Any ideas for slow startups?

[Startup]

(By pure coincidence with the user name).

I have a Pico Envoy 665 running W98. 192MB RAM and a 6.4GB HDD. PII 400 processor.

Right from when I bought it (about 2 weeks prior to the company going into receivership http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif) the start up process, from when I press the button to when the machine actually displays the W98 desktop, takes anywhere from 20 seconds (unusual) to 3- 4 minutes (a bad day). Average I suppose is about 2 minutes.

My only explanation is that there is a temperature sensor on the processor, which doesn't let it run on full power until it's come down to a certain temperature. this would seem to be logical as the initial DOS screen only gives way the the W98 initialisation screen once the fan has stopped running. I also suspect this because when the computer has only been power off for a few minutes, the power up sequence takes minimal time.

So, that's my explanation- however I reckon that this is a long shot. Anyone got any better ideas?

[InFinRetirement]

Not very funny mutt.

What you describe on your startup startup (good that) is possible in which case you need to adjust the temp in the BIOS to suit the CPU.

However, slow startups can be caused because you have TOO much starting up and that can also be adjusted by clicking Start | Run / enter msconfig and then have a look at your startup list and uncheck what you don't want. The less to start the less time to start.

BUT......20 seconds is brill, around 1min to 1min 30secs is fine.

Worth a try.

[This message has been edited by InFinRetirement (edited 14 May 2000).]

[Feline]

IFR - That sounds like a good tip -- but where does one acquire msconfig.exe? Is it a Win98 goodie? Doesn't appear to be readily available on my Win95 CD.



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Feline
(I Sit, I Watch, I Smile)

[spannersatcx]

Feline, it is a W98 thing not sure about 95,
you can try it by clicking on START (on the task bar) then RUN then type in msconfig and click OK if it's there it should run. Don't think it's on the CD it's part of windows system.

[This message has been edited by spannersatcx (edited 15 May 2000).]

[Oz_Pilot]

Use DOS. It'll take mere seconds to get going.

(but you won't be able to run all this gooey stuff...)

[squeakmail]

I never turn mine off.

Just leave it powered up all day.

Now...somebody is probably going to tell me I'm doing a bad thingg. Who's first?

[Feline]

spannersatcx: Nah! It obviously isn't included with Win95 - pity because that seemed like a good way of cleaning up my start sequence.

Sqeakmail: Used to be not such a good idea because you could be burning a fixed image into the screen. Doesn't really happen these days, particularly if you use a screen saver (which simply move the electron beam so the screen doesn't get burned). Even better,if you have a modern screen is just to set it to go to a low power setting (screen blanks out after a pre-defined number of minutes). Use Settings | Display, and follow the instructions from there.
You may also find that the system slows down because some programmes don't release all the memory they have been using when they quit. Not really noticeable, particularly since most systems these days have oodles of memory, but you might notice it if you try and run a programme that uses a lot of memory.
Of course the fact that you leave it going contributes to global warning and is probably contributing to the permanent addling (by increased radiation at high altitude) of many of the readers of these forums (although in some cases it would seem that alcohol and/or sex will get 'em far sooner than increased radiation).

Head down below parapet, deflector shields deployed! ;) ;) ;)

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Feline
(I Sit, I Watch, I Smile)


[This message has been edited by Feline (edited 16 May 2000).]

[squeakmail]

Puss cat...thanks for that...I expected a bigger ear bending.

The machine goes to screen save at 5 minutes of boredom..then goes to sleep completely at 15 minutes of bordeom.

Wakes up at a shake of the mouse.

(Mouse, did somebody say "Mouse" - to a feline?)

[Mice]

Gentlemen,
as you are all no doubt aware, when you start the machine, BIOS is loaded into the first 64K of RAM, and the BIOS then does a hardware check to ascertain what is connected to the motherboard. After this interrogation, Bios looks for the boot sequence, in the order set up in the BIOS. When it finds this info, it hands over control to the boot sequence (in this case WIN98's operating system), and WIN 98 then also does a check of the BIOS to see what hardware is connected, while also doing some checking of its own to find other things (CD ROMS, USB devices, etc). WIN 98 then loads the appropriate virtual device drivers to run these units, and then goes into the GUI desktop.

From my experience (in this field, considerable) the major cause of slow starts is hardware related (the system looking for bits)AND BIOS setup. Check the BIOS setup is correct as the first thing. Any hardware drivers changed or removed/added recently? Etc Etc...

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When all else fails, read the manual!