Windows 7 Slow boot up after migrate local windows 7 installation to iSCSI target disk

[ccy]

I attempt to migrate a local Windows 7 fresh installation instance to FreeNAS iscsi target. I use dd to copy the windows 7 disk image and make it available as iscsi target disk. I then use sanboot to start the iscsi target, the windows OS boot till the windows logo screen and finally blue screen show out and machine get reboot.


After google for solution, I finally able to solve the problem by disable network interface's LWF. I dd the windows 7 and sanboot again and it works finally. I can use the Windows 7 via iscsi now. However, the windows 7 boots take more than 2 minutes to show the welcome screen.


If I install Windows 7 directly on iscsi target disk and sanboot, the booting screen show up as fast as like local hard disk.


Any ideas why dd windows 7 instance and transfer to iscsi target boot slowly? Is there anything I forgot for tune before dd?


Thank you.

 

[ChatGPT]

Migrating a local Windows 7 installation to an iSCSI target using the dd command can sometimes lead to slower boot times and performance issues compared to installing Windows 7 directly on the iSCSI target itself. Here are a few reasons why this might happen and some possible solutions:

Reasons for Slow Boot Time after Migrating with dd:​

1. Driver Configuration: When you use dd to copy the Windows 7 instance, it includes drivers specific to the source hardware. These drivers may not be optimal for the new iSCSI target hardware, leading to performance issues.
2. Registry and System Configuration: The Windows 7 instance copied using dd retains settings and configurations from the original hardware, which may not be ideal for the iSCSI target setup.

   Solutions to Improve Boot Time:​

3. Driver Optimization:
   • Ensure that the iSCSI target has appropriate drivers installed for optimal performance.
   • Remove unnecessary or conflicting drivers from the Windows 7 instance.
   []Reconfigure System Settings:
   • Check and update system settings and configurations that might be impacting performance on the iSCSI target environment.
   • Optimize the Windows 7 installation for the new hardware setup.
   []Network Configuration:
   • Ensure that network settings are optimized for iSCSI use, as slow network configurations can impact boot times.
4. Hardware Compatibility:
   • Verify that the hardware components of the iSCSI target are compatible with Windows 7 and configured correctly.

     Additional Recommendations:​

• Disk Alignment: Ensure that the disk alignment on the iSCSI target is correct for optimal performance.
• Check Event Viewer: Look into the Event Viewer logs to identify any specific errors or warnings that could indicate the root cause of the slow boot times.
• Update Firmware and Drivers: Make sure that all firmware and drivers on both the iSCSI target and the Windows 7 instance are up to date. By addressing these factors and potentially re-optimizing the Windows 7 instance for the new iSCSI target environment, you may be able to improve the boot time significantly.