4 ms·

I don't really care as much about the boot time as the time between my desktop showing up and any of my commands being recognized. On my old Thinkpad as soon as

I don't really care as much about the boot time as the time between my desktop showing up and any of my commands being recognized. On my old Thinkpad as soon as the desktop and Start menubar showed up I got the same two laggy warnings about incompatible drivers every single time I would boot, and for 20 seconds or so icons wouldn't even respond to me hovering over them. Then I would have to wait another 20-45 seconds for anything to open while all the little icons and their respective programs were loading in the bottom right part, among with other background activity. Granted the computer was a couple years older than average users' these days, but psychologically it was just infuriating to think the computer is ready for me, and then having to sit through the "second boot." Instead of a super-fast boot they should focus on a super-simple boot which isn't torture to watch. I can walk away from my machine and do something else for a minute while it's booting, just like anyone does when they're popping popcorn. But the popcorn should be easy to open once it's "done."

upthedale 15y ago
That's likely all the installed stuff you have accumulated over time with components set to run at startup - not the OS itself. Think programs like iTunes, Flash, Skype, Java, to name just a few common things people install which is guilty of this (annoyingly even Microsoft's own programs like Messenger can contribute to the problem too). All of them do stuff at startup, be it checking for updates or kicking off background services. Have a look at Autoruns[1], which is a great SysInternals tool to show you what is set to run at startup, and lets you selectively disable them. [1] http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.asp...
- artursapek 15y ago
  I hear you, but I have to say it's mostly stuff that Lenovo packed into the box for me. There was a little bit of the 3rd party programs; Adobe; Skype; but mostly not. See my reply here http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2978973 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2978973
NolF 15y ago
typing msconfig in the search box and goign to the startup tab will allow you to disable most programs that automatically startup at boot. Just leave essentials such as software for laptop mouse or sound, and you should be gold. Soluto is also a pretty good program to help you with the process, but you don't really need that one.
- artursapek 15y ago
  Had I not just gotten a Mac I would have checked that out. Thanks.
Flow 15y ago
I have Windows XP at work. Booting takes about a minute, then logging in takes 5-10 more minutes before the computer is usable. I think of this every time: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebwolf/498371086/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebwolf/498371086/
- smhinsey 15y ago
  This made me wonder if they have addressed the main issue behind scenarios like that, which, in my experience, is the application of GPOs. I haven't actually had a win7 machine on a domain so I don't know, but I sure do have similar memories of "applying security policy" taking forever in XP.
  - Flow 15y ago
    I usually get coffee instead of staring at the laptop. But I wonder how big a difference a smarter disk-elevator algorithm would make. Or something that logged file-accesses, made a list of disk-block-no of that, sorted the list, and early at next boot read of blocks from that list. This is to avoid boot-time being spent waiting for random disk-accesses.
ot 15y ago
Since Windows Vista, startup programs run in low priority: http://blogs.technet.com/b/askperf/archive/2008/03/28/startup-programs-on-windows-vista-inside-the-box.aspx http://blogs.technet.com/b/askperf/archive/2008/03/28/startu... I don't know how much this affects startup performance, but on my work Thinkpad Windows 7 boots up and is usable rather quickly.
- Dylan16807 15y ago
  But 7 set the low priority time down to 0 seconds default.
mootothemax 15y ago
Using an SSD on Windows 7 has all but removed the post-login lag for me. For me, that's been the real saving - fast bootup is nice, but then being able to use the system straight away is ace :)
- artursapek 15y ago
  Hahah yeah I would if I could. SSD sounds wonderful. Waiting a few years on that one.
drzaiusapelord 15y ago
Its not the OS's fault that you've littered your machine with all sorts of startup checkers and startup apps. Then again, most end users arent aware of this. Is the state of software engineering so poor that no one has considered staggered or delayed startup for some of these borderline useless apps? I mean, startup is a busy time in the computer world and on the server end of things we use delayed services all the time, but on the dekstop the assholes at Apple and Google and the rest just assume that their little startup app should run immediately and with full priority and so what if you have 5 others just like this. Heaven forbid someone consider the end user experience here. I think MS had to step in and set these things to low priority starting with Vista. What a mess when the OS guys are fixing what the app guys are simply unable or unwilling to do.
- Sephr 15y ago
  To be fair, Google's updater doesn't run until the computer is idle for a certain amount of time.
  - artursapek 15y ago
    As they all should!
- Peaker 15y ago
  The OS could show a visual indication that it is still running "startup" stuff, which are effectively a part of the boot process. Then you could return once that visual indication is gone, and know that your computer has completed the boot. Currently, the OS simply doesn't tell you when it's actually finished booting.
- artursapek 15y ago
  You made an incorrect assumption. I hadn't littered my computer with anything. I'm talking about bullshit apps which came with the computer. Apps such as (I'll read these off for you) a control panel for my Radeon video card, the same for my fan (which was unbelievably loud), Windows update, Java update, sometimes Microsoft Office update, an icon which informs me if there is a shock currently being detected (never) and if the hard drive is running (always), Bluetooth devices (I had never used one with the computer), Windows Security alerts, Windows sidebar (a genius non-creation from Microsoft), the safely-remove-hardware interface, and an unwanted volume mixer which I never touched once. This is Vista I'm talking about, perhaps half the fault is mine for not updating to 7. And a clean reinstall might have ridden the computer of a few of these, but only a few. Also, I left out Adobe update because it's completely 3rd party but in light of your second paragraph, I agree. That shit got annoying fast. And yes, the point I'm making and that others have reinforced is that the OS shouldn't pretend to be done booting up when it's clearly not. These things are part of the OS.

upthedale 15y ago

That's likely all the installed stuff you have accumulated over time with components set to run at startup - not the OS itself. Think programs like iTunes, Flash, Skype, Java, to name just a few common things people install which is guilty of this (annoyingly even Microsoft's own programs like Messenger can contribute to the problem too). All of them do stuff at startup, be it checking for updates or kicking off background services. Have a look at Autoruns[1], which is a great SysInternals tool to show you what is set to run at startup, and lets you selectively disable them. [1] http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.asp...

artursapek 15y ago
I hear you, but I have to say it's mostly stuff that Lenovo packed into the box for me. There was a little bit of the 3rd party programs; Adobe; Skype; but mostly not. See my reply here http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2978973 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2978973

NolF 15y ago

typing msconfig in the search box and goign to the startup tab will allow you to disable most programs that automatically startup at boot. Just leave essentials such as software for laptop mouse or sound, and you should be gold. Soluto is also a pretty good program to help you with the process, but you don't really need that one.

artursapek 15y ago
Had I not just gotten a Mac I would have checked that out. Thanks.

Flow 15y ago

I have Windows XP at work. Booting takes about a minute, then logging in takes 5-10 more minutes before the computer is usable. I think of this every time: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebwolf/498371086/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebwolf/498371086/

smhinsey 15y ago
This made me wonder if they have addressed the main issue behind scenarios like that, which, in my experience, is the application of GPOs. I haven't actually had a win7 machine on a domain so I don't know, but I sure do have similar memories of "applying security policy" taking forever in XP.
- Flow 15y ago
  I usually get coffee instead of staring at the laptop. But I wonder how big a difference a smarter disk-elevator algorithm would make. Or something that logged file-accesses, made a list of disk-block-no of that, sorted the list, and early at next boot read of blocks from that list. This is to avoid boot-time being spent waiting for random disk-accesses.

ot 15y ago

Since Windows Vista, startup programs run in low priority: http://blogs.technet.com/b/askperf/archive/2008/03/28/startup-programs-on-windows-vista-inside-the-box.aspx http://blogs.technet.com/b/askperf/archive/2008/03/28/startu... I don't know how much this affects startup performance, but on my work Thinkpad Windows 7 boots up and is usable rather quickly.

Dylan16807 15y ago
But 7 set the low priority time down to 0 seconds default.

mootothemax 15y ago

Using an SSD on Windows 7 has all but removed the post-login lag for me. For me, that's been the real saving - fast bootup is nice, but then being able to use the system straight away is ace :)

artursapek 15y ago
Hahah yeah I would if I could. SSD sounds wonderful. Waiting a few years on that one.

drzaiusapelord 15y ago

Its not the OS's fault that you've littered your machine with all sorts of startup checkers and startup apps. Then again, most end users arent aware of this. Is the state of software engineering so poor that no one has considered staggered or delayed startup for some of these borderline useless apps? I mean, startup is a busy time in the computer world and on the server end of things we use delayed services all the time, but on the dekstop the assholes at Apple and Google and the rest just assume that their little startup app should run immediately and with full priority and so what if you have 5 others just like this. Heaven forbid someone consider the end user experience here. I think MS had to step in and set these things to low priority starting with Vista. What a mess when the OS guys are fixing what the app guys are simply unable or unwilling to do.

Sephr 15y ago
To be fair, Google's updater doesn't run until the computer is idle for a certain amount of time.
- artursapek 15y ago
  As they all should!
Peaker 15y ago
The OS could show a visual indication that it is still running "startup" stuff, which are effectively a part of the boot process. Then you could return once that visual indication is gone, and know that your computer has completed the boot. Currently, the OS simply doesn't tell you when it's actually finished booting.
artursapek 15y ago
You made an incorrect assumption. I hadn't littered my computer with anything. I'm talking about bullshit apps which came with the computer. Apps such as (I'll read these off for you) a control panel for my Radeon video card, the same for my fan (which was unbelievably loud), Windows update, Java update, sometimes Microsoft Office update, an icon which informs me if there is a shock currently being detected (never) and if the hard drive is running (always), Bluetooth devices (I had never used one with the computer), Windows Security alerts, Windows sidebar (a genius non-creation from Microsoft), the safely-remove-hardware interface, and an unwanted volume mixer which I never touched once. This is Vista I'm talking about, perhaps half the fault is mine for not updating to 7. And a clean reinstall might have ridden the computer of a few of these, but only a few. Also, I left out Adobe update because it's completely 3rd party but in light of your second paragraph, I agree. That shit got annoying fast. And yes, the point I'm making and that others have reinforced is that the OS shouldn't pretend to be done booting up when it's clearly not. These things are part of the OS.