Speed up Vista boot by using two cores

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Carlos

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This article
http://www.techwarelabs.com/articles/editorials/dirtyvista/index_2.shtml
Step Three, items #1, 2, and 3
states that Vista normally uses only one core during boot, even if you have
a dual or quad core processor, and that by enabling the additional cores you
can get a boot time reduction.
I will quote the important part:

"Click on Start then type "MSCONFIG" hit enter then click continue through
the UAC we talked about earlier. This opens a small screen containing some
interesting startup options, playing with this will allow you to start and
stop most things that run in the background. The startup tab tells you which
company each service belongs to so you can use this to try and slim up your
startup. One of the biggest impacts you can perform to your cold boot is in
unlocking the potential of your new machine.
Select the boot tab, then choose advanced options...

Check off Number of processors, and set that drop down box to the highest
available number.

What this is doing is unlocking Windows Vistas ability to use multiple cores
to start up. When Vista was designed in order to make it compatible with
older hardware this option was set to (1) so that it will always use only one
core. By unlocking it you allow Vista to boot using all of your cores this
can lead to a boot time performance increase of 15-40% for a cold boot and
about 10% for a warm boot or a return from standby"

Has anyone confirmed this or has evidence that it can be true?

Carlos
 
Re: Speed up Vista boot by using two cores

haven't tried it, but the test to verify is pretty easy. Give it a try and
see if it actually speeds up your boot.

--
Charlie.
http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel


"Carlos" <Carlos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4B82FB6C-FB49-462E-9A53-5AB60F1A9223@microsoft.com...
> This article
> http://www.techwarelabs.com/articles/editorials/dirtyvista/index_2.shtml
> Step Three, items #1, 2, and 3
> states that Vista normally uses only one core during boot, even if you
> have
> a dual or quad core processor, and that by enabling the additional cores
> you
> can get a boot time reduction.
> I will quote the important part:
>
> "Click on Start then type "MSCONFIG" hit enter then click continue through
> the UAC we talked about earlier. This opens a small screen containing some
> interesting startup options, playing with this will allow you to start and
> stop most things that run in the background. The startup tab tells you
> which
> company each service belongs to so you can use this to try and slim up
> your
> startup. One of the biggest impacts you can perform to your cold boot is
> in
> unlocking the potential of your new machine.
> Select the boot tab, then choose advanced options...
>
> Check off Number of processors, and set that drop down box to the highest
> available number.
>
> What this is doing is unlocking Windows Vistas ability to use multiple
> cores
> to start up. When Vista was designed in order to make it compatible with
> older hardware this option was set to (1) so that it will always use only
> one
> core. By unlocking it you allow Vista to boot using all of your cores this
> can lead to a boot time performance increase of 15-40% for a cold boot and
> about 10% for a warm boot or a return from standby"
>
> Has anyone confirmed this or has evidence that it can be true?
>
> Carlos
 
Re: Speed up Vista boot by using two cores

Did not work for me and my Q6600, on a warm boot test.
To be precise, time between pressing the button and the welcome screen (user
selection) was reduced by 1.05secs...


"Carlos" <Carlos@discussions.microsoft.com> escreveu na mensagem
news:4B82FB6C-FB49-462E-9A53-5AB60F1A9223@microsoft.com...
> This article
> http://www.techwarelabs.com/articles/editorials/dirtyvista/index_2.shtml
> Step Three, items #1, 2, and 3
> states that Vista normally uses only one core during boot, even if you
> have
> a dual or quad core processor, and that by enabling the additional cores
> you
> can get a boot time reduction.
> I will quote the important part:
>
> "Click on Start then type "MSCONFIG" hit enter then click continue through
> the UAC we talked about earlier. This opens a small screen containing some
> interesting startup options, playing with this will allow you to start and
> stop most things that run in the background. The startup tab tells you
> which
> company each service belongs to so you can use this to try and slim up
> your
> startup. One of the biggest impacts you can perform to your cold boot is
> in
> unlocking the potential of your new machine.
> Select the boot tab, then choose advanced options...
>
> Check off Number of processors, and set that drop down box to the highest
> available number.
>
> What this is doing is unlocking Windows Vistas ability to use multiple
> cores
> to start up. When Vista was designed in order to make it compatible with
> older hardware this option was set to (1) so that it will always use only
> one
> core. By unlocking it you allow Vista to boot using all of your cores this
> can lead to a boot time performance increase of 15-40% for a cold boot and
> about 10% for a warm boot or a return from standby"
>
> Has anyone confirmed this or has evidence that it can be true?
>
> Carlos
 
Re: Speed up Vista boot by using two cores

I think that is bunk, what the element tells Vista is:

"The maximum number of processors that can be utilized by the system;
all other processors are ignored."

If one thinks about it for more than 10 seconds the "tweak" seems to be
a myth, the tweak is built around increasing the number of available
processors, yet the element suggested is not used to increase the number
of processors, it is used to limit the number of available processors.
This element is the same as the /NUMPROC= switch used in the boot.ini on
previous NT versions:

/NUMPROC=

Specifies the number of CPUs that can be used on a multiprocessor
system. Example: /NUMPROC=2 on a four-way system will prevent Windows
from using two of the four processors.

http://www.microsoft.com/taiwan/technet/sysinternals/information/bootini.mspx


It would probably make more sense if they would suggest changing the
UseBootProcessorOnly or ForceMaximumProcessors element instead of the
NumberOfProcessors element, and I am not saying that using these other
elements would make any difference in the boot time, I don't know if
using these other elements would make any difference.

BcdOSLoaderElementTypes Enumeration
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa362670(VS.85).aspx

John

Carlos wrote:

> This article
> http://www.techwarelabs.com/articles/editorials/dirtyvista/index_2.shtml
> Step Three, items #1, 2, and 3
> states that Vista normally uses only one core during boot, even if you have
> a dual or quad core processor, and that by enabling the additional cores you
> can get a boot time reduction.
> I will quote the important part:
>
> "Click on Start then type "MSCONFIG" hit enter then click continue through
> the UAC we talked about earlier. This opens a small screen containing some
> interesting startup options, playing with this will allow you to start and
> stop most things that run in the background. The startup tab tells you which
> company each service belongs to so you can use this to try and slim up your
> startup. One of the biggest impacts you can perform to your cold boot is in
> unlocking the potential of your new machine.
> Select the boot tab, then choose advanced options...
>
> Check off Number of processors, and set that drop down box to the highest
> available number.
>
> What this is doing is unlocking Windows Vistas ability to use multiple cores
> to start up. When Vista was designed in order to make it compatible with
> older hardware this option was set to (1) so that it will always use only one
> core. By unlocking it you allow Vista to boot using all of your cores this
> can lead to a boot time performance increase of 15-40% for a cold boot and
> about 10% for a warm boot or a return from standby"
>
> Has anyone confirmed this or has evidence that it can be true?
>
> Carlos
 
Re: Speed up Vista boot by using two cores

John,
Thanks for your feedback.
Your comprehensive explanation has been quite interesting.
Carlos

"John John (MVP)" wrote:

> I think that is bunk, what the element tells Vista is:
>
> "The maximum number of processors that can be utilized by the system;
> all other processors are ignored."
>
> If one thinks about it for more than 10 seconds the "tweak" seems to be
> a myth, the tweak is built around increasing the number of available
> processors, yet the element suggested is not used to increase the number
> of processors, it is used to limit the number of available processors.
> This element is the same as the /NUMPROC= switch used in the boot.ini on
> previous NT versions:
>
> /NUMPROC=
>
> Specifies the number of CPUs that can be used on a multiprocessor
> system. Example: /NUMPROC=2 on a four-way system will prevent Windows
> from using two of the four processors.
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/taiwan/technet/sysinternals/information/bootini.mspx
>
>
> It would probably make more sense if they would suggest changing the
> UseBootProcessorOnly or ForceMaximumProcessors element instead of the
> NumberOfProcessors element, and I am not saying that using these other
> elements would make any difference in the boot time, I don't know if
> using these other elements would make any difference.
>
> BcdOSLoaderElementTypes Enumeration
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa362670(VS.85).aspx
>
> John
>
> Carlos wrote:
>
> > This article
> > http://www.techwarelabs.com/articles/editorials/dirtyvista/index_2.shtml
> > Step Three, items #1, 2, and 3
> > states that Vista normally uses only one core during boot, even if you have
> > a dual or quad core processor, and that by enabling the additional cores you
> > can get a boot time reduction.
> > I will quote the important part:
> >
> > "Click on Start then type "MSCONFIG" hit enter then click continue through
> > the UAC we talked about earlier. This opens a small screen containing some
> > interesting startup options, playing with this will allow you to start and
> > stop most things that run in the background. The startup tab tells you which
> > company each service belongs to so you can use this to try and slim up your
> > startup. One of the biggest impacts you can perform to your cold boot is in
> > unlocking the potential of your new machine.
> > Select the boot tab, then choose advanced options...
> >
> > Check off Number of processors, and set that drop down box to the highest
> > available number.
> >
> > What this is doing is unlocking Windows Vistas ability to use multiple cores
> > to start up. When Vista was designed in order to make it compatible with
> > older hardware this option was set to (1) so that it will always use only one
> > core. By unlocking it you allow Vista to boot using all of your cores this
> > can lead to a boot time performance increase of 15-40% for a cold boot and
> > about 10% for a warm boot or a return from standby"
> >
> > Has anyone confirmed this or has evidence that it can be true?
> >
> > Carlos

>
>
 
Re: Speed up Vista boot by using two cores

You're welcome, Carlos.

John

Carlos wrote:

> John,
> Thanks for your feedback.
> Your comprehensive explanation has been quite interesting.
> Carlos
>
> "John John (MVP)" wrote:
>
>
>>I think that is bunk, what the element tells Vista is:
>>
>>"The maximum number of processors that can be utilized by the system;
>>all other processors are ignored."
>>
>>If one thinks about it for more than 10 seconds the "tweak" seems to be
>>a myth, the tweak is built around increasing the number of available
>>processors, yet the element suggested is not used to increase the number
>>of processors, it is used to limit the number of available processors.
>>This element is the same as the /NUMPROC= switch used in the boot.ini on
>>previous NT versions:
>>
>>/NUMPROC=
>>
>>Specifies the number of CPUs that can be used on a multiprocessor
>>system. Example: /NUMPROC=2 on a four-way system will prevent Windows
>>from using two of the four processors.
>>
>>http://www.microsoft.com/taiwan/technet/sysinternals/information/bootini.mspx
>>
>>
>>It would probably make more sense if they would suggest changing the
>>UseBootProcessorOnly or ForceMaximumProcessors element instead of the
>>NumberOfProcessors element, and I am not saying that using these other
>>elements would make any difference in the boot time, I don't know if
>>using these other elements would make any difference.
>>
>>BcdOSLoaderElementTypes Enumeration
>>http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa362670(VS.85).aspx
>>
>>John
>>
>>Carlos wrote:
>>
>>
>>>This article
>>>http://www.techwarelabs.com/articles/editorials/dirtyvista/index_2.shtml
>>>Step Three, items #1, 2, and 3
>>>states that Vista normally uses only one core during boot, even if you have
>>>a dual or quad core processor, and that by enabling the additional cores you
>>>can get a boot time reduction.
>>>I will quote the important part:
>>>
>>>"Click on Start then type "MSCONFIG" hit enter then click continue through
>>>the UAC we talked about earlier. This opens a small screen containing some
>>>interesting startup options, playing with this will allow you to start and
>>>stop most things that run in the background. The startup tab tells you which
>>>company each service belongs to so you can use this to try and slim up your
>>>startup. One of the biggest impacts you can perform to your cold boot is in
>>>unlocking the potential of your new machine.
>>>Select the boot tab, then choose advanced options...
>>>
>>>Check off Number of processors, and set that drop down box to the highest
>>>available number.
>>>
>>>What this is doing is unlocking Windows Vistas ability to use multiple cores
>>>to start up. When Vista was designed in order to make it compatible with
>>>older hardware this option was set to (1) so that it will always use only one
>>>core. By unlocking it you allow Vista to boot using all of your cores this
>>>can lead to a boot time performance increase of 15-40% for a cold boot and
>>>about 10% for a warm boot or a return from standby"
>>>
>>>Has anyone confirmed this or has evidence that it can be true?
>>>
>>>Carlos

>>
>>
 
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