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Boot time is absurd with SSD

Buckeye269

Buckeye269

Member
I have a Crucial M4 64 GB ssd that is used only as a boot drive, along with drivers for various things, and my boot time is atrocious. I just timed a boot from pushing power button to desktop and it took 51 seconds. I've heard from other sources that boot time should be well under 30 seconds. I have also read to turn BIOS settings off, but I don't know what I need and what don't. I have a GIGABYTE-Z68X-UD3H-B3 LGA 1155 Z68 ATX Intel Motherboard if that helps.
 
windows7boot_screen.png

When this image starts displaying (at beginning of its animation, this picture is at the end of the animation) then your OS bootloader has started.

The speed it takes to reach the OS boot-loader (aka show the above image) is 100% dependent on your mobo's boot sequence. The HDD is not involved. If you want it faster, buy a better mobo and disable stuff (ex: disable RAID, use just AHCI)

From the moment that screen shows up until the moment you are shown your desktop and can use your PC, that can be accelerated (significantly) by SSDs
 
Technically, boot time is from power on to the point where Windows starts loading. Windows loading is post boot. IOW, the computer has to be booted before Windows starts loading. Windows loading is where the SSD cuts the time. Actual boot is done by the BIOS.
 
corkyg said:
Technically, boot time is from power on to the point where Windows starts loading. Windows loading is post boot.
Click to expand...

Which is extra funny because the first thing in boot is called "POST" (power on self test) and the first thing in post-boot is called "bootloader"
 
Everyone else has already said what needs to be said about booting and SSDs. If you want to disable some things to speed up booting disable IDE, Floppy drive, anything legacy that you don't need and that might speed up booting a bit.
 
Even still, it seems its a bit long.. no?

From the time I hit the power button to the time I can use Windows without any hesitation is definitely well under 30 seconds with an SSD and anywhere from 45-60 seconds depending on the HDD.
 
thelastjuju said:
Even still, it seems its a bit long.. no?

From the time I hit the power button to the time I can use Windows without any hesitation is definitely well under 30 seconds with an SSD and anywhere from 45-60 seconds depending on the HDD.
Click to expand...
The difference may be that the OP has more startup programs and processes running. I have noticed on a HDD that just turning off the antivirus will speed up the computer boot time by a good 15 seconds.
 
By running the application mentioned in the first couple of posts, windows states the last time to boot was a tad over 60 seconds. I have gone in an disabled all of iTunes startup programs, as well as steam and QuickTime, along with a few others. I haven't rebooted since and I can't for a while since I'm at my girlfriends house right now. When I boot it up tonight I'll post the exact time.
 
On my iMac it boots to OSX in about 15 seconds. If I set it to boot into bootcamp it boots in about the same time as well. Kingston HyperX SSD.

PC motherboards in general does take longer to boot, depending on post configuration.
 
My SFF rig boots to desktop in 19 seconds from pressing the power button. 9 second POST, followed by 10 second Windows start-up. H67 chipset, 2500K CPU, Intel 320 SSD. Yeah, it isn't even that fast of an SSD.
 
taltamir said:
windows7boot_screen.png

When this image starts displaying (at beginning of its animation, this picture is at the end of the animation) then your OS bootloader has started.

The speed it takes to reach the OS boot-loader (aka show the above image) is 100% dependent on your mobo's boot sequence. The HDD is not involved. If you want it faster, buy a better mobo and disable stuff (ex: disable RAID, use just AHCI)

From the moment that screen shows up until the moment you are shown your desktop and can use your PC, that can be accelerated (significantly) by SSDs
Click to expand...

Question: is it on the mobo or the SSD if it hangs with just the word "starting windows" without any animation?

Because mine does that, and sometimes for alike 60 seconds before the animation will start. I've noticed it only happens whenever I have 2+ additional HDDs attached to the system, which leads me to believe mobo, but ya.

If it is the mobo, how would you recommend fixing?
 
ensign_lee said:
Question: is it on the mobo or the SSD if it hangs with just the word "starting windows" without any animation?

Because mine does that, and sometimes for alike 60 seconds before the animation will start. I've noticed it only happens whenever I have 2+ additional HDDs attached to the system, which leads me to believe mobo, but ya.

If it is the mobo, how would you recommend fixing?
Click to expand...

It only "hangs" if it never finishes. If it finishes after 60 seconds then its not hanging.

And regardless if its hanging or just a long delay, it could be every single component in your system without exception (really, all of them... even your CDROM drive or PSU or soundcard to having your ipod plugged in via USB when the OS starts up... that last one actually causes it to hang and requires you reset the power)
.
There is no way to tell except replacing components until it solves the problem. Assuming its not just your system being slow (whats your ram and CPU like?) and windows being bloated with parasites (reformat can verify this isn't he issue)... also it could be a compatibility issue where the individual components work with 99% of the other components out there, only in this specific combination they don't.
 
Last edited:
taltamir said:
There is no way to tell except replacing components until it solves the problem.
Click to expand...

Alternately disabling or unplugging components. I've had systems which would hang on boot if a certain USB flash drive was left plugged in. My current SFF system sometimes boots to a "Windows was not shut down properly" black screen with prompt to start troubleshooting or normal startup if my external USB 3.0 HDD is plugged in, even if it was shut down properly (with or without USB HDD plugged in).

I've also seen failing secondary HDDs (as in not the system drive) cause Windows to take forever to boot up.

DominionSeraph said:
:hmm:
So if I disable MSE I can boot in -5.74 seconds?
Click to expand...

No, but that might apply to Norton or McAfee. 😀

My 19 second to desktop from pressing the power button is with MSE running. MSE seems to be pretty good at not eating up resources.
 
lol my computer spends about 90 seconds going through about 9 different bios screens and options roms, before taking about 10 seconds to completely boot into windows, all apps loaded, and zero disk activity.

That is part of the reason why I usually just put it into S3 sleep. My computer can go from "off" to "ready to use" in about 2 seconds coming out of S3 sleep.
 
Buckeye269 said:
I have a Crucial M4 64 GB ssd that is used only as a boot drive, along with drivers for various things, and my boot time is atrocious. I just timed a boot from pushing power button to desktop and it took 51 seconds. I've heard from other sources that boot time should be well under 30 seconds. I have also read to turn BIOS settings off, but I don't know what I need and what don't. I have a GIGABYTE-Z68X-UD3H-B3 LGA 1155 Z68 ATX Intel Motherboard if that helps.
Click to expand...

51 seconds...yikes. I've got an Atom Z530 system that boots Win7 pro in 32 seconds with a lesser performing SSD than that
 
With a vertex 2, I am getting around 30 secs from POST, which is much better than around 2 mins from the HD.

There are also BIOS options that load/poll RAID and or NICs and or other stuff like that, so if you are not using them, then disable all that.

I know, install linux, and then time your boot time. 🙂
 
GotNoRice said:
lol my computer spends about 90 seconds going through about 9 different bios screens and options roms, before taking about 10 seconds to completely boot into windows, all apps loaded, and zero disk activity.

That is part of the reason why I usually just put it into S3 sleep. My computer can go from "off" to "ready to use" in about 2 seconds coming out of S3 sleep.
Click to expand...

Damn. How many RAID controllers do you have, dude?
 
Longest part of my boot...

LSI Corp blah blah
F/W Initializing Devices 0%

Takes like 10-15 seconds. Windows itself takes like 5 seconds.
 
Do you have any idea how many interpretations are available for each 3 letter acronym?

MSE.png


And those are just the common ones. There are plenty of ones specific to niche groups or organizations
 
exdeath said:
Longest part of my boot...

LSI Corp blah blah
F/W Initializing Devices 0%

Takes like 10-15 seconds. Windows itself takes like 5 seconds.
Click to expand...

Yep. Got a desktop with a LSI 9265 that does the same. Once these cards are working they scream, but getting them up and going at power on can take some time. The bigger the RAID and slower the disks, the longer it takes.. Takes even longer on servers..
 
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