Boot Up

How to Speed Up Vista Boot Up Time​

   Information

This will show you how to speed up just the boot up time to your desktop in Vista. Select the options that you feel comfortable doing and that apply to you.

   Note

You can also view the startup logs in Event Viewer (C:\Windows\system32\eventvwr.msc) under Applications and Services Logs, Microsoft, Windows, Diagnostics-Performance, and Operational. The logs will be in the middle to show you what ran at startup, how long it took, and more.

   Tip

For more ideas on how to speed up the performance of Vista, see: How to Speed Up the Performance of Vista

OPTION ONE

Change Time to Display List of Operating Systems

1. For how, see: How to Change the Default Boot Partition in Vista​

A) Uncheck this option if you do not dual boot to save 30 seconds.​

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B) If you do dual boot, then select the default OS to boot into and lower the amount of time to wait for you to make a selection.​

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OPTION TWO

Disable Create System Restore at Startup

NOTE: By default System Restore, if turned on, is scheduled to create a restore point at every system startup (At startup trigger) in Task Scheduler. If System Restore is turned on, then disabling this will save you time at startup.

1. For how, see Option Three (step 16) here: How to Change the Automatic System Restore Point Settings in Vista Task Scheduler​

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OPTION THREE

Defrag the Registry

NOTE: Defragging the registry is like defragging the hard drive. It will help reorganize and condense the registry so it can be read quicker at startup. Usually doing this once a month is good.

1. Download and install the free Auslogics Registry Defrag program from:​

Auslogics - Download Auslogics Registry Defrag​

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2. Run the program at least once a month to keep the registry defragmented.​

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OPTION FOUR

Use Sleep Mode

NOTE: If you use your computer off an on a lot thoughout the day, then using Sleep mode instead of shutting the down computer will allow your computer to startup much quicker.

1. Set your Power Options to use the recommended settings for Sleep mode.​

NOTE: For how see STEP TWO (step 6) here: How to Troubleshoot a Vista Sleep Mode Problem and Find a Solution​

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OPTION FIVE

Check the Number of Processors Used at Boot Up

NOTE: If you have a multiple core CPU (Ex: Intel Core Duo or Quad CPU) or multiple CPUs, then this will show you how to check the Number of Processors to be sure that they are all used during boot up to help speed up the boot up time.

1. For how, see: How to Change the Number of Processors Used at Boot Up in Vista​

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OPTION SIX

Disable or Remove Startup Programs

NOTE: While going through the list of startup programs on your computer, you should disable or remove the listed startup programs that you do not want or need to run at the startup of Vista. The less you have, the less time Vista will spend loading them at startup.

1. For how, see OPTION TWO here: How to Check and Change the Startup Programs in Vista​

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OPTION SEVEN

Log on Automatically to a User Account

NOTE: By default Vista has you select and logon to a user account at startup. You can set Vista to automatically logon to a selected user account and boot to that user's desktop instead at startup. This will save you the time of manually doing it.

1. For how, see: How to Logon Automatically at Startup in Vista​

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OPTION EIGHT

Disable the Transient Multimon Manager (TMM)

NOTE: If you do not use multiple monitors or connect a laptop to an external monitor, then disabling the Transient Multimon Manager (TMM) can save you the 2-3 second delay followed by a blank black screen as Vista searches for monitor changes when you startup Vista.

1. For how, see: How to Disable or Enable the Transient Multimon Manager (TMM) in Vista​

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OPTION NINE

Disable Password Protection on Wakeup

NOTE: If you use Sleep mode from OPTION FOUR above and do not want password protection at wakup, then disabling the requirement to enter the user account password when the computer wakes up from sleep mode will save you startup time from having to do this.

1. For how, see: How to Disable or Enable Password Protection on Wakeup in Vista​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Speed Up Shutdown in Vista
• How to Speed up the Menu Show Delay Time in Vista
• How to Speed Up the Performance of Vista
• How to Check and Change the Startup Programs in Vista
• How to Disable or Enable Vista Services With a Advice Guide
• How to Disable or Enable the Transient Multimon Manager (TMM) in Vista
• How to Change the Default Boot Partition in Vista
• How to See What Your Boot Up Time is in Vista
• How to Logon Automatically at Startup in Vista
• How to Change the Number of Processors Used at Boot Up in Vista
• How to Enable or Disable Defrag of Boot Files at Startup in Vista

 

[dinesh]

also try disabling the start up items in msconfig...

 

[shortmantuff]

Hey Brink. In Auslogics, it gives you the option to download the free program BootSpeed...is this bad?

Isn't Step 2 kind of a good thing though? Don't you want system restore to be on just in case something bad happens or is it not really necessary?

 

[vic1ous]

First of all I would just like to say very great tutorial, I'm new here and to Vista all together. My dad bought me a copy of Vista Ultimate for my birthday so now I'm running Vista 64x and love every minute of it. Quick question though how did you get that Vista Boot screen mine just shows a line I found out how to get the aurora background from another tutorial but I cannot seem to figure out how to get the actual vista logo, thanks

 

[Brink]

Hi Shortmantuff,

I'm not familiar with the program BootSpeed, so I do not know if all of it's options can be done free within Vista without having to install a pay for 3rd party program.

Step 2 is just a option in case you do not want a restore point created at every startup. It will still create restore points for the other events, and you can still manually create restore points whenever you like to.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Brink]

First of all I would just like to say very great tutorial, I'm new here and to Vista all together. My dad bought me a copy of Vista Ultimate for my birthday so now I'm running Vista 64x and love every minute of it. Quick question though how did you get that Vista Boot screen mine just shows a line I found out how to get the aurora background from another tutorial but I cannot seem to figure out how to get the actual vista logo, thanks

Hello Vic1ous, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You can use this tutorial to change the boot screen to any image you like.

I no longer have the image used for the icon for that boot screen though, or I would attach it here for you.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[vic1ous]

Thank you brink, I'll just leave it default for now. I just thought it was built into vista so I was curious

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Vic1ous.

 

[snikir]

please hellp !!!!! slow restart speed how you guy are getting 80 sec?
my cofiguration
hp dv2725ee
core 2 duo 2.0ghz
2gb ram
358mb intel graic card shared
windows vista home premium sp1
160gb hard disk
it is taking 213 seconds
please see the attached image

 

[Brink]

Hello Snikir,

Did you check and do the items you feel will help in this tutorial and in the one below?

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/81176-speed-up-performance-vista.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[blockie]

I took out the 30 seconds in the line down changed that to 5 secs that speed up the microsoft corporation green bar down 12 secs to 8 secs i use to count them it took to about 25 bars acrooss to load up into desktop lol the people at best buy Geek Sqaud where amaized how i fixed the manager said wanna job here i said NO lol

I said it was you're techs that changed my setting's in the first place told me to take all thease new updates that screwed up my computer and you have the nerve to keep them on as employee i said it won't last long sent all my note to microsoft on how they where minipulating peoples computer fourcing them to crash so they could bring them and charge the costomer and make money. lol

To measure the effect on the modifications you made to speed up boot & shutdown in Vista, you will find attached a script which will display the reboot time of your computer.
Just rename the txt file with the vbs extension.

Sid.

Sid,
You mentioned a txt file to measure boot time. That seems to be something I can use to see what improvements I am making as I try to speedup Vista bootup time.

If you would , I would appreciate an email with that file atteached.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Brink]

Hello Bill,

You can get program to measure your boot time from within the tutorial below.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/151819-boot-up-time.html


You should never include any personal information such as your email address in a post that can be viewed by anyone in the public. Plus, it can be used by spybots to spam your email box to death.

Shawn

 

[shortmantuff]

Okay. I did almost everything on this list and got my boot time to 83 sec. Now after a couple of weeks, its back to 137 seconds. I don't know what is wrong. I installed SUPERAntiSpyware and Zonealarm because I was recommended by BleepingComputers after I ran a HijackThis log for my parent's computer, but my internet was acting up. I didn't know if it was because of these programs, or not so I just did a system restore and it fixed the problem. But now, my boot up is so much slower. Any ideas?

Sorry if this isn't related to the tutorial. It's about boot, that's why I asked here. Please tell me to post this in a forum if it's not. Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello Shortmantuff,

Depending on the date of the restore point, it may have undone some of the items on this tutorial. You might check back through them and the ones in the tutorial below to see if they are still set.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/81176-speed-up-performance-vista.html

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

 

[shortmantuff]

Didn't even think about that. I'll check it out. Also, I made it so Realtek and Windows Defender Start on Boot. Would these slow it down a lot?

 

[Brink]

No, those two should affect the speed much. Please let us know your results with the rest though.

 

[shortmantuff]

Alright, thanks. I will. Yeah, I just looked up the start-up programs list of what to keep and those were on it, so I started them. Before I only had 3 things start at boot. I'll keep you posted.

 

[King Kittan]

Amazing tips; I'm just blown away by the impact they've had on my system. All I'm going to do now is buy another Gb of ram for the performance of my system and then vista should be running just as I want it.

 

[shortmantuff]

Okay, I looked at everything I changed from the list to Speed up the performance and everything I did changed was still changed.

One weird thing is I use Secunia PSI and it starts at boot, but is not in the list of Start-up programs. I want it to start, but it's just weird to me that it's not in the list.

Also, I ran a disk and registry defrag to possibly help with this. I use Auslogics Disk Defrag and Auslogics Registry Defrag. Are there better ones out there? And how come when I do a Virus scan and a disk defrag, they have different amount of files even though I select C:/ Drive for both of them. (Note: The virus scan has more files)

Another weird thing is when I rebooted, the hard drive light on my computer keeps blinking. Usually it goes away after a while you know. My last boot time was 134 sec.

Sorry for all the different questions.

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Okay, I looked at everything I changed from the list to Speed up the performance and everything I did changed was still changed.

One weird thing is I use Secunia PSI and it starts at boot, but is not in the list of Start-up programs. I want it to start, but it's just weird to me that it's not in the list.

Also, I ran a disk and registry defrag to possibly help with this. I use Auslogics Disk Defrag and Auslogics Registry Defrag. Are there better ones out there? And how come when I do a Virus scan and a disk defrag, they have different amount of files even though I select C:/ Drive for both of them. (Note: The virus scan has more files)

Another weird thing is when I rebooted, the hard drive light on my computer keeps blinking. Usually it goes away after a while you know. My last boot time was 134 sec.

Sorry for all the different questions.

Thanks.

You might see how it runs without Secunia PSI installed as a test.

As a last resort, you could do a clean install and test your restart time after installing each item to see what may be the culprit that way.

 

[shortmantuff]

Okay. If I did a clean install, would Drive Backup 9.0 save my programs, or would it just wipe out this program as well?