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From: Smiles on 29 Jun 2010 07:46
Richard wrote:
> On 27/06/2010 14:58, Smiles wrote:
>>
>> John John - MVP wrote:
>>> Richard wrote:
>>>> On 25/06/2010 13:45, Richard wrote:
>>>>> On 25/06/2010 12:59, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>> On 24/06/2010 22:37, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>>>> On 24/06/2010 18:31, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> On 24/06/2010 17:22, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 24/06/2010 15:09, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 24/06/2010 14:13, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 24/06/2010 13:20, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (This may be repeated....if so, sorry!)When I start my
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> computer
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (with
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Win XP Home SP3 installed), just after the BIOS info
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> screen
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> before
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Windows even kicks in, I get a white progress bar at
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> bottom
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> screen that fills up over about 20 minutes before the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> usual
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Windows
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> logo/start screen appears. Looking at the event viewer
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> System
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I find that "boot-start or system-start driver "bthex"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> was not
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> found.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Looking in the Registry indicates that bthex is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> expected
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> found
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in Win\System32\Drivers. It is not there, so something
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> has
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> suddenly
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> deleted\renamed it or something. I have put my
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> installation
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DVD
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> drive and tried a repair but this driver cannot be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> located
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> there,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I have googled for it but with no luck. Can anyone
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> suggest
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> where I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> might find this system file, or maybe even search for
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> it on
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> their
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> own
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Syste32 folder and make it available to me?? Many
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> thanks
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for any
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> help
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in advance.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If it's a driver it would be a .sys file (not a .dll). A
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> search
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for this
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> file yields no results, often an indication that the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> file is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> virus or
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> malware related. I would suggest that you make sure
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> machine is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> free of any pests.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Where *exactly* in the registry did you find
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> reference to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> file? It
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> could be that your Anti-Virus tools have removed an
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> infection and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the entry is just a remnant.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Appears at HKLM/System/ControlSet001(and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 003)/Enum/Root/LEGACY_BTHEX/NextInstance (REG_DWORD
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> set to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "1")
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> which
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I am not allowed to edit: also at ditto\controlset001
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 3)/services/bthex/ (and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> services/enum/explorerbars/{C4EE31})ImagePath
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> REG_DWORD set to "system32/drivers/bthex.sys." If I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> delete
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> all
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> these
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> references, could that help??
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Is it in the CurrentControlSet?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Look for phantom devices in the Device Manager and see if
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> any
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> make
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> mention this BTHEX driver:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Device Manager does not display devices that are not
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> connected
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Windows XP-based computer
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315539
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This little batch file will automatically set the Device
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Manager to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> show
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> phantom devices and open it for you:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices-1
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> start devmgmt.msc
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You cannot delete the keys in the Enum section because you
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> do not
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> have
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> permission to do so, grant yourself the necessary
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> permissions
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and you
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> will be able to remove the keys. Before you do that
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> keep in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> mind
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> there is a good reason why only the System account has
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> permission to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> delete keys in the in the \Enum branch! It would be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> best to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> remove
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> device in the Device Manager instead of removing it from
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Enum
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> keys.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Before you change the permissions and delete keys please
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> read the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> following:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Enum
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/library/cc976176.aspx
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> System and Startup Settings
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb742541.aspx
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Select
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/library/cc978528.aspx
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yes - it is in CurrentControlSet under
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> /Enum/Root/LEGACY_BTHEX/0000.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> No mention in Device Manager, or after running your batch
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> file. I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> won't try to meddle with Enum, but how do I grant myself
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> permission
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> if I did want to?? I will read the articles you mention,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> but
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> since
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this is the file that is causing my 20 min startup delay,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ex-infection or otherwise - how do I get rid of my system
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> searching
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for it?? Thanks again.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The registry permissions are just like regular NTFS file
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> permissions,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> just right click on the offending key and select
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Permissions...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you are convinced that this is the culprit and if you
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cannot
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> remove
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the device from the Device Manager then just grant yourself
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> full
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> control on the key and delete it. For the time being
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> remove it
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CurrentControlSet only! If the Windows installation balks
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> at its
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> removal (when you reboot) just boot to the Last Known Good
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Configuration.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PS. The problem is more likely to be caused by the status of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> service
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> branch, I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> suggest that you remove or disable the service there. To
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> disable the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> service set its Start value to 4.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Well, Having deleted it from the CurrentControlSet and
>>>>>>>>>>>>> rebooted,
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> problem is still there, but Event Viewer no longer reports a
>>>>>>>>>>>>> problem
>>>>>>>>>>>>> in looking for bthex. So I presume bthex, whatever it is, is
>>>>>>>>>>>>> *not*
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> reason for my slow progress bar in booting up. Any ideas as to
>>>>>>>>>>>>> what it
>>>>>>>>>>>>> might now be? Could it be something to do with Power On Self
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Testing,
>>>>>>>>>>>>> or if not is there any way of diagnosing why this has suddenly
>>>>>>>>>>>>> started
>>>>>>>>>>>>> occuring? Cheers.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> I think that what you are seeing is part of the Windows boot
>>>>>>>>>>>> process
>>>>>>>>>>>> rather than the POST routine, an easy way to tell would be to
>>>>>>>>>>>> press/tap
>>>>>>>>>>>> the F8 key when the computer is booting and see how long it
>>>>>>>>>>>> takes
>>>>>>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>>>>>> the advanced Windows boot options show up. Or put a second
>>>>>>>>>>>> (phony)
>>>>>>>>>>>> line
>>>>>>>>>>>> in the boot.ini file and see how long it takes for ntldr to
>>>>>>>>>>>> parse
>>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>>> present the boot menu.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>>> When I tap the F8 key the (by now usual) slow clicks and whirrs
>>>>>>>>>>> continue for about 2 mins, then the white progress bar appears
>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>> continues another 2 or 3 mins, and then at last the advanced
>>>>>>>>>>> options
>>>>>>>>>>> menu appears. Choosing any option results in the correct
>>>>>>>>>>> procedure,
>>>>>>>>>>> but another 15 mins for the bar to disappear and the Windows
>>>>>>>>>>> start-up
>>>>>>>>>>> logo to kick in. Before all this began, the advanced options
>>>>>>>>>>> screen
>>>>>>>>>>> would appear within seconds. Does this indicate Windows boot
>>>>>>>>>>> routine
>>>>>>>>>>> or POST, and if so what does this indicate? If I placed a phony
>>>>>>>>>>> line
>>>>>>>>>>> in boot.ini what would the length of time tell me? Thank you
>>>>>>>>>>> very
>>>>>>>>>>> much
>>>>>>>>>>> for all your help with this.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> When the boot.ini file contains only one ARC path, (like most
>>>>>>>>>> Windows
>>>>>>>>>> installations), the boot loader (ntldr) simply parses the file
>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>> proceeds to boot the default Windows installation without
>>>>>>>>>> presenting the
>>>>>>>>>> user with a boot menu. When the boot.ini file contains more than
>>>>>>>>>> one
>>>>>>>>>> line ntldr reads the file then presents a boot menu for a certain
>>>>>>>>>> length
>>>>>>>>>> of time to allow the user to select which Windows installation to
>>>>>>>>>> boot.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> For example:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Most boot.ini files where only one Windows installation is
>>>>>>>>>> present
>>>>>>>>>> will
>>>>>>>>>> look something like this:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> [boot loader]
>>>>>>>>>> timeout=30
>>>>>>>>>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
>>>>>>>>>> [operating systems]
>>>>>>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
>>>>>>>>>> Professional" /fastdetect
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> In the above example the file only contains one ARC path:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Ntldr sees that there is only one Windows installation present
>>>>>>>>>> so it
>>>>>>>>>> doesn't present a boot menu and proceeds to load the default
>>>>>>>>>> Windows
>>>>>>>>>> installation. If we were to add a second "phony" installation
>>>>>>>>>> ntldr
>>>>>>>>>> would pause to allow the user to select which Windows
>>>>>>>>>> installation to
>>>>>>>>>> boot, the boot.ini file could look like this:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> [boot loader]
>>>>>>>>>> timeout=30
>>>>>>>>>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
>>>>>>>>>> [operating systems]
>>>>>>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
>>>>>>>>>> Professional" /fastdetect
>>>>>>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Phony Windows"
>>>>>>>>>> /fastdetect
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> When seeing more than one ARC path lines ntldr will now pause
>>>>>>>>>> when
>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>> computer is booted and it will present the user with a boot menu
>>>>>>>>>> allowing the user to select one of the following:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Microsoft Windows XP Professional
>>>>>>>>>> Phony Windows
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> If no selection is made after the timeout= time ntldr will load
>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>> default= operating system. With the above boot.ini file, if no
>>>>>>>>>> selection
>>>>>>>>>> is made, after 30 seconds ntldr will load the
>>>>>>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS operating system,
>>>>>>>>>> the one
>>>>>>>>>> labeled "Microsoft Windows XP Professional". The stuff between
>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>> quotation marks is for human eyes only, what you see on the boot
>>>>>>>>>> menu,
>>>>>>>>>> so the above "Phony Windows" line is valid, you will see Phony
>>>>>>>>>> Windows
>>>>>>>>>> as a boot option.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> This is simply an option that allows you to gauge how much
>>>>>>>>>> time it
>>>>>>>>>> takes
>>>>>>>>>> for the BIOS to do it's stuff and load the MBR and then pass the
>>>>>>>>>> boot
>>>>>>>>>> process to the boot sector of the active partition which then in
>>>>>>>>>> turns
>>>>>>>>>> passes the boot process to the ntldr boot loader, only then
>>>>>>>>>> (when the
>>>>>>>>>> boot sector passes the boot process to the boot loader) is
>>>>>>>>>> Windows
>>>>>>>>>> involved, anything prior to that has nothing to do with
>>>>>>>>>> Windows. So
>>>>>>>>>> what
>>>>>>>>>> does all of this do? It simply allows one to gauge the time at
>>>>>>>>>> which
>>>>>>>>>> Windows actually becomes involved in the boot process, it can
>>>>>>>>>> sometimes
>>>>>>>>>> be helpful if one is having difficulties determining where the
>>>>>>>>>> boot
>>>>>>>>>> process is at when it hangs after the POST test.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Your comments that there is whirling and clicking noises doesn't
>>>>>>>>>> sound
>>>>>>>>>> too good, this can be a sign of a failing hard drive. A failing
>>>>>>>>>> drive
>>>>>>>>>> can often be difficult to boot and it can take a long time to do
>>>>>>>>>> so. I
>>>>>>>>>> would strongly suggest that you backup all your precious files
>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>> run
>>>>>>>>>> disk diagnostic utility from the drive manufacturer on the disk.
>>>>>>>>>> Another
>>>>>>>>>> way to do a quick test is to open the box and touch the hard
>>>>>>>>>> disk, a
>>>>>>>>>> failing whirling and clicking drive will usually also become
>>>>>>>>>> quite
>>>>>>>>>> hot
>>>>>>>>>> to the touch.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>> Found Boot.ini and added "phony" line. I got the phony choice
>>>>>>>>> after
>>>>>>>>> only 15 secs, so I now assume the BIOS is doing its stuff OK.
>>>>>>>>> There is
>>>>>>>>> then a wait of 2 mins till the progress bar appears (or 1min to
>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>> Advanced Options Screen if I had pressed F8, then 1 more min),
>>>>>>>>> then
>>>>>>>>> about 12 mins to the Windows XP logo, then about 4 mins till my
>>>>>>>>> startup programs have kicked in OK. So if it is Windows that is
>>>>>>>>> involved and not now the BIOS or the POST, what can suddenly be
>>>>>>>>> causing this huge delay of 14 mins?? Any more help greatly
>>>>>>>>> appreciated.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Now it becomes a sleuthing exercise! How long does it take the
>>>>>>>> machine
>>>>>>>> to boot in Safe-Mode?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>> It takes the same time,with same progress bar. I have just tried
>>>>>>> going
>>>>>>> through msconfig and starting with *only* System Services and
>>>>>>> Original
>>>>>>> boot.ini, and all other services disabled, but that makes no
>>>>>>> differenve either!Is the progress bar a part of ntldr, in which case
>>>>>>> how can I access ntldr itself and run some sort of diagnostic?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The problem is not with ntldr and the progress bar is just a graphic
>>>>>> display while drivers are being loaded, it can be turned off with the
>>>>>> /noguiboot switch in the boot.ini file (can be done via the boot.ini
>>>>>> tab
>>>>>> in msconfig). Windows loads the VGA driver to display this progress
>>>>>> bar,
>>>>>> there could be problems with the driver, enabling the /noguiboot
>>>>>> switch
>>>>>> will instruct Windows to not load the driver, it's a stretch but
>>>>>> give it
>>>>>> a try and see what happens, the VGA driver might be causing problems.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If the same slow boot is also happening when you boot to safe mode
>>>>>> then
>>>>>> this is most likely a hardware problem or a problem with a boot
>>>>>> device
>>>>>> driver. Bootlog the Safe-Mode boot and see if you can get useful
>>>>>> information from the bootlog. Safe-Mode loads fewer drivers so the
>>>>>> bootlog will be smaller than the log from a normal boot, it will be
>>>>>> easier to weed out the smaller safe mode log than that of the normal
>>>>>> boot. The bootlog will be written to the Ntbtlog.txt file and it
>>>>>> will be
>>>>>> stored in the %SystemRoot% folder.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> How long has this problem been going on? Did you install any new
>>>>>> hardware or update drivers before it started? Did you install any
>>>>>> software or do any operating system updates before this started? Is
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> machine clean and free of any virus or other such pests? Do you have
>>>>>> USB
>>>>>> drives connected to the machine, or cards inserted into card readers
>>>>>> when the machine is booting? Disconnect or power off all unnecessary
>>>>>> external peripherals while you troubleshoot the problem. Did you
>>>>>> change
>>>>>> any settings in the BIOS? Resetting the BIOS to default or failsafe
>>>>>> settings might make a difference.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If you can't find any useful information from the boot log then I
>>>>>> would
>>>>>> suggest that you run hardware diagnostics on the machine, run a
>>>>>> manufacturer diagnostic on the drive, chkdsk doesn't cut it when it
>>>>>> comes to hardware problems with disks.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> John
>>>>> John - just to be clear - the white progress bar at issue is not the
>>>>> little blue bar that appears under the Windows XP logo when Windows
>>>>> finally kicks in; it is the one that appears when Windows "resumes"
>>>>> after re-starting from hibernation. In my case, this bar takes about
>>>>> 15mins to reach the halfway point, then disappears and the Windows
>>>>> logo
>>>>> appears and all is as before (OK). If I start from hibernation (I have
>>>>> just discovered),when the screen comes alive that progress bar is
>>>>> already half-filled and Windows starts normally to previous state.I
>>>>> will
>>>>> do a safe-mode bootlog, add noguiboot, disconnect all peripherals and
>>>>> see what happens. The problem has been with me about 2 months, but no,
>>>>> as far as I can remember, I hadn't just installed/updated anything,
>>>>> and
>>>>> yes, the m/c has been examined by SuperAntiSpyware, malwarebytes and
>>>>> the
>>>>> deepest (25hour)scan by Kaspersky Anti-virus tool. I had not touched
>>>>> the
>>>>> BIOS. I will continue to let you know how I get on, but thank you so
>>>>> much for all your efforts so far.
>>>>> Richard.
>>>> To update - safe mode bootlog gave a huge list of drivers that did not
>>>> start (as expected)but no better speed. Noguiboot prevented the white
>>>> bar from appearing but did not speed anything up. One thing - the
>>>> Alternative options screen appeared almost immediately after pressing
>>>> F8, whereas last time it took about 90 secs. But after that, same old
>>>> problem. I did a normal start with bootlogging and all drivers loaded
>>>> apart from the following: NDProxy.sys, lbrtfdc.sys, fdc.sys,
>>>> flpydisk.sys, sfloppy.sys (I don't have a floppy drive) i20mgmt.sys,
>>>> Changer.sys, cdaudio.sys, processr.sys, PCIDump.sys, avg2k.sys,
>>>> rdbss.sys, mrxsmbr.sys, Serial.sys and ipnat.sys. I don't know what
>>>> any of these do but "processr.sys" sounds a bit dire!? While watching
>>>> the safe-mode boot I noticed that all the drivers loading information
>>>> appeared one after the other very slowly, rather than in a blur as I
>>>> seem to remember from some time before. Could it be that my drivers
>>>> are initialising one at a time rather than synchronously, and how
>>>> would I rectify it if so??
>>>
>>> Difficult to say, the load order of the drivers is determined by which
>>> service group they belong to and the group load order, I don't know of
>>> any way to change the the group load order. If all the drivers are
>>> loading very slowly I'm being lead to believe that there is a problem
>>> with the hard drive or with the controller drivers, it could be having
>>> difficulties reading the drive in the early stage of the booting
>>> process. Maybe check to make sure that the drive is not being placed in
>>> PIO mode. Other than that it could be a loose or bad cable or it could
>>> be that the drive is not properly identified in the BIOS.
>>>
>>> Take a look in the Device Manager to see if anything looks amiss. In the
>>> Device Manager verify the computer type to see if it is listed as an
>>> ACPI type PC. At this juncture I would need to have the machine at my
>>> hands to try to solve the problem, I don't have any solid advice to
>>> give, just general suggestions and guesswork! If you have a spare hard
>>> disk maybe you could try setting up a new Windows installation and see
>>> how well it runs. If the drive passes all manufacturer tests then I
>>> would probably do an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of the operating
>>> system to force a reenumeration of the Plug and Play devices and the
>>> hardware abstraction layer (HAL).
>>>
>>> John
>> You can install a free hard drive investigating software and see if it
>> helps
>>
>> try http://www.hdsentinel.com/
>>
> Thanks for that link -HDS reports disk health at 5% and critical, so
> that sounds like it is the culprit. Thanks again.
> Richard
glad it worked this is a handy tool I do not have it start on boot but
on my Sunday maintenance run I do run it
From: Smiles on 29 Jun 2010 07:52
Richard wrote:
> On 27/06/2010 13:30, John John - MVP wrote:
>> Richard wrote:
>>> On 25/06/2010 13:45, Richard wrote:
>>>> On 25/06/2010 12:59, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>> On 24/06/2010 22:37, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 24/06/2010 18:31, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> On 24/06/2010 17:22, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> On 24/06/2010 15:09, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 24/06/2010 14:13, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 24/06/2010 13:20, John John - MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Richard wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (This may be repeated....if so, sorry!)When I start my
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> computer
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (with
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Win XP Home SP3 installed), just after the BIOS info
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> screen
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> before
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Windows even kicks in, I get a white progress bar at the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> bottom
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> screen that fills up over about 20 minutes before the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> usual
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Windows
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> logo/start screen appears. Looking at the event viewer
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> System
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I find that "boot-start or system-start driver "bthex"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> was not
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> found.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Looking in the Registry indicates that bthex is expected
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> found
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in Win\System32\Drivers. It is not there, so something
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> has
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> suddenly
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> deleted\renamed it or something. I have put my
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> installation
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DVD
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> drive and tried a repair but this driver cannot be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> located
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> there,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I have googled for it but with no luck. Can anyone
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> suggest
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> where I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> might find this system file, or maybe even search for
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> it on
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> their
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> own
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Syste32 folder and make it available to me?? Many thanks
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for any
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> help
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in advance.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If it's a driver it would be a .sys file (not a .dll). A
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> search
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for this
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> file yields no results, often an indication that the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> file is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> virus or
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> malware related. I would suggest that you make sure
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> machine is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> free of any pests.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Where *exactly* in the registry did you find reference to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> file? It
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> could be that your Anti-Virus tools have removed an
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> infection and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the entry is just a remnant.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Appears at HKLM/System/ControlSet001(and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 003)/Enum/Root/LEGACY_BTHEX/NextInstance (REG_DWORD set to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "1")
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> which
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I am not allowed to edit: also at ditto\controlset001 (and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 3)/services/bthex/ (and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> services/enum/explorerbars/{C4EE31})ImagePath
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> REG_DWORD set to "system32/drivers/bthex.sys." If I delete
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> all
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> these
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> references, could that help??
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Is it in the CurrentControlSet?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Look for phantom devices in the Device Manager and see if
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> any
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> make
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> mention this BTHEX driver:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Device Manager does not display devices that are not
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> connected
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Windows XP-based computer
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315539
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This little batch file will automatically set the Device
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Manager to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> show
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> phantom devices and open it for you:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices-1
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> start devmgmt.msc
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You cannot delete the keys in the Enum section because you
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> do not
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> have
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> permission to do so, grant yourself the necessary
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> permissions
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and you
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> will be able to remove the keys. Before you do that keep in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> mind
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> there is a good reason why only the System account has
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> permission to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> delete keys in the in the \Enum branch! It would be best to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> remove
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> device in the Device Manager instead of removing it from
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Enum
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> keys.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Before you change the permissions and delete keys please
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> read the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> following:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Enum
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/library/cc976176.aspx
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> System and Startup Settings
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb742541.aspx
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Select
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/library/cc978528.aspx
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yes - it is in CurrentControlSet under
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> /Enum/Root/LEGACY_BTHEX/0000.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> No mention in Device Manager, or after running your batch
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> file. I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> won't try to meddle with Enum, but how do I grant myself
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> permission
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> if I did want to?? I will read the articles you mention, but
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> since
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this is the file that is causing my 20 min startup delay,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ex-infection or otherwise - how do I get rid of my system
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> searching
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for it?? Thanks again.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The registry permissions are just like regular NTFS file
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> permissions,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> just right click on the offending key and select
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Permissions...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you are convinced that this is the culprit and if you
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cannot
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> remove
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the device from the Device Manager then just grant yourself
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> full
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> control on the key and delete it. For the time being
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> remove it
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CurrentControlSet only! If the Windows installation balks
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> at its
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> removal (when you reboot) just boot to the Last Known Good
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Configuration.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> PS. The problem is more likely to be caused by the status of
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> service
>>>>>>>>>>>>> in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
>>>>>>>>>>>>> branch, I
>>>>>>>>>>>>> suggest that you remove or disable the service there. To
>>>>>>>>>>>>> disable the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> service set its Start value to 4.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>>>> Well, Having deleted it from the CurrentControlSet and
>>>>>>>>>>>> rebooted,
>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>> problem is still there, but Event Viewer no longer reports a
>>>>>>>>>>>> problem
>>>>>>>>>>>> in looking for bthex. So I presume bthex, whatever it is, is
>>>>>>>>>>>> *not*
>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>> reason for my slow progress bar in booting up. Any ideas as to
>>>>>>>>>>>> what it
>>>>>>>>>>>> might now be? Could it be something to do with Power On Self
>>>>>>>>>>>> Testing,
>>>>>>>>>>>> or if not is there any way of diagnosing why this has suddenly
>>>>>>>>>>>> started
>>>>>>>>>>>> occuring? Cheers.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I think that what you are seeing is part of the Windows boot
>>>>>>>>>>> process
>>>>>>>>>>> rather than the POST routine, an easy way to tell would be to
>>>>>>>>>>> press/tap
>>>>>>>>>>> the F8 key when the computer is booting and see how long it
>>>>>>>>>>> takes
>>>>>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>>>>> the advanced Windows boot options show up. Or put a second
>>>>>>>>>>> (phony)
>>>>>>>>>>> line
>>>>>>>>>>> in the boot.ini file and see how long it takes for ntldr to
>>>>>>>>>>> parse
>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>> present the boot menu.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>>>> When I tap the F8 key the (by now usual) slow clicks and whirrs
>>>>>>>>>> continue for about 2 mins, then the white progress bar appears
>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>> continues another 2 or 3 mins, and then at last the advanced
>>>>>>>>>> options
>>>>>>>>>> menu appears. Choosing any option results in the correct
>>>>>>>>>> procedure,
>>>>>>>>>> but another 15 mins for the bar to disappear and the Windows
>>>>>>>>>> start-up
>>>>>>>>>> logo to kick in. Before all this began, the advanced options
>>>>>>>>>> screen
>>>>>>>>>> would appear within seconds. Does this indicate Windows boot
>>>>>>>>>> routine
>>>>>>>>>> or POST, and if so what does this indicate? If I placed a phony
>>>>>>>>>> line
>>>>>>>>>> in boot.ini what would the length of time tell me? Thank you very
>>>>>>>>>> much
>>>>>>>>>> for all your help with this.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> When the boot.ini file contains only one ARC path, (like most
>>>>>>>>> Windows
>>>>>>>>> installations), the boot loader (ntldr) simply parses the file and
>>>>>>>>> proceeds to boot the default Windows installation without
>>>>>>>>> presenting the
>>>>>>>>> user with a boot menu. When the boot.ini file contains more than
>>>>>>>>> one
>>>>>>>>> line ntldr reads the file then presents a boot menu for a certain
>>>>>>>>> length
>>>>>>>>> of time to allow the user to select which Windows installation to
>>>>>>>>> boot.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> For example:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Most boot.ini files where only one Windows installation is present
>>>>>>>>> will
>>>>>>>>> look something like this:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> [boot loader]
>>>>>>>>> timeout=30
>>>>>>>>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
>>>>>>>>> [operating systems]
>>>>>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
>>>>>>>>> Professional" /fastdetect
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> In the above example the file only contains one ARC path:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Ntldr sees that there is only one Windows installation present
>>>>>>>>> so it
>>>>>>>>> doesn't present a boot menu and proceeds to load the default
>>>>>>>>> Windows
>>>>>>>>> installation. If we were to add a second "phony" installation
>>>>>>>>> ntldr
>>>>>>>>> would pause to allow the user to select which Windows
>>>>>>>>> installation to
>>>>>>>>> boot, the boot.ini file could look like this:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> [boot loader]
>>>>>>>>> timeout=30
>>>>>>>>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
>>>>>>>>> [operating systems]
>>>>>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
>>>>>>>>> Professional" /fastdetect
>>>>>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Phony Windows"
>>>>>>>>> /fastdetect
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> When seeing more than one ARC path lines ntldr will now pause when
>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>> computer is booted and it will present the user with a boot menu
>>>>>>>>> allowing the user to select one of the following:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Microsoft Windows XP Professional
>>>>>>>>> Phony Windows
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> If no selection is made after the timeout= time ntldr will load
>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>> default= operating system. With the above boot.ini file, if no
>>>>>>>>> selection
>>>>>>>>> is made, after 30 seconds ntldr will load the
>>>>>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS operating system,
>>>>>>>>> the one
>>>>>>>>> labeled "Microsoft Windows XP Professional". The stuff between the
>>>>>>>>> quotation marks is for human eyes only, what you see on the boot
>>>>>>>>> menu,
>>>>>>>>> so the above "Phony Windows" line is valid, you will see Phony
>>>>>>>>> Windows
>>>>>>>>> as a boot option.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> This is simply an option that allows you to gauge how much time it
>>>>>>>>> takes
>>>>>>>>> for the BIOS to do it's stuff and load the MBR and then pass the
>>>>>>>>> boot
>>>>>>>>> process to the boot sector of the active partition which then in
>>>>>>>>> turns
>>>>>>>>> passes the boot process to the ntldr boot loader, only then
>>>>>>>>> (when the
>>>>>>>>> boot sector passes the boot process to the boot loader) is Windows
>>>>>>>>> involved, anything prior to that has nothing to do with
>>>>>>>>> Windows. So
>>>>>>>>> what
>>>>>>>>> does all of this do? It simply allows one to gauge the time at
>>>>>>>>> which
>>>>>>>>> Windows actually becomes involved in the boot process, it can
>>>>>>>>> sometimes
>>>>>>>>> be helpful if one is having difficulties determining where the
>>>>>>>>> boot
>>>>>>>>> process is at when it hangs after the POST test.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Your comments that there is whirling and clicking noises doesn't
>>>>>>>>> sound
>>>>>>>>> too good, this can be a sign of a failing hard drive. A failing
>>>>>>>>> drive
>>>>>>>>> can often be difficult to boot and it can take a long time to do
>>>>>>>>> so. I
>>>>>>>>> would strongly suggest that you backup all your precious files and
>>>>>>>>> run
>>>>>>>>> disk diagnostic utility from the drive manufacturer on the disk.
>>>>>>>>> Another
>>>>>>>>> way to do a quick test is to open the box and touch the hard
>>>>>>>>> disk, a
>>>>>>>>> failing whirling and clicking drive will usually also become quite
>>>>>>>>> hot
>>>>>>>>> to the touch.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>> Found Boot.ini and added "phony" line. I got the phony choice after
>>>>>>>> only 15 secs, so I now assume the BIOS is doing its stuff OK.
>>>>>>>> There is
>>>>>>>> then a wait of 2 mins till the progress bar appears (or 1min to the
>>>>>>>> Advanced Options Screen if I had pressed F8, then 1 more min), then
>>>>>>>> about 12 mins to the Windows XP logo, then about 4 mins till my
>>>>>>>> startup programs have kicked in OK. So if it is Windows that is
>>>>>>>> involved and not now the BIOS or the POST, what can suddenly be
>>>>>>>> causing this huge delay of 14 mins?? Any more help greatly
>>>>>>>> appreciated.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Now it becomes a sleuthing exercise! How long does it take the
>>>>>>> machine
>>>>>>> to boot in Safe-Mode?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> John
>>>>>> It takes the same time,with same progress bar. I have just tried
>>>>>> going
>>>>>> through msconfig and starting with *only* System Services and
>>>>>> Original
>>>>>> boot.ini, and all other services disabled, but that makes no
>>>>>> differenve either!Is the progress bar a part of ntldr, in which case
>>>>>> how can I access ntldr itself and run some sort of diagnostic?
>>>>>
>>>>> The problem is not with ntldr and the progress bar is just a graphic
>>>>> display while drivers are being loaded, it can be turned off with the
>>>>> /noguiboot switch in the boot.ini file (can be done via the boot.ini
>>>>> tab
>>>>> in msconfig). Windows loads the VGA driver to display this progress
>>>>> bar,
>>>>> there could be problems with the driver, enabling the /noguiboot
>>>>> switch
>>>>> will instruct Windows to not load the driver, it's a stretch but
>>>>> give it
>>>>> a try and see what happens, the VGA driver might be causing problems.
>>>>>
>>>>> If the same slow boot is also happening when you boot to safe mode
>>>>> then
>>>>> this is most likely a hardware problem or a problem with a boot device
>>>>> driver. Bootlog the Safe-Mode boot and see if you can get useful
>>>>> information from the bootlog. Safe-Mode loads fewer drivers so the
>>>>> bootlog will be smaller than the log from a normal boot, it will be
>>>>> easier to weed out the smaller safe mode log than that of the normal
>>>>> boot. The bootlog will be written to the Ntbtlog.txt file and it
>>>>> will be
>>>>> stored in the %SystemRoot% folder.
>>>>>
>>>>> How long has this problem been going on? Did you install any new
>>>>> hardware or update drivers before it started? Did you install any
>>>>> software or do any operating system updates before this started? Is
>>>>> the
>>>>> machine clean and free of any virus or other such pests? Do you have
>>>>> USB
>>>>> drives connected to the machine, or cards inserted into card readers
>>>>> when the machine is booting? Disconnect or power off all unnecessary
>>>>> external peripherals while you troubleshoot the problem. Did you
>>>>> change
>>>>> any settings in the BIOS? Resetting the BIOS to default or failsafe
>>>>> settings might make a difference.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you can't find any useful information from the boot log then I
>>>>> would
>>>>> suggest that you run hardware diagnostics on the machine, run a
>>>>> manufacturer diagnostic on the drive, chkdsk doesn't cut it when it
>>>>> comes to hardware problems with disks.
>>>>>
>>>>> John
>>>> John - just to be clear - the white progress bar at issue is not the
>>>> little blue bar that appears under the Windows XP logo when Windows
>>>> finally kicks in; it is the one that appears when Windows "resumes"
>>>> after re-starting from hibernation. In my case, this bar takes about
>>>> 15mins to reach the halfway point, then disappears and the Windows logo
>>>> appears and all is as before (OK). If I start from hibernation (I have
>>>> just discovered),when the screen comes alive that progress bar is
>>>> already half-filled and Windows starts normally to previous state.I
>>>> will
>>>> do a safe-mode bootlog, add noguiboot, disconnect all peripherals and
>>>> see what happens. The problem has been with me about 2 months, but no,
>>>> as far as I can remember, I hadn't just installed/updated anything, and
>>>> yes, the m/c has been examined by SuperAntiSpyware, malwarebytes and
>>>> the
>>>> deepest (25hour)scan by Kaspersky Anti-virus tool. I had not touched
>>>> the
>>>> BIOS. I will continue to let you know how I get on, but thank you so
>>>> much for all your efforts so far.
>>>> Richard.
>>> To update - safe mode bootlog gave a huge list of drivers that did not
>>> start (as expected)but no better speed. Noguiboot prevented the white
>>> bar from appearing but did not speed anything up. One thing - the
>>> Alternative options screen appeared almost immediately after pressing
>>> F8, whereas last time it took about 90 secs. But after that, same old
>>> problem. I did a normal start with bootlogging and all drivers loaded
>>> apart from the following: NDProxy.sys, lbrtfdc.sys, fdc.sys,
>>> flpydisk.sys, sfloppy.sys (I don't have a floppy drive) i20mgmt.sys,
>>> Changer.sys, cdaudio.sys, processr.sys, PCIDump.sys, avg2k.sys,
>>> rdbss.sys, mrxsmbr.sys, Serial.sys and ipnat.sys. I don't know what
>>> any of these do but "processr.sys" sounds a bit dire!? While watching
>>> the safe-mode boot I noticed that all the drivers loading information
>>> appeared one after the other very slowly, rather than in a blur as I
>>> seem to remember from some time before. Could it be that my drivers
>>> are initialising one at a time rather than synchronously, and how
>>> would I rectify it if so??
>>
>> Difficult to say, the load order of the drivers is determined by which
>> service group they belong to and the group load order, I don't know of
>> any way to change the the group load order. If all the drivers are
>> loading very slowly I'm being lead to believe that there is a problem
>> with the hard drive or with the controller drivers, it could be having
>> difficulties reading the drive in the early stage of the booting
>> process. Maybe check to make sure that the drive is not being placed in
>> PIO mode. Other than that it could be a loose or bad cable or it could
>> be that the drive is not properly identified in the BIOS.
>>
>> Take a look in the Device Manager to see if anything looks amiss. In the
>> Device Manager verify the computer type to see if it is listed as an
>> ACPI type PC. At this juncture I would need to have the machine at my
>> hands to try to solve the problem, I don't have any solid advice to
>> give, just general suggestions and guesswork! If you have a spare hard
>> disk maybe you could try setting up a new Windows installation and see
>> how well it runs. If the drive passes all manufacturer tests then I
>> would probably do an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of the operating
>> system to force a reenumeration of the Plug and Play devices and the
>> hardware abstraction layer (HAL).
>>
>> John
> In Device Manager my SM Bus Controller has a red cross against it, and
> apparently the driver is not installed, but this problem was there
> before this slow boot problem started up. It is listed as an ACPI type
> Uniprocessor PC. I think the problem is to do with the hard disk
> beginning to fail - unfortunately I have just tried to copy all my data
> etc to an external drive, but Windows is now refusing to see the drive
> at all! Thanks for all your help.
> Richard
why not save the drive remove it
put in a replacement drive than put old drive in your external box and
use it to copy data back
any controller issues are bypassed
I find this is best for these drives
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