How to Analyze Windows Boot with BootTrace: Complete Guide

If your PC is taking longer than expected to start and you want to find out exactly what is happening during those eternal seconds, the ideal thing to do is to perform a detailed analysis of the boot. Here I explain in great detail how to do it with BootTrace (WPR/WPA boot scenarios), how to compare with classic alternatives like BootVis and practical tools like BootRacer, and also what steps to follow if you detect boot failures for repair windows boot.

Beyond measuring how long it takes, the key is to be able to see which drivers, services and applications are running and in what order, and what part is being taken There. For this purpose there are professional approaches based on ETW (Event Tracing for Windows), capable of recording kernel and driver activity from the very beginning. We will complement this approach with diagnostic methods such as clean boot, and with recovery tools like Startup Repair and Bootrec.exe.

What is BootTrace and why is it the professional way to analyze boot?

When we talk about “BootTrace” we refer to the use of a boot trace profile that captures system events with the infrastructure Windows ETW. Today, the most robust and modern way to do this is with Windows Performance Recorder (WPR) and Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA), where the Boot scenario allows recording from power-on until the desktop is ready, accurately capturing the activity of the kernel, drivers and services.

This approach is the natural heir to historical tools like BootVis (which Microsoft created to diagnose boot in older versions). Unlike “stopwatch-only” solutions, a boot trace with ETW allows you to view with graphs and timelines which component causes bottlenecks, how drivers are impacted, and which processes are delaying login.

It is important to note that the boot capture can be technically supported by the global registrar tracking sessionThis session has particular limitations that should be known before using it; when in-depth analysis is needed, the WPR Boot profile is the most complete option due to its integration with WPA and the CPU, Disks, Services, and Drivers views.

Before measuring: prepare the system with a clean boot

When there are conflicts between drivers, services and startup programs, the system may boot poorly or crash. do not load updatesA clean boot helps isolate interfering software by running only essential Microsoft services and drivers. If you want to check which applications start with Windows, see how configure programs to start at startup.

Steps to clean boot in Windows 10/11 (msconfig y Task Manager):

1. Right-click the Start button and choose Search, type msconfig and press Enter.
2. In the Services, check “Hide all Microsoft services” and then click “Disable all”.
3. Go to the tab Home and open “Task Manager”.
4. Disable any startup programs you suspect (repeat for all that may interfere with starting).
5. Close Task Manager, click msconfig, and reboot.

To return to normal state, repeat the process but instead of disabling, select Enable all In Services (keep the one that caused the conflict unchecked) and reactivate the programs at startup. This process sometimes reveals that the problem wasn't Windows, but a third-party service that was consistently blocking or slowing down the problem. startup.

How to capture and read a BootTrace with WPR/WPA and what BootVis provides

Capture with WPR: Open Windows Performance Recorder, select the Boot scenario, set the appropriate level of detail for CPU, disk and drivers, and the recording begins. The computer will restart, and the session will record the entire sequence until the desktop is ready. Upon completion, an ETL file is generated that you can open with Windows Performance Analyzer to analyze the entire timeline.

In WPA, explore views such as CPU Usage (Precise), Disk Usage, Generic Events, Services, and Winlogon/Explorer readiness. Here you'll see how long critical drivers are taking, which service is blocking, or at what point the system is running. is ready for the userThis method allows you to take precise action: uninstall or update a specific driver, delay a service, or remove a disk-hogging application from startup.

BootVis, the classic Microsoft tool, also offered a boot-oriented plotting and a boot module. optimizationThe traditional usage flow was simple: install, open, and from File > New select “Next Boot Trace” or “Next Boot + Driver Traces” for further analysis. After a countdown, the system rebooted, and BootVis collected data, displaying graphs of times, processes, and drivers involved from the POST phase of the boot. BIOS.

Once the data was retrieved, automatic optimization could be invoked from the “Trace > Optimize System” menu and rebooted. This function reordered the prefetch/layout to improve boot time. Although BootVis is now a legacy, its philosophy lives on in WPR’s Boot profiles and Windows’ ability to optimize boot through its internal prefetch and superfetch mechanisms.

ETW Boot Monitoring: Kernel, Drivers, and Global Logger Limits

Windows allows you to use software tracking features to trace your computer's activity. kernel and drivers during the boot process. This method doesn't rely on "new tools," but rather on the use of ETW sessions to capture low-level events as the system initializes subsystems.

The “global recorder tracking session” can be used to start tracking very early, but its limits must be known: not all sources emit so early or with the same fidelity, and it is advisable to evaluate when to use more complete start profiles such as those of WPR, which better integrate the timeline and the subsequent inspection with WPA.

In practical terms, the goal is to correlate CPU and disk spikes with the startup of drivers and services. This way you can detect if it's a driver storage, an antivirus solution, or shell initialization that takes up the time. With this data, the course of action becomes surgical: update a problematic driver, delay non-critical services, or remove startup software.

Measuring without complications: BootRacer for slow startup times and apps

If you just want a reliable timer and know how long it takes your PC to get to the login screen and desktop, BootRacer is a practical option. It stands out for being able to record measurements in the System log, display the best time achieved and offer an “invisible” measurement mode that does not disturb while testing.

Among the drawbacks, several guides point out that it lacks comparative graphs, that exporting data is not as immediate and that its translation into English could be improved, but its interface is clear and simple.

How to measure with BootRacer in Windows 10: first things first downloads (for example, from repositories like softonic.com), install, and open. To measure, use “Full Boot Test” and follow the wizard that asks you to restart with “Start Test.” You can then run “Clean Boot Test” for a clean boot without startup programs, and when it’s finished, check “Check Results” and “Find Slowdown” to see the results and times of the applications that start with Windows. It’s a way to know in minutes if the apps Of start are weighing down your PC.

Some publications even include support contact information in case you prefer to delegate the diagnosis. For example, centers in Madrid are mentioned (Metro Manuel Becerra, Calle Doctor Esquerdo 12, local 6; landline 910174686; mobile 651531890; and Metro Cuatro Caminos, Calle Hernani 13, local 97; landline 910237098; mobile 620679252) and companies such as Miguel Bermejo or Miguel Salvador associated with the content. If you need support, there are technical services that can run tests and advise you. Step by Step.

When the system won't boot: Startup Repair and Bootrec.exe

If after analyzing the problem you find is more serious—for example, Windows won't load—Windows includes Startup Repair. It's designed to quickly resolve common causes: damaged registry entries, missing or corrupted system files or drivers, disk metadata corruption (MBR, partition table, boot sector, or file system), or corrupted Boot Configuration Data (BCD). It can even detect memory and disk hardware.

It does have its limits, though: it doesn't fix hardware failures (hard drives with bad sectors, incompatible RAM), or problems caused by failed Windows installations or updates that can't be fixed automatically, or situations where the computer enters Windows but won't let you log in. It's also not a backup tool; backup of your data regularly, and if the repair fails, backup and reinstall.

There are several ways to start Startup Repair:

• From Settings: Settings > Update & security > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now; then Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup repair.
• From the desktop or lock screen: Start > power button > hold Shift and press Restart, then Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
• Using an installation disc/USB: Create the media, boot to F12 or the One Time Boot Menu, select your language, and click “Repair your computer,” then Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.

On Dell computers, for example, you can create the USB with the Dell OS Recovery tool and use F12 to enter the single boot menuAfter the process, it is normal for Startup Repair to need to run several times until the incident is resolved.

If Startup Repair isn't enough, you may need to use Windows RE and Bootrec.exe to manually repair the boot (this applies especially to Windows Vista/7, although the concepts are still useful). First, boot from the Windows DVD/USB, choose language/keyboard, click "Repair your computer", go to "Startup Options", and then "Repair your computer". system recovery” and opens the Symbol of the system. Type Bootrec.exe and use its options as appropriate:

• /FixMbr: Writes a Windows 7/Vista compatible MBR to the system partition without overwriting the partition table. Useful for corrupted MBRs or for removing non-standard code from the MBR.
• /FixBoot: Writes a new boot sector compatible with Vista/7. Use this if the sector is non-standard, damaged, or if you installed an older Windows version after installing Vista/7 and the computer tries to boot with NTLDR instead of Bootmgr.exe.
• /ScanOs – Scans all disks for Vista/7 installations that are not in the BCD store, perfect if they don’t appear in the boot management menu.
• /RebuildBcd: Rescans the installations and allows you to add them to the BCD, useful for rebuild completely the depot. If the error is “Bootmgr is missing” or “Required information not found in the BCD file,” and rebuilding doesn’t fix it, you can export and delete the BCD and run RebuildBcd again to force a full rebuild of the depot.

Remember to configure the BIOS/UEFI to boot from the DVD/USB drive to run Windows RE and Bootrec. If you don't know how, consult your manufacturer's documentation or official support for your specific model, as the procedure for selecting the boot device it varies.

A real note: “No boot media found” after limiting FPS

It may happen that after restarting, a message appears indicating that the driver cannot be found. boot medium, but then the computer boots up fine after several attempts. One reported case involves limiting the FPS from the control panel. NVIDIA Previously. In principle, changing the FPS should not alter the boot chain; that warning is usually more related to UEFI boot order, a drive that took longer to initialize, or a loose cable/connector.

If this happens to you, check the boot order in UEFI, verify that the system disk appears correctly, update firmware/BIOS if there are new versions, and run a SMART disk check. If the problem doesn't recur, it may have been a one-time glitch; if it does, it's a good idea to apply Startup Repair, verify the integrity of the BCD (with Bootrec) and, if applicable, temporarily disconnect external drives that confuse the boot order.

Common equipment and environments where all this can be applied

The procedures described apply to a very wide range of desktop and portable, including catalogs from manufacturers such as Dell: Alienware, Inspiron, OptiPlex, Vostro, XPS, G Series, Latitude, All-in-One, Tower, Slim, Micro models, “Pro” ranges, fixed and mobile workstations, and even specific references from its “Pro Max” and “Plus” series. In short, any modern PC with Windows 10 or 11 can benefit from a good starting diagnosis.

Best practices to speed up and stabilize startup

After identifying the culprit with BootTrace (WPR/WPA) or measuring with BootRacer, remove everything that is not essential from startup, update drivers (storage, chipset, GPU), adjust antivirus to not block startup, and consider enabling scheduled drive optimization/defragmentation (on HDD) or Windows automatic maintenance. It all adds up to a smoother start.

If you come from the BootVis school, remember that Windows already integrates boot layout optimization mechanisms, but it is still useful to review the bottlenecks with modern tools and review the boot modesAnd if you detect boot corruption, don't hesitate to use Startup Repair and Bootrec: one or two passes can return things to normal without having to reinstall or lose your settings.

With a combination of ETW-based boot traces, a well-executed clean boot, and the built-in Windows repair utilities, you can go from feeling like "my PC is taking forever to boot" to understanding which module or service is taking up time and how to fix it without complications. With the right tools, getting your startup in order is a simple task. easier than it seems.

Related article:

How to modify the Windows Boot Manager boot menu to choose an operating system

Isaac

Passionate writer about the world of bytes and technology in general. I love sharing my knowledge through writing, and that's what I'll do on this blog, show you all the most interesting things about gadgets, software, hardware, tech trends, and more. My goal is to help you navigate the digital world in a simple and entertaining way.