSD installed.

Does anyone know how to make Windows ignore all the other drives besides the SSD until it's loaded?

(I could care less if it takes 10 seconds for Windows Explorer to find the HDDs once I'm in)

Note: Cold boot takes 70 sec and resume from hibernation takes 27

 

[corkyg]

I do that in BIOS under BOOT, and set the boot sequence of all assigned drives to include external HDDs. I have two CD/DVD drives, and can also prioritize them, one or both ahead of the HDDs.

 

[VERTIGGO]

maybe it's just ASUS BIOS, but the only option is to which HDD is first, and whether or not to boot from cd or hdd, but that's not the issue at all.

It finds the boot drive easy enough, but spends too much time faffing about between "found HDD devices" or what have you and when the cursor appears.

 

[corkyg]

Mine is also AUS (P5ND). Under boot, HDDs, when you enter that, it lists the available HDDs and you can move them up and down, i.e., rank order them. Same with multiple opticals.

 

[VERTIGGO]

Yeah I have it ordered correctly, with the boot drive at the top of each list. The problem is that the more drives and stuff on my computer, the longer it takes. Maybe its just a software problem, but i have few services. Does simply having more registry entries slow it down? As in all the little utilities I've accumulated?

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 11:46:06 AM, on 11/6/2008
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6000.16735)

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\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\CTAudSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
D:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\CDProxyServ.exe
C:\Program Files\NDAS\System\ndassvc.exe
D:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgrsx.exe
D:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgemc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
D:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\MOM.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\Module Loader\DLLML.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\Sound Blaster X-Fi\Volume Panel\VolPanel.exe
C:\WINDOWS\CTHELPER.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTXFIHLP.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CTXFISPI.EXE
C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\ccc.exe
D:\Program Files\Logitech\SetPoint\SetPoint.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Logishrd\KHAL2\KHALMNPR.EXE
C:\Program Files\Creative\ShareDLL\CADI\NotiMan.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
D:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgscanx.exe
D:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
E:\_JONATHAN\Program_Files\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe
C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\msconfig.exe

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = http://go.divx.com/divx/webpla...DFW&ybv=6.8&yo=ietyie7
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyOverride = *.local
O2 - BHO: WormRadar.com IESiteBlocker.NavFilter - {3CA2F312-6F6E-4B53-A66E-4E65E497C8C0} - D:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgssie.dll
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - D:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_12\bin\ssv.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Kernel and Hardware Abstraction Layer] KHALMNPR.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG8_TRAY] D:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [StartCCC] "C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\CLIStart.exe" MSRun
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RCSystem] "C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\Module Loader\DLLML.exe" RCSystem * -Startup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AudioDrvEmulator] "C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\Module Loader\DLLML.exe" -1 AudioDrvEmulator "C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\Module Loader\Audio Emulator\AudDrvEm.dll"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VolPanel] "c:\Program Files\Creative\Sound Blaster X-Fi\Volume Panel\VolPanel.exe" /r
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CTHelper] CTHELPER.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [UpdReg] C:\WINDOWS\UpdReg.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CTxfiHlp] CTXFIHLP.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [StartupDelayer] "D:\Program Files\r2 Studios\Startup Delayer\Startup Launcher.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Logitech SetPoint.lnk = D:\Program Files\Logitech\SetPoint\SetPoint.exe
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files\bonjour\mdnsnsp.dll
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://www.update.microsoft.co...site.cab?1224541263578
O16 - DPF: {6E32070A-766D-4EE6-879C-DC1FA91D2FC3} (MUWebControl Class) - http://www.update.microsoft.co...site.cab?1224542939953
O18 - Protocol: linkscanner - {F274614C-63F8-47D5-A4D1-FBDDE494F8D1} - D:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgpp.dll
O20 - AppInit_DLLs: avgrsstx.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: dimsntfy - %SystemRoot%\System32\dimsntfy.dll (file missing)
O21 - SSODL: WPDShServiceObj - {AAA288BA-9A4C-45B0-95D7-94D524869DB5} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\WPDShServiceObj.dll
O23 - Service: Apple Mobile Device - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: ATI Smart - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ati2sgag.exe
O23 - Service: AVG8 E-mail Scanner (avg8emc) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - D:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgemc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG8 WatchDog (avg8wd) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - D:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
O23 - Service: XCP CD Proxy (CD_Proxy) - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\CDProxyServ.exe
O23 - Service: Creative Audio Engine Licensing Service - Creative Labs - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Creative Labs Shared\Service\CTAELicensing.exe
O23 - Service: Creative Audio Service (CTAudSvcService) - Creative Technology Ltd - C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\CTAudSvc.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: NDAS Service (ndassvc) - XIMETA, Inc. - C:\Program Files\NDAS\System\ndassvc.exe

 

[VERTIGGO]

I think I found something, though it's unbelievable to me. I uninstalled the backwards fonts option (Thai etc.) and windows booted a bit faster. iTunes even starts faster.

Why the heck does a few fonts cripple my system! This is malarchy.

Any other ideas? Does the amount of registry entries directly affect system response? Right now that's the worst thing. The system will be at 0% proc and 2.5% ram usage and everything takes forever to load or just hangs now and then. I am defragged BTW.

 

[derdrache]

try running ccleaner to clean up your registry entries.

it also is very good at stopping boot processes and cleaning out your internet history.

 

[VERTIGGO]

I'll try that, but I just tested because I moved into a new case. Booting off the SSD alone takes 45 seconds, and after simply plugging in 4 of my other SATA drives, it takes 67 seconds. That is of course taking into acount the fact that setpoint and avg run from a separate drive, but is 22 seconds more just something we have to put up with when we run multiple drives?

Edit: I ran the latest CCleaner (registry, files, and uninstalled some things), and it had no effect on my boot time, still 67 seconds.

It's really irritating that just having more storage slows me down. Any other options?