Slower startup...

[bigseb]

Ok, this isn't exactly a Windows 7 question but has been niggling me for some time now. When I bought my laptop it was a case of press the 'on' button and the Acer startup screen would appear almost immediately. These days though when I press the 'on' button it take several agonising (to me anyway) seconds before anything happens. Why? How do I fix this? Thanks.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Do you have any external devices attached, like hard drives? I know all the hardware attached to my machine makes for a slower POST and boot time.

 

[richc46]

If Jon's suggestion does not work

Then try with clean boot
How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7

Can also be a faulty driver
Go to device manager and look for any yellow markers.

The results will tell us a lot

 

[smarteyeball]

If Jon's suggestion does not work

Then try with clean boot
How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7

Can also be a faulty driver
Go to device manager and look for any yellow markers.

The results will tell us a lot

Unfortunately, the BIOS / POSTING process is completely isolated from any software / driver issues.

A faulty driver would have zero impact on the described symptoms as any faulty driver etc would only come into affect after the POST process has completed.


****

Assuming you have no external devices attached as per JK's question: (if you do have an external device attached, ie HDD, bluetooth stick, Wireless modem, Monitor etc, that's the most likely reason it's slower to POST)

Otherwise:

► Have you updated your BIOS since you had the laptop?

If yes, it could be a change that the BIOS has made.

► Do you have any issues with the system date/time 'losing / forgetting' it's settings?

If yes, then the CMOS battery may be on it's way out.

► Does the slow turn on happen with only the battery in place, yet is still instant with the battery removed and only running on the mains power?

If yes, the battery itself may be fading. If it's still slow with or without the battery, then it sounds like a particular component is taking longer to 'respond' to the POST inquiry.

ie the DVD drive, internal HDD etc.

 

[fishnbanjo]

I would disconnect power and remove the battery and hold the power button down at least 30 seconds, time yourself more is better than less. What this does is drain the power to your mobo and daughter boards. Sometimes a build up of residual power can act resistively which causes slower startup time. Laptops experience this more than a PC desktop because of the battery.

Once this has completed plug in the AC power and run the laptop w/o the battery if it is designed to work this way and allow the battery to stay out of the laptop for 24-48 hours allowing it to drain slightly, then reinstall the battery while the laptop is powered down and turn it back on. Generally this should restore your startup to like it was fresh from the factory.