Bootlog Examiner
v1.3 2/5/2003
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Introduction
Bootlog Examiner is a freeware tool used primarily to troubleshoot
the Windows 95/98/Me bootup process and help determine what is
delaying the boot process (if any). The application will examine
the Bootlog.txt file created by Windows, and show the contents of
the file in a readable format. Bootlog Examiner will display the
time (in seconds) between each process and the total estimated
bootup time (in minutes), as well as any delays and failures
found. This information can be saved to a custom text file, copied to the
clipboard, or
printed for future reference.
Download Bootlog Examiner (Setup file, 314KB, for Windows 95/98/Me)
Installation
To install Bootlog Examiner, simply download and run the setup file (BLE_Setup.exe)
and follow the
onscreen instructions. After installation, you can launch Bootlog Examiner
by double-clicking the "Bootlog Examiner" icon on the desktop (if this
option was selected at install-time) or selecting "Bootlog Examiner"
from the Start Menu programs list.
Note: Bootlog Examiner is only designed for Windows 95/98/Me, and will not run on any other operating system.
Usage
Once Bootlog Examiner is running, you should see
the date/time stamp of the current Bootlog.txt file found on the
application title. If there is no date/time stamp, then one hasn't
been created by Windows yet. Press the "Examine Bootlog"
button to analyze and display the contents of the Bootlog.txt
file. If the Bootlog.txt file is not current (the file date stamp
is the same as the current date) or is not found, you will need to instruct
Windows to log the next bootup. You can create one by following the 3 steps below:
NOTE: If pressing the F8 or CTRL key doesn't bring up the boot
menu, then it's possible you have the keys disabled in
your C:\MSDOS.SYS file. Follow these steps to enable the
boot keys:
1. Remove the Read Only, System, and Hidden
attributes of this file (at the command prompt, type:
attrib C:\MSDOS.SYS -h -r -s)
2. Edit the file in Notepad.exe. In the Options section, modify
or add
this value: BOOTKEYS=1. Save and exit.
3. Re-add the above attributes to the file (at the
command prompt, type: attrib C:\MSDOS.SYS +h +r +s)
4. Restart your computer. You should now be able
to use the boot keys.
Once you see the contents of the Bootlog.txt file, you should see the system time in the first column, the process time in seconds (or the elapsed time) in the second column, and the process in the third column. At the bottom, you should see the estimated bootup time (in minutes) & the total number of delays and failures found. You can filter the list to show only failures or delays by selecting the appropriate filter in the drop-down combo box at the top. To save the contents to a custom text file, click on the "Save as..." button and specify the path and filename to save it to. You can print the contents by pressing the "Print..." button. To copy the contents to the clipboard, highlight the rows to copy (hold down CTRL or SHIFT to select multiple rows) and press CTRL+C or the "Copy to Clipboard" button. After copying, you can paste the contents to another application (such as Notepad or Word) by pressing CTRL+V.
Note: if no rows are selected when copying contents to clipboard, all rows will be copied.
Options
By default, Bootlog Examiner will show a process
as a delay if it shows a 1 second process time or greater. To change this,
select the "Options | Delays..." menu item, & enter
the delay in seconds & milliseconds in the dialog box shown.
The contents will be updated with this change.
Also by default, Bootlog Examiner will show the System Time column in a 24-hour format. To change this, click on the "Options | Show System Time As..." menu item and select either 12 or 24 hour format. The contents will be updated with your selection.
When Bootlog Examiner is examining the Bootlog.txt file, it searches for a substring in the process to see if it is a failure or not. The list of failures to find are listed in the "Options | Failures..." menu selection. Here, you can add or delete failure strings to search for. To load up the default failure list, press the "Load Defaults" button on this dialog box. The contents will be updated with any changes here.
Obtaining Help for your
System
This application is only used to view what's going
on during bootup, not to change anything to your system to speed
up the boot process or fix any bootup errors. For help on the
load failures for your system, see Microsoft's Knowledge Base ID#
127970, or your hardware manufacture's website if it is a
hardware issue. To get help on the delays, I recommend getting
help from one of the Microsoft's Windows 95/98/Me newsgroups.
For explanation of MSDOS.SYS (which is
used to modify boot options), see Microsoft's Knowledge Base ID#
118579.
Do not contact Blue Orb Software for help on specific delays/failures in your boot log. Such emails will be ignored.
Technical Support
Bug reports, comments, questions or suggestions (for this application only) can be emailed to
Blue Orb Software.
Disclaimer
Blue Orb Software is not responsible for any damages to
your PC as a result of misuse. Use at your own risk. Copyright © 2002-2006 by Blue
Orb Software.
Page last updated on 06/05/2006