L502x Windows 7 boot time

Greetings all,
I have a Dell XPS 15 L502x, purchased 9 months ago.
Brief spec. Core i7-2630QM 2.00GHz, 6GB RAM, Windows 7 HP 64bit.
Currently the boot time for Windows 7 varies from boot to boot anything from 1min 45sec to 2mins 20secs - very long.
I have Soluto installed and switched off or paused everything not required for start up.
I have removed unneccessary startups within msconfig and selected 'no boot GUI'.
I have changed number of cores used for boot from 1 to 8 (max).
I have switched off windows boot manager as I only use one o/s.
I have searched the BIOS for enabling quick-boot but cannot find any option.
Disk Clean up and defrag are not required.

 

Two words: clean install.

My L502x (750GB HD) boots in 45 seconds. A clean installation of Windows should fix any problems you're having.

 

I like it. Just a lot of data to backup and program's to reinstall!
45seconds would be ideal.
Any other L502x owners care to post their boot times for win7?

 

Before you do that, have you deleted all logs of system restore?

I usually install CC cleaner, run cleaner, then registry fix, then tools and under system restore, i delete all but the most recent back-up. Also I've been using defraggler with Sam's suggestion (on my HDD, not SSD) and it works darn well, might want to give that a go!

Hope this helps with boot-up time!

BTW, if you have a lot of software and recent updates on your PC, of course it's going to lag on you during startup. No one should truly care for their startup times, but they should be concerned about their software load-times and the performance of their laptop when opening software...

You COULD also set the laptop to hibernate instead of Shut down everytime to save some times. I've used it on my M1330 for 3+ years, and my L702x when I wasn't using an SSD drive.

 

17 seconds from poweron to login prompt. 2-3 seconds from login to desktop. Booting Ubuntu in a VM once the desktop is up takes about 9 seconds from poweron to login

 

Mine is about 1 year old now, same specs as yours, and boots in like 25-30 secs.

 

I didn't do a clean instal, I just got rid of the crap software and everything that had to do with Dell. Also got rid of that horrendously aweful Maxx waves software that killed the sound quality (chopped bass below roughly 100 hz) . 30-35 second boot time.

 

Is that Realtek HD Audio - should I uninstall this, what do I use instead?!
I have gotten rid of loads of stuff and just booted now - 2mins and 8 seconds terrible stuff.
I have alot of Microsoft development software installed - WebMatrix, Visual Studio, SQL Server 2008 - Im thinking these might have something to do with long boot, but I cant see them anywhere in Soluto or msconfig Startup tab? Strange.

 

Go to system configuration and toggle Windows to display drivers as they are being loaded at start up (in the place of the startup animation)

Restart and see if any driver is impeding startup by taking a long time to load. - if all load fast except for the last, then it is probably software slowing everything down. (as per above)

I doubt it is Realtek slowing boot, otherwise a lot more people will be complaining!

EDIT - oops! you already have no GUI boot - can you identify anything that might be slowing things down?

 

I got rid of Maxx and then updated drivers from Realtek. Not sure if Maxx slowed boot time or not but it sure sounds a lot better, even through the laptop speakers.

How many processes are running right after boot up ? When new it was 76 or so now it's 54 or so still a lot it seems but it's still fairly quick

 

For reference; I have 85 processes after startup, boot time is ~32 sec from BIOS POST to desktop.

@Mikeybc:

Interesting that I find Waves Maxx improves the audio clarity, personal preference prehaps?

 

On mine maxx made it seem like frequencies below roughly 100 hz were being filtered making the sound seem thin and lifeless, no matter where I put all of the setting. Bass boost boosted midbass but still no deep bass. Maxx did make the sound more spacious but I'm an purist audiophile snob that doesn't like that spatial enhancement stuff.

 

Ok so I have done a Diagnostic startup (basic services and drivers only) - this takes 37 seconds, but then nothing really works!
Did a Normal startup and got 61 seconds, then removed a few things from startup in sys config and restarted again and boot time was 113seconds - nearly twice as long as previous and with less startups checked - this doesn't make any sense?!
Whenever I go back into sys config Selective startup is always pre-selected.
This is making me loco.

 

PS MS security client startup time (as reported by soluto) can be anything from 15 to 75 seconds, randomly

 

It could be a process that's waiting for something that doesn't occur, then finally times out and moves on. Wireless connections come to mind.

This may not be an issue in Win 7, but it might be worth checking. I've supported laptops which the user took on the road and connected to several wireless hotspots, each of which was stored in the wireless list. When they got back to work, Windows was configured to try each of those and would wait for the connection for a while before timing out and moving on. The cure was to look for and delete any uneeded wireless connections in the wireless list. You can probably test this by turning off your wireless radio and restarting.

Do you have any sync relationships set up? When I created a sync relationship on my XPS-17 to a share on my desktop, my start up time increased dramatically. Can't say how much cause I haven't tested before and after. I think it got longer as I added more folders to the sync.

It might help to look at your system event log. After you log on and the system settles down, open the Event Viewer from Computer Management a click on the System Log. Look for the most recent event ID 12 from Kernel-General, I think this is the first entry when Windows starts. Examin the time stamps on the remaining entries from that point forward, looking for a gap of several seconds between events. Events around such a gap may be the cause of your startup delays.

 

You people complaining about sound understand they just call it a "subwoofer" right??? They are tiny speakers you wont get much response below 100hz without real sized speakers. You want GREAT sound, buy a set of speakers. You want GREAT sound out of laptop speakers leave it the hell alone and get a clue.

 

Ohh btw Windows 7 Pro with a SSD 23seconds to usable desktop.

 

I was listening with it hook up to a Musical Fidelity A3.2 Integrated and Energy 22 Reference Connoisseur speakers you dope. I know what I'm talking about. And the laptop itself even sounded better afterwards.

 

Same here. Quickest was about 21 seconds. It is faster than the 750GB it originally had so that is all I care about. Applications loads up a heck of a lot faster, especially VMWare.

 

So I have done a complete re-install of Windows 7. Machine is like new.
Last three boots were 127 seconds, 140 seconds and 120 seconds.
Anyone any ideas? Could this be some sort of hardware fault?

 

xpsfing
"So I have done a complete re-install of Windows 7. Machine is like new.
Last three boots were 127 seconds, 140 seconds and 120 seconds.
Anyone any ideas? Could this be some sort of hardware fault?"

That was how mine was until I put an SSD in it. I had the two 500GB 7200RPM setup and was very disappointed in how long it took to boot. Stuck an SSD in it and that was the end of that complaint.

 

Installing the SSD, as others have said, would decrease boot time greatly. However, that doesn't address the underlying problem - some sort of hardware timeout or other software causing the delay. Perhaps it's the Microsoft Security Essentials as someone else said.

Whatever this timeout/delay actually is - may just manifest itself onto the SSD as well (although with reduced boot times). Even with an HDD you should NOT have boot times of 2 minutes (or longer). That would seem to indicate that something is drastically wrong and needs to be fixed.


FWIW, additional info:

As shipped from Dell (with HDD), my TaskMgr listed around 80 processes or more. Boot times were around 30 seconds or so.

Immediately after a clean install of Win7 Ultimate (SSD), TaskMgr listed 32 processes.

Then, after installing all drivers (per Rogo's now-famous list), TaskMgr listed 54. Boot times are around 15-18 seconds.

 

I just got my boot time down to 18.5 seconds by simply getting rid of a bunch of programs that start up at boot that I didn't need.

Go to sysinternals.com and download "autoruns" (yes crappy name, most of us have this program installed in our bodies after a few too many drinks the night before.) It shows you EVERYTHING that starts while your computer is booting and you can shut them down with the program. I went from 24-25 seconds to 18.5 with my SSD. At this point im kind of splitting hairs, but I imagine it could easily knock 15-30secs if not more off of an HDD.

It also has the ability to filter out Windows files so that you don't shutdown something important.

 

Thanks for the info!
Where can I find this 'Rogo's list' you speak of?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/7415385-post736.html

Note that some of the drivers in the list have been updated by Dell. Simply substitute the newer version from the Dell Downloads website. The order of installation and driver descriptions are still relevant. Make sure to add to his Reputation, as his work has helped many.

 

Thanks, that looks great.
I only did a restore to factory settings from Dell Datasafe so didn't need to reinstall any drivers.
Will do a fresh install again and apply drivers as listed here.
I have a recovery disk I made when I first got the machine, will this suffice as a fresh install do you think or will I need to get the Windows CD?
I spoke to Dell about the problem and they are trying to sell me software support for up to 200euros. I already have 3 year hardware support but they wont look at it.

 

I'd rather get the Windows CD and do a fresh install, that way you avoid any Dell bloatware from the Recovery disk. I think I paid $15 to get mine shipped with my laptop a year ago, but others have said they just called Dell support and got it overnighted for free simply by asking.

Otherwise, I think there's another thread around here discussing downloading Win 7 and just using your CD key that came with your machine.
My Digital Life Forums

 

Do you recommend using only drivers from the Dell site or getting newer ones from the manufacturer sites like Intel? I saw that there is a newer WiFi driver etc?

I had to ask two three times for a windows cd but finally getting it shipped for free and will do a clean install.

 

There's really not much "bloatware" with an XPS 15. While I have done clean installs on many new laptops, I judged it unnecessary on the XPS 15. I just uninstalled (using Revo) the trialware and other stuff that I didn't want.

I also removed the Recovery partition (after created Recovery disks and USB flash drive), which freed up almost 20 GB.

 

I usually get the video drivers (Intel/Nvidia) from the respective manufacturers, just to keep the latest games running properly (Skyrim, etc). That being said, be wary of Intel's latest driver as documented here...
http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/655540-com-surrogate-has-stopped-working.html#post8425054

 

After a clean install, my TaskMgr process count dropped by 30 processes compared to Dell's as-shipped condition. Additionally, untold Gigabytes of drive space were recovered by all the apps I didn't need. I consider THAT to be a significant amount of "bloatware".

Everyone has their own opinion of what constitutes bloatware. To each his own, I suppose.

 

I'm comparing to the amount found on other brands, such as Sony. My point is that there isn't so much on the XPS 15, such that it can be eliminated just through uninstalling (using Revo does a more thorough cleanup).

 

I may be late in responding to this thread, but I figure, why not share my experience, anyway...A couple weeks ago, I had unusually slow boot times on my 7 Pro (clean installed). I averaged about 25 seconds on my HDD (occasionally around 20 seconds), but the times began slowing to around 45 seconds, and only got worse...as bad as 120 seconds! In my case, ReadyBoot (not to be confused with ReadyBoo st) had somehow quit working. Basically, it's associated with Superfetch, caching your boot files and launched program files, so that subsequent boots and program launches get faster. Anyway, after trying to troubleshoot for much of one Saturday, I decided to do a repair install (in-place upgrade).

That ended up being a nightmare in itself, ha, but once I finally got it reinstalled (the following Monday), and then all the Windows updates reinstalled and my settings and such back in place, my boot times stabilized at around 40 seconds, still too slow for my liking. I knew something was not right, because during startup, I would sit at a black screen for about 20 seconds after the Windows logo displayed. Seemingly nothing could get rid of that delay, not even this excellent tutorial I found at How to speed up boot process under Windows Vista or Windows 7 - MSFN Forum. Do take a look at it, though, as it may help you.

I kept on trying to troubleshoot my slow boot, and eventually tried out ProcessMonitor. Download and run it. Then, go to its Options and click "Enable Boot Logging". Restart. Once you're logged on again, re-open ProcessMonitor, and you should get a prompt to open/save your created boot log. Follow its instructions, and then when you have the boot log displayed, go to the Filter menu and click "Filter...". In the dialog box that comes up, configure a filter of "Duration more than 1 sec". Done correctly, this should reveal processes that may be contributing to a slow boot. If nothing looks recognizable to you, you can post a screenshot of your result, and I can try to help. Or, MagicAndre at the MSFN thread link above could definitely help.

Now, what was my culprit? It was crazy, haha... one lousy, stupid font file! Back in mid-April, I tested out a font-family, but then promptly uninstalled it from my Fonts, when I decided not to keep it. Well, for one reason, one font file of the family stayed behind, an encrypted one at that. (Why encrypt one file of a family, I have no idea...) ProcessMonitor reported an unsuccessful ("access denied") attempt to open that file at startup for about 20 seconds, the same time length of the black screen I see at startup. I killed the offending file, and killed any references to it in my registry. Afterwards, reboots became faster, and after rerunning the bootprep in the MSFN link, my boot times not only returned to normal, but are even better now, at 15-20 seconds!

 

For the fun of it, I'm going to post mine's up, I'd love it if I had a 14s boot time! I usually get maybe 20-30+s boot time, and it's off an SSD drive. So if this could help I'd like to learn as I can do this on my customer PC's

It'd be great to get some insight off of you in what I should disable during boot-up

 

Hello there! First, how do you measure your boot time? If you get your measurements from the Event Viewer (Diagnostics-Performance, Event 100), you can subtract 10 seconds from those values, to get your true boot times. I found out during my testing of the boot tracing method from the MSFN link I gave above, that Windows waits until your machine is idle for 10 seconds, before calculating the final boot time.

Now, as for your screen shot... are you sure that's from a boot log, or is it from a list of things going on at the point in time you ran ProcessMonitor? I wonder, because there are a couple things that quite exceed the normal length of a boot, such as those 80 second entries associated with explorer.exe...hmmm... I may have to run through the boot logging steps myself again, to refresh my memory on how it's done.

Anyway, I'd recommend disabling the Search Indexer (Windows Search) from your Services. That, and research how to delete any accumulated indexing file, because just disabling the service may not delete an existing index. This could save you anywhere from megabytes to a few gigabytes...

Windows Search is one of the first services I kill whenever I (re-)install Windows, because I have no use for it. It would randomly consume CPU, slowing things down (even if just slightly enough to annoy me). Besides, I always have a great idea of where my files are without it indexing them for me, haha, and even in rare cases when I don't, I have a good stand-by program for doing searches, Agent Ransack. Finally, I can't imagine Windows Search being helpful to an SSD, anyway...with an SSD, you want to limit extraneous drive activity. I believe Windows disables Superfetch and the Defragmenter upon detecting an SSD, so why not Windows Search as well?

So, I guess, start off with dealing with Search and its index, and then rerun ProcessMonitor with Boot Logging, and see what you get next time.

Oh, finally getting a look at your tray icons, haha...I recognize the Realtek audio icon, correct? Also, do those sidebar meters run on startup? I always prefer to run such things on-demand. One of those looks like the Intel Turbo Boost monitor, or whatever it's called...that one, I killed off entirely from my machine, because any CPU monitoring software I use, monitors the speeds including Turbo Boost increases, anyway.

So, take a look at your MSconfig, if you haven't, and see if there's anything else you can disable. I recognize a mouse pad icon as well, correct? Synaptics, perhaps? If so, there should be one or two entries you could kill in MSconfig. I don't use any mouse gestures or anything of the like, and so, I'm not affected by disabling its entries. But, your case may be different.