Slow W7 boot after installing nVidia GTX470

[unaligned]

I posted this in MS answers, but after 3+ hours and many views with no replies, I figured I would post here as well for maximum exposure.

I've been having an issue where, after I install a recently purchased Asus ENGTX470 without installed drivers, the computer takes 10+ minutes to boot. When the boot first starts, I can hear the HD accessing information, but about 30 seconds to a minute in, the HD activity stops, and the boot simply hangs on the W7 logo. After about ten minutes, the HD starts to access again, and it finally gets to the login screen. When I log in, the computer's performance is horrendous, and a gadget that I have on the desktop tells me that it is using a great amount of system resources, but doing basically nothing.

I have talked to Asus, even RMA'd the card and received a brand new one, but the card is not the issue. I have taken out all other devices looking for a conflict, and one is not to be found. I have replaced the PSU and the problem still exists. I have gone into safe mode and removed all display drivers, and the problem still exists. I have used a selective startup, eliminating all non-Microsoft services and the problem still exists. I have installed latest nVidia GTX 470 drivers and it still exists. I have performed a clean install of Windows 7 and the problem still exists (the install actually went slower than it normally should). If I uninstall the new GFX card and re-install an older one, the problem goes away.

I have booted into XP and used a Furmark stability test on the card, and it works fine. XP boots perfectly (doesn't hang on load and its performance is normal) and it utilizes the card just fine.

I originally believed this was a hardware problem, as did Asus after we attempted many software solutions. But after trying twice as many hardware solutions, I am again under the impression that it is a software problem, specifically with the OS. I have come here hoping that someone can help me after reading of people having similar boot issues; i.e: EXTREMELY long boot times as well as the HD accessing at the beginning of the boot, but ceasing to do so after about a minute. This is realistically my last hope. I have literally no clue what is going on here or how to fix it, and I consider myself very good with PC troubleshooting.

 

[Everlong]

Welcome to the Seven Forums.

Are you running the latest BIOS for your motherboard?

What card did you have before the 470?

 

[unaligned]

Welcome to the Seven Forums.

Are you running the latest BIOS for your motherboard?

What card did you have before the 470?

Yes, I have installed and run Fox LiveUpdate (Foxconn's utility to easily install mobo updates). I had a GTX 275 and it worked fine, but after I RMA'd the 470 and it was reshipped back to me, I sold it. I was given a 7900 GTX, however, and it works flawlessly like the 275 does.

 

[Everlong]

Do you get the same type of performance if you're in safe mode? I wasn't sure if you were saying the problem still exists in safe mode, or after you're removed the drivers in safe mode.

 

[unaligned]

Yeah, was just saying it still existed after reboot. I believe I had normal performance in safe mode.

 

[Everlong]

Are your sound card drivers up-to-date? I know ASUS Xonar cards "talk" to ASUS graphic cards with HDMI audio, so an out-of-date sound driver could be a problem with the 470.

 

[unaligned]

Yes, I have the most recent sound card drivers. But even if I didn't, after I did a clean install of W7, the problem existed when there were no third party drivers for anything installed at all. Right after install, when everything was stock W7, the problem was still there. And as noted in OP, the clean install itself completed more slowly than I believe it would normally.

 

[Everlong]

Does the BIOS update program you used flash the CMOS when it updates, or have you flashed it yourself?

I'm not sure what else to suggest. I've seen you've posted in a few other places too, and you've done pretty much everything, and been suggested everything I'd have done too.

 

[apollodominion]

i had the same prob with my 2 GTX480s + GTX285 but i fixed it by updating the Chipset drivers and a bios flash

 

[unaligned]

Does the BIOS update program you used flash the CMOS when it updates, or have you flashed it yourself?

I don't think that the update program flashes itself, and I've tried to figure out how to flash it myself, but Foxconn's support (and instructions, for that matter) are notoriously bad. On a side note, it is one reason why I'll never by anything from them again.

Regardless, none of the BIOS updates they have on their website seem to have anything to do with the problems I am experiencing...

I have attempted to flash the newest update that Foxconn has for the Intel chipset driver, but again, I cannot understand Foxconn's flash process. The files that are given with the driver do not match the intructions Foxconn gives for flashing.

 

[Everlong]

I just went on to their website and had a look at the type of file it is.

It seems you just burn all 3 files to a disk, boot from disk and it should go through from there as the .BAT file that's in it just runs the .exe program then then .ROM, and then it loads the new BIOS and restarts.

I read the instructions on the Foxconn website as well, and it goes on about typing all this crap. You shouldn't need to do that as all of them are in the .BAT file, which will run when you boot from the disk.

Also flash the CMOS as well with the jumper pin on the motherboard, for good measure.

 

[apollodominion]

Does the BIOS update program you used flash the CMOS when it updates, or have you flashed it yourself?

I don't think that the update program flashes itself, and I've tried to figure out how to flash it myself, but Foxconn's support (and instructions, for that matter) are notoriously bad. On a side note, it is one reason why I'll never by anything from them again.

Regardless, none of the BIOS updates they have on their website seem to have anything to do with the problems I am experiencing...

I have attempted to flash the newest update that Foxconn has for the Intel chipset driver, but again, I cannot understand Foxconn's flash process. The files that are given with the driver do not match the intructions Foxconn gives for flashing.

Im guessing its floppy/USB boot flashing XD dang i hate them.
But still its not as bad as my old DFI mobo flashing. I told it to flash it and auto select the best one for it and the damn thing put a DDR3 edition of the award bios on and the mobo was DDR2 and now i cant flash it anymore and can not get warrenty on it i did pick it up for a cheap deal so im not fussed (DFI P55 DDR2 3x PCIe 16x) looks good to get but it has too many features to play with and void stuff. so ill just stick with gigabyte and Asus

But its safer from viruses and bos from tampering with when u flash so thats a +

 

[unaligned]

It seems you just burn all 3 files to a disk, boot from disk and it should go through from there as the .BAT file that's in it just runs the .exe program then then .ROM, and then it loads the new BIOS and restarts.

I've tried to do this but I can't quite seem to make a CD or thumb drive that is bootable... I've used PowerISO and burned onto it the extraced boot info from the W7 install DVD, but it keeps telling me that bootmgr is missing. What's a simple way to create a bootable thumb drive that I can put the BIOS files onto?

 

[Everlong]

I wrote a guide over on the Vista forums, which will still work DOS USB boot drive - Vista Forums.

Once you've followed the instructions, just put the 3 files (the .rom file, .bat file, .exe file) and boot from the USB pen.

 

[unaligned]

Awesome thanks... I've been looking for a simple bootable USB technique.

And I seem to have found the culprit behind the slow boot; it was AVG Free... since I've deleted it, the boot is faster but the computer is still taking up most of my system resources, creating a choppy experience and making it impossible to play games. When I go into task manager, there is nothing that would indicate which program is accessing all of the CPU's power..

 

[Everlong]

Well that's one problem solved then, but now a whole new problem lol.

The only time I've had something like that was because of Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service, disabling this service (all it's needed for is sharing media through WMP to your Xbox 360) and that solved it as when I was playing games, 90% of my RAM would be used with 100% CPU power.

Though that's funny that it was AVG causing your slow boots. I used to use AVG just before I got my GTX470, but switched to Microsoft Security Essentials, otherwise I could have had the same problem, lol.

 

[unaligned]

Though that's funny that it was AVG causing your slow boots. I used to use AVG just before I got my GTX470, but switched to Microsoft Security Essentials, otherwise I could have had the same problem, lol.

Yeah, kind of annoying... I guess I'll switch to MSE. I've got everyone online telling me I should.

Why does this thing have to be so damn hard?