I've searched high and low throughout the net, but am unable to find anything able to perform a detailed boot profile like BootVis used to do, and BootVis itself refuses to work on my Win XP SP3... I'd be very grateful to anyone able to point me to a working alternative, even if shareware. My system works well, but it has an annoying feature: every time I boot it, after it already loaded the desktop and is loading the auto-start programs, it'll breifly flash a black screen, just before starting the network, which is usually the last thing to load. There is no lag, so it's more a harmless annoyance than a problem, but I'm willing to catch what's causing it, if I can. My attempts to do it using the bootlog alone have led me nowhere, up to now... Then again, I'm much less experienced with XP than with 9x/ME, it can be my fault, of course. BTW, how can I cause NTBTLOG.TXT to record not just the loads and failures, but its times as well, like in the 9x/ME family BOOTLOG.TXT? It sure would be of help. Please advise, and thanks in advance!

Did you try Using Sysinternals software?
PROCMON:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinte...s/bb896645.aspx

can trace next boot too.

jaclaz

XP can also run the Windows Performance Tools Kit (sucessor to Bootvis). At least the capturing tool... More infos here.

I had this problem once, and the culprit was the NVidia Graphics Card Driver.
I did some "bad configuration" (change 'Coolbits' settings) and the "black screen" blinks every time that I turned on the PC.
Take a look at your video card driver.

Good luck,
Anderton.

No it wasn't bad configuration. NVidia (and other manufacturers') graphics drivers add themselves to desktop context menu (in order to be 'readilly accessible on right click' - I call it 'in your face'). Depending on the version of the driver and actual hardware, it might be or not be visible.

To cure it, use another Sysinternals tool - Autoruns.

Look in the following location:

This is the built-in windows entry that must remain! NVidia adds two entries at the same level named 00Nview and (another one). I don't have the exact names because on my computers they are long gone.

Deleting them should get rid of the blinking.

For good measure, other NVidia's startup entries could be deleted (Under HKLM/HKCU...Run key), and their service could be disabled, because I haven't found any proof they are of any use except for returning themselves in startup. But that's up to personal taste... or should I say belief in good will of Nvidia's programmers?

GL

Deeply heartfelt thanks to all members that responded to my post. I'm working on your suggestions... I'll sure keep you posted on the newer developments. You all rock!