Dave Williams
Posted 3 years, 6 months ago
Joined: 12 years, 5 months ago
Hi,
After a clean install of XP on AMD 64x2 5600 with 1Gb RAM, XP+ SP3 screen displays normally ie with progress bar for about 4 seconds. Screen then goes blank for 3 seconds and progress bar reappears. Blank screen again and eventually Welcome screen. After everything settles down, icons in Task Bar sometimes are missing notably Avast "i" icon which is sometimes present and sometimes not.
Looking at MS KB describes first problem but only where XP fails to start properly ie keeps restarting etc. So this problem where start up goes to completion with no other probs is not addressed.
I suspect some problem in XP Boot timing but don't know how to correct it, any ideas ?
Thanks Dave
Avst says that even if icons do not appear, all is well and system is still protected
Chris Burrage
Posted 3 years, 6 months ago
Joined: 12 years, 5 months ago
Re: XP boot and icons missing
Sounds like explorer is failing. Try Ctrl+Alt+Del, pick Task Manager. Look at the processes, if Explorer.exe is there kill it off (there may be more than one). Once all gone, cick File - New Task (Run) and type explorer.exe. OK. Your desktop should appear. If it does, post back and we will figure out what to do about it.
Chris B
ALAN ROSCOE
Posted 3 years, 6 months ago
Joined: 12 years, 5 months ago
Re: XP boot and icons missing
Right click My Computer
Select Properties
Select the Advanced tab
In the bottom section (Startup & Recovery) Select Settings
Ensure your operating system (in this case XP)
But you didn't say which version or which Service Pack
Click the Edit button
Make sure this is in the Notepad page which opens, entitles "Boot - Notepad"
[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" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
Delete the contents of the Notepad page and insert the above (copy and paste it from here).
N.B. You can reduce the Bootloader timeout to less than 30 seconds if you wish for a faster startup.
Report back if this has any effect or not.
Dennis from Largo
Posted 3 years, 6 months ago
Joined: 12 years, 5 months ago
Re: XP boot and icons missing
If you can boot into Safe Mode, try adjusting the Display setting to a lower resolution. Then try to boot up normally. If that works, then it looks like you might have a video driver problem.
Dave Williams
Posted 3 years, 6 months ago
Joined: 12 years, 5 months ago
Re: XP boot and icons missing
Hi Chris,
Probably was not clear enough regarding problems. XP does start up OK even though XP boot appears to stop with blank screens showing during boot. However, I terminated Explorer, only one, as you suggested and then ran new task and all OK.
Since posting my query, it occurred to me that this was a problem associated with boot timing certainly as regards the non appearance of task bar icons. So I generated a new user, previously only myself, and this gives the opportunity to delay loading personal settings. So I let boot continue until it is just waiting on selection of user in the welcome screen and lo and behold, all icons which should be present are.
Alan Roscoe confirms my thinking, thanks Alan, but I have not tested his suggestions just yet. Will post back soon. (XP + SP3 Alan as given in original query)
Cheers, Dave
Dave Williams
Posted 3 years, 6 months ago
Joined: 12 years, 5 months ago
Re: XP boot and icons missing
Hi Alan,
You might have read my reply to Chris regarding delaying personal settings load by creating another user and waiting until XP is waiting on a user log in. This seems to guarantee all relavant icons are loaded. But the blank screens during XP boot remain.
But, my apologies for not specifying which XP. It is Home edition with SP3.
So I note that the differences between boot.ini and your script are,
1) XP Home Edition not XP Professional
2) My boot.ini file includes /usepmtimer after fastdetecet
So, I believe I should leave XP Home and delete usepmtimer. Any reason why I should not just edit usepmtimer out ? Rest of file is identical.
Many thanks for your response, cheers, Dave
Chris Burrage
Posted 3 years, 6 months ago
Joined: 12 years, 5 months ago
Re: XP boot and icons missing
The pmtimer switch is required for dual AMD's, explanation here -
http://blogs.technet.com/perfguru/archive/2008/02/18/explanation-for-the-usepmtimer-switch-in-the-boot-ini.aspx
Removing it isn't likely to improve matters, but can't hurt to try. I suspect the solution you found of stopping it at the login screen is the simplest way to go short of upgrading to Vista.
Chris B
Dave Williams
Posted 3 years, 6 months ago
Joined: 12 years, 5 months ago
Re: XP boot and icons missing
Thanks Chris,
Quite a detailed explanation, sufficiently so for me to stay with the log on delay!
Still have the problem of the blank screen interruptions to XP boot. Although it boots to completion, would be nice to see a continuous display of XP booting. Any ideas ?
kind regards, Dave
Chris Burrage
Posted 3 years, 5 months ago
Joined: 12 years, 5 months ago
Re: XP boot and icons missing
The blinking out issue isn't all that unusual. Typically it is due to the booting system changing screen resolution and the monitor blanks briefly while it adjusts. This can happen several times. You can see if this is the cause by temporarily adjusting the resolution to 640x480 and rebooting. Now the display should be more or less continuous.
Chris B
excagmaximape
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago
Joined: N/A
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