[Help] I have a 45 Second Boot Time with a SSD

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  1. Posts : 50
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #11

    GregH said:
    "Also, the same SSD boots in about 8-10 seconds on a laptop with a clean install of Windows."

    This would point to something other than the SSD causing the slow boot times - something peculiar to your PC hardware/software. You have disabled unnecessary software start ups so you might have some driver or hardware in your PC that is 'waking up' and reporting to the OS slower than normal. A network or sound card perhaps? I'm sure your drivers are all good and that Device Manager is not reporting any problems. If you do have another HDD in your system for data, try unplugging that and comparing boot times as a start. I have a 1.5 TB HDD drive in my system and if I unplug that, boot times are marginally but noticeably faster, although I have never actually timed it accurately with software. Make sure you are using your MB manufacturers drivers for onboard equipment and SATA controllers etc, not Windows own ones.

    Although not a hard rule, smaller capacity SSD's such as your usually offer faster boot times on average than larger capacity SSD's and a 8 - 10 second boot would be more reasonable on a clean install.

    Could it be the AHCI issue you seem to have had - you mention "forcing" Windows to accept AHCI. Maybe a serious conflict going on there. You should have AHCI set up in the BIOS (usually it is set to this by default) before you start installing the OS.
    I removed the two drives that are not SSD's and windows booted in about 10 seconds. 20ish if you count BIOS.

    I found the cause of the slow boot times!
    It turns out, the other two HDD's I have installed, are slowing Windows down. Without the drives attached, Windows boots in about 10 seconds. Now I need a way to stop it from initializing the disks until after boot. Anyone know how to do that?
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  2. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #12

    That can only be startup programs. Disable ALL startup programs for a test and then we'll see.
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  3. Posts : 50
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #13

    whs said:
    That can only be startup programs. Disable ALL startup programs for a test and then we'll see.
    It's not Startup items. Fresh install of Windows when I plug in the other HDD it boots slower. The second HDD, even slower. SSD by itself, 10 seconds.
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  4. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #14

    The interference does not come out of thin air. There is some process that plays an act on those HDDs - and at boot that is most likely a startup - unless there is something wrong with the system itself.

    Look into events 101, 102, 103 in the event viewer. That will tell you which process (ses) hold up progress. Drill down this chain:

    Eventvwr
    Applications and Service Logs
    Microsoft
    Windows
    Diagnostics - performance
    Operational
    Event ID 101, 2, 3
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 52
    Windows 7 - x64 Professional
       #15

    Not sure if it is possible to delay HDD start up on Windows boot up. It is not a process that you can control as far as I am aware.

    You can check processes that are running as suggested by others here but for some reason, on boot up, Windows does have a look over all the other drives in the system before presenting the login screen or desktop. Even if these drives are blank and freshly formatted, Windows still investigates their presence on start up and this slows the overall boot time. Perhaps a faster HDD drive would improve things. It could be that it is taking a while for the HDD to spin up to assigned speed so Windows can investigate it. Also make sure all your drives including the HDD are plugged into the native SATA controller (probably Intel Controller) and that they are all using AHCI mode. Beyond that you will probably have to live with the fact that the other drives will slow you down.

    At least you know your boot SSD drive and/or OS are not at fault!

    It is a long shot but try setting your power setting in Control Panel to High Performance and check that all discs in the system are set to High performance under the advanced settings also - so that they do not fall asleep when idle - this can significantly slow the system down as the disk has to wake up and speed up to normal rotation speed before data can be accessed. Definitely has an effect on performance while the system is running but not so sure you will see benefit on boot up.
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  6. Posts : 25,847
    Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pro/64
       #16

    On my systems I have three things in boot order.
    1. USB
    2. CD/DVD
    3. SSD

    This will slow down the boot a little. I will explain.
    When booting the system looks at the first thing in boot order. (USB) If it finds a boot USB it will boot from it.
    If it doesn't it will look at the second thing in boot order (CD/DVD) and if it finds a boot it will boot from the CD/DVD and if not it looks at the third thing, (SSD/Windows 7) and will boot.

    I do this for a reason.
    When I'm tinkering my system will boot from what ever I want it to just by installing a USB or CD/DVD and it will boot from it with out me doing anything else in the bios.
    Like I stated before the more things the system is set to look at before booting into Windows 7 on the (C) drive the longer it takes but by just a few seconds.

    When it comes to msconfig/Start Up this is what I have on my systems.
    To me this is a clean msconfig/Start Up.

    [Help] I have a 45 Second Boot Time with a SSD-msconfig-startup.png
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 50
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #17

    whs said:
    The interference does not come out of thin air. There is some process that plays an act on those HDDs - and at boot that is most likely a startup - unless there is something wrong with the system itself.

    Look into events 101, 102, 103 in the event viewer. That will tell you which process (ses) hold up progress. Drill down this chain:

    Eventvwr
    Applications and Service Logs
    Microsoft
    Windows
    Diagnostics - performance
    Operational
    Event ID 101, 2, 3
    Checked there. Saw the normal things.

    GregH said:
    Not sure if it is possible to delay HDD start up on Windows boot up. It is not a process that you can control as far as I am aware.

    You can check processes that are running as suggested by others here but for some reason, on boot up, Windows does have a look over all the other drives in the system before presenting the login screen or desktop. Even if these drives are blank and freshly formatted, Windows still investigates their presence on start up and this slows the overall boot time. Perhaps a faster HDD drive would improve things. It could be that it is taking a while for the HDD to spin up to assigned speed so Windows can investigate it. Also make sure all your drives including the HDD are plugged into the native SATA controller (probably Intel Controller) and that they are all using AHCI mode. Beyond that you will probably have to live with the fact that the other drives will slow you down.

    At least you know your boot SSD drive and/or OS are not at fault!

    It is a long shot but try setting your power setting in Control Panel to High Performance and check that all discs in the system are set to High performance under the advanced settings also - so that they do not fall asleep when idle - this can significantly slow the system down as the disk has to wake up and speed up to normal rotation speed before data can be accessed. Definitely has an effect on performance while the system is running but not so sure you will see benefit on boot up.
    Been set to high power since I made and turned off the turning the disks off.

    Layback Bear said:
    On my systems I have three things in boot order.
    1. USB
    2. CD/DVD
    3. SSD

    This will slow down the boot a little. I will explain.
    When booting the system looks at the first thing in boot order. (USB) If it finds a boot USB it will boot from it.
    If it doesn't it will look at the second thing in boot order (CD/DVD) and if it finds a boot it will boot from the CD/DVD and if not it looks at the third thing, (SSD/Windows 7) and will boot.

    I do this for a reason.
    When I'm tinkering my system will boot from what ever I want it to just by installing a USB or CD/DVD and it will boot from it with out me doing anything else in the bios.
    Like I stated before the more things the system is set to look at before booting into Windows 7 on the (C) drive the longer it takes but by just a few seconds.

    When it comes to msconfig/Start Up this is what I have on my systems.
    To me this is a clean msconfig/Start Up.

    [Help] I have a 45 Second Boot Time with a SSD-msconfig-startup.png
    My system looks like that already and tested that way was well.


    Another note, I installed Windows 8 and it boots in about 20ish seconds if I restart from the Desktop. If I power it off, then power it on, it takes about 10 seconds. So it looks like a Windows 7 issue.
    The odd thing though, my BIOS has an option for OS booting. One is Other OS and the other is Windows 8. That may have something to do with it.
      My Computer


  8. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #18

    If you want to determine exactly which processes take how much time at boot, you can use Soluto. That gives you all the details: http://www.soluto.com/boot-time
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  9. Posts : 25,847
    Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pro/64
       #19

    A 10 sec difference is not a issue as you state.
    Windows 8 boots a few seconds quicker than Windows 7; so what. That is just the way it is. Boot time by a few seconds difference in my mind is not the ruler one uses to judge whether a system is the one should be using for what ever they need or desire a computer.

    The few seconds difference is just something one can tinker with to get it to work as designed and bragging rights.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 50
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #20

    Layback Bear said:
    A 10 sec difference is not a issue as you state.
    Windows 8 boots a few seconds quicker than Windows 7; so what. That is just the way it is. Boot time by a few seconds difference in my mind is not the ruler one uses to judge whether a system is the one should be using for what ever they need or desire a computer.

    The few seconds difference is just something one can tinker with to get it to work as designed and bragging rights.
    It's not even for bragging. I have a SSD for faster boot times and loading. Windows 8 does it flawlessly with my drives attached when booting. Windows 7 takes about 45 seconds with the drives attached. Doesn't make sense.
      My Computer


 
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