USB drives slowing down boot

Not a big deal but I would like to know if there is a tweak for this...

I have 5 drives attached onto my computer:

One SSD (boot and programs);
One HDD (work files, etc);
Three USB drives with backups, libraries, movies, yada-yada-yada...

OK, my computer boots very fast because the SSD but I noticed that the USB drives slows down the process -- it will take a few seconds more to complete the boot than when the drivers are unplugged. I can see their lights flashing while Windows is recognizing them.

I know that it may sound a bit anal retentive but... it's kind of annoying stay idle staring to that turning ring in the welcome screen along the process (yeah, I am very anxious).

There is a way to force Windows to recognize the drives AFTER the welcome screen instead ALONG it?

Snick said:

Hi yankleber,

You most likely will have to check and see if the boot order is set to USB first, instead of your SSD. I'm not sure which F key you'll need to press to enter bios, as you say custom build. Trial and error from F1-F12 and you'll know what each F key function is. If your boot order is USB first, win7 check each connected USB device for boot-loader, one-by-one, thus a delay in boot as it searches for bootable drive.
Also, peruse:
[solved] Slow Boot with External USB Backup Hard Drive Attached
Solved: USB drives cause slow Win7 boot
Slow boot when an external HDD is attached?

Well, I already checked and the BIOS is not set for USB first. Please notice that Windows is NOT trying to boot from USB. It is correctly booting from SSD.

The slow down is happening at the WELCOME SCREEN. It gets stuck there for a few seconds checking the drives (as if I had just plugged them to the USB ports).

Hmmm... I think I am not explaining right. The Readyboost stuff is that pop up when you connect a new drive, right? I don't have any pop up. But the drives keep flashing their lights for a few seconds (like 2-3 each). Since I have three USB drives Windows remain stuck in the welcome screen for around 8 seconds like 'saying hello' to the drives while the hourglass remains there telling me to await. There is not any popup though.

OK, I just benchmarked it. A full cold boot with USB drives plugged will take 27 seconds. The same cold boot with unplugged drives will take 15 seconds. We could say that the drives plugged are almost doubling the Windows loading time.

By the other hand, yeah, I could just unplug and replug again. And yes, I agree with you that these 12 seconds are not the end of the world -- actually it's less painful than unplug-replug. And that's what I have done... just relax and watch until it passes the welcome screen. Since I normally boot my computer once in a week (the rest of the time I just sleep/wake it) it not has been a big deal.

Anyway, as I said in the OP, it is just a thing that would be good if there was an EASY tweak. I asked for help because once in a while I figure that a thing that bugged me had a simple fix so I imagined if it could be one of them. If not just never mind...

:)