Booting help

[a1cnissen]

Hello

I just got my new computer about 1 month ago along with a friend who got the same thing. ( Will be important to know in a min )

ASUS a8n32 mobo
amd 4800 x2
window xp pro
4gig of xmx pro
2 hati deskstars 250g each sata 2
bfg 7800 oc
xfi fatility sound card
g7 mouse
g15 keyboard


now my friend got the SAME set up! but only changed the deskstars out for smaller WD drives sata 2 and only got 2gig of the xmx pro and a 4400x2

why does his computer start up faster then mine.
both with just xp installed

and i know that windows can only see 3gigs of ram and 1 gig is your paging file so tech it can only see 2 gigs of my 4gigs installed. Is this slowing windows down or bottle necking it in any way.

second i remember along time ago reading something about windows haveing problems with HD's over 150gig or something like that. Could that have anything to do with it. and if it is should i just make smaller partitions or do i need a driver or something.

third is the reg file scanning programs really legit or just a scam and if they are good what is one i can use.

or maybe a handy list of great computer programs to have.

THANKS i know this is alot but damn microsoft for making it so much fun

[Zoltar]

The first thing I would look at is to see how many apps are starting when XP starts (Run>"msconfig" -- click Startup tab). If it is not this, then here are some other things to look at:

You no longer need a patch for larger hard drives so the drive thing is not an issue.

I am wondering about your memory. Do you have 2 sticks or 4, and is your configuration on Asus' acceptable list?

Do you have "quick boot" selected in BIOS?

Did you configure a 1-gig paging file, or did XP do that when it installed?

Also, can you more fully explain what is happening here: "reg file scanning programs really legit..."? What are you observing when this happens?

[YottaHertz]

Hmm.... Try defraging the HDD's....

[a1cnissen]

I have 4 sticks and the ram i have is the stuff the mobo said it worked best with on the box.

the paging file i let xp do

what is quick boot and is it good ?

is there a site that is good that will tell you have to speed up xp ?

[YottaHertz]

Looky here.

[Zoltar]

Your documentation should say "Quick boot" bypasses some BIOS checks, like the memory check. This would speed things up a lot for you.

http://www.tweakxp.com/

[a1cnissen]

why does it seem to just hang at the loading screen. I watch my led and my ram led and they are going balls out then they stop for a few seconds and the loading screen hangs then they both kick back on and windows loads up.

my second cpu does not do that

[TOAD6147]

How is your networking set up? Are you both set up the same? Also, with different vid cards, that may be a slow down as well.

[a1cnissen]

we are both on the same network yes

[TOAD6147]

Are you both using the same NIC, with the same drivers, same configuration, etc.?