Slow Bootup for Win2k with AMD CPUs

[godorian]

I find that my computers with AMD CPUs tend to 'freeze' during the Win2k bootup splash screen. It will stay that way with no apparent activity for 45sec to a minute before loading. Eventlog shows nothing - no error at all during bootup. This problem does NOT occur with my Intel based machines. So my P3 733 actually boots Win2k up faster than my Athlon XP 2000+.

Does anyone have the same problem? I've worked with computers with different configurations ranging from Intel P3,P4, AMD Duron & Athlon processors. Only the AMD machines have this problem regardless of CPU make and speed. What is the reason for this freeze up? Is there a way to work around it?

 

[blah]

VIA board?

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...

 

[Teq]

I saw this problem once and it turned out to be the network card.

Check your network card settings in the hardware list. Take the speed detection off auto and set it to the speed of your network/modem. I use a cable modem and setting the network card to 100mips half duplex instead of "autodetect" knocked a good 10 seconds off my bootup time.

Another possibility is that as someone else suggested you may have a timing or detection issue with one of your PCI cards. Try removing them one at a time and see if the thing goes faster with one out. Network and Sound cards are notoriously slow to initialize, so try them first.

Also if you are running a VIA chipset, make sure you have the latest 4 in 1 driver installed. I've seen this bring all round benefits in system performance.

Good luck!

 

[jiffy]

One of the first things I do with my rigs is give the Nic card an IP address 192.168.0.1 the 1 can be 1-254. Subnet 255.255.255.0 And use (ipconfig /all) in the command prompt to get the rest of the info I need. I use DSL, works for me saves me about 10-15 sec., might work with cable, don't know.

***************************************
When you feel that reality does not suit you, live a fantasy life.

 

[Teq]

Hi Jiffy,
Most DSL modems do have a built in IP and your suggestion works very well, especially with PPPOE drivers.

Cable modems don't have that. They are transparent to the net so you can use DHCP without time penalties. The big trick on Cable is to set your card's speed and buffer settings specifically for the modem, instead of letting the system auto-detect the modem's capabilities.

Hope this helps.

 

[jiffy]

I'll keep that in mind next time I go to my girls house to work on her PC, shes has cable.

***************************************
When you feel that reality does not suit you, live a fantasy life.

 

[godorian]

Thanks guys for your suggestions. I went back and checked my AMD based motherboards, and so far the ones I've gone through have chipsets are from VIA (Epox 8K5A+, and Gigabyte GA-7VKML) So maybe that's where the problem is. I'll try thinkering with the network settings and see what happens. If all else fails, i guess it's pulling out the cards one by one.

 

[GhostKat]

I'm getting the same issue but it is happening on a computer a via chipset and then on an award chipset. The via chipset MB does get an event of "The DNS client hung on startup" in the event viewer. Looking at MSDN's knowledge base it didn't have one for the DNS but had one for something else and said something to the effect of a timeing issue with one of the services. I'm thinking of re-installing one of my computers to see if it may have been a piece of software that ended up causing the problem but I dunno.

GK

Don't mind me I'm just posting so it doesn't say I'm a newb.

 

[Marbusmaj]

I have used AMD CPU's and find no problems bootup in win2k and check that you have the latest drivers for the your chipset. There are many factors that can slow the bootup and shut down (old chipset drivers, slow hard drive, wrong setting in BIOS, a old of thing.) Even the motherboard it self could be at fault.
I run AMD Duron 1.3GB on ASUS A7V8X with 1024MB RAM but my hard drive 30GB 7200rpm is set to run ATA100 bootup times is very fast, and also shutdown. I have another AMD machine and it is slow and shutdown that is because there is a 8GB slow boot drive 3,400rpm ATA66.