Computer takes 20 minutes to boot to anything (disc, Windows, etc)

[ZMX]

I'll make this as concise as possible.

Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Core 2 Duo e4600
ATI 4870
SATA HD
Onboard Audio


1. Computer starts behaving strangely. Programs freeze up only doing very specific things (like Photoshop working perfectly except when using a lens correction filter). Programs take several minutes to close even with "end process" from task manger.

2. No memory errors. CPU tested with Prime 95 and runs fine.

3. Sound starts glitching, making weird noises, but only if a sound is being played while simultaneously doing certain things, like switching between Firefox and Winamp. Sound is unaffected by heavy CPU use from Prime 95.

4. Restart computer to see if the problem will go away. Wait fifteen minutes. Computer still hasn't booted. Try Windows 7 boot disc. Takes an hour to get to the splash screen.

5. Remove everything from computer and try to boot into Windows. It takes ten minutes to boot. Plug back in USB mouse. Fifteen minutes later, USB mouse is finally recognized.

I figured it was the motherboard, so I swapped my 3 year old Gigabyte EP35-DS3L for a Gigabyte EP43-UD3L

1. Plug everything in. Computer won't boot from disc or Windows. Remove all devices.

2. Try safe mode. It takes forever, so I give up and try booting the Windows disc again. Computer takes forever, I give up and plug everything back in except USB devices.

3. Computer takes ten+ minutes to boot, and all devices (wireless card, video card, etc) are working improperly.

4. Plug in USB mouse. Twenty minutes later, everything starts working (video, mouse, etc)


Okay. This definitely seems like a hardware issue since even my Windows 7 boot disc won't work, but I'm working with a brand new mobo, the RAM has no errors, and the CPU is stable at full load.

Where's the problem? Is there some sort of failing USB or other controller on the CPU? Did I get a brand new bad mobo?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Are you on a network?
Have you scanned with an updated anti virus program?
Have you tried the manufs. diagnostic software for your HDD?
Have you tried a different PSU?

 

[ZMX]

Are you on a network?

Wireless network. Computer works no differently without the card in it.

Have you scanned with an updated anti virus program?

No. There's no point. The computer won't even boot properly from a disc with the HD disconnected.

Have you tried the manufs. diagnostic software for your HDD?

The computer won't boot properly from a disc.

Have you tried a different PSU?

I doubt power is the issue, because the computer will run Prime95 and even video games with no trouble. Video + CPU + RAM at full bore certainly draws more power than booting a disc with everything out of the computer.

 

[RebateMonger]

Interesting problem.

One starting point:

1) If you can get to the Event Viewer, check the System Event Log for errors. Especially disk errors.

2) Disable any overclocking on the PC and on the video card.

3) If you can, remove the video card and replace with another. A old PCI card would be nice.

4) Obviously, ensure that your CD drive is the first device in the boot order. Also, check the data and power connections to the CD and motherboard.

5) Boot to a disk maker's diagnostics CD. If you can't boot to the CD, then replace the CD/DVD drive if you can, along with the data cable.

6) If still won't boot, remove all memory except a single module. Better yet, swap the memory modules for a single, known-good module.

That's what I'd do for starters.....

 

[tcsenter]

Try booting from a CD/DVD or USB flash drive with the HDD disconnected.

 

[ZMX]

If you can get to the Event Viewer, check the System Event Log for errors. Especially disk errors.

18 disk errors starting 10 days ago. All on the IDE channel. The majority happened closer to today than ten days ago. Five today while I was asleep and not at my computer. None since new motherboard.

Disable any overclocking on the PC and on the video card.

There isn't any. Computer is stable through Prime95 and games once booted.

If you can, remove the video card and replace with another. A old PCI card would be nice.

I can try it... could a video card be intact enough to play games but not enough to boot a Windows disc in under an hour? Also, how would that affect a computer's ability to detect a USB mouse?

Obviously, ensure that your CD drive is the first device in the boot order. Also, check the data and power connections to the CD and motherboard.

I got to the splash screen of the Windows boot disc, but after an hour and a half of waiting, I didn't think the time investment would be worth it, since the disc can't fix a hardware problem. Other CDs work fine in Windows.

Boot to a disk maker's diagnostics CD. If you can't boot to the CD, then replace the CD/DVD drive if you can, along with the data cable.

HDD is tested and fine. S.M.A.R.T. reports everything way above threshold.

If still won't boot, remove all memory except a single module. Better yet, swap the memory modules for a single, known-good module.

Tried it.

Try booting from a CD/DVD or USB flash drive with the HDD disconnected.

Already did.

 

[RebateMonger]

Make sure you have no memory cards/sticks or USB flash drives inserted in the PC when trying to boot.

 

[RebateMonger]

18 disk errors starting 10 days ago. All on the IDE channel. The majority happened closer to today than ten days ago. Five today while I was asleep and not at my computer. None since new motherboard.

By the time I got to the bottom of your original post, I missed the "new motherboard" part.

Why did you replace the motherboard? (And, by the way, what motherboard IS it?)
Are all the other components (memory, CPU, power supply, video card) from your old motherboard?

 

[ZMX]

Make sure you have no memory cards/sticks or USB flash drives inserted in the PC when trying to boot.

Tried it.

By the time I got to the bottom of your original post, I missed the "new motherboard" part.

Why did you replace the motherboard? (And, by the way, what motherboard IS it?)
Are all the other components (memory, CPU, power supply, video card) from your old motherboard?

I replaced the motherboard because the problem sounded like it was motherboard related. Long boot times even to a disc, over ten minutes to detect USB devices, inability to boot anything with USB devices plugged in, memtest fine, computer stable under gaming and Prime95, HDD checks out under testing.

All of that leads me to believe that the CPU, RAM, HDD, and PSU are fine.

So, what remains? The motherboard. I changed from a Gigabyte EP35-DS3L to a Gigabyte EP43-UD3L, but the computer's behavior was not changed.

 

[RebateMonger]

I replaced the motherboard because the problem sounded like it was motherboard related. Long boot times even to a disc, over ten minutes to detect USB devices, inability to boot anything with USB devices plugged in, memtest fine, computer stable under gaming and Prime95, HDD checks out under testing.

So, if I have this right, you've been having identical boot problems with two different motherboards? And you changed motherboards and kept all the other components the same?

 

[ZMX]

Yes.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I would try a different CD/DVD drive myself.

 

[jackofalltrades]

Did you test the memory with memtest from a boot disk? or did you use prime 95? I would recommend memtest It found errors for me when prime found none. Test each stick by itself with nothing but a video card installed I believe you will find a bad stick when you do test this way.

 

[Eeqmcsq]

Cable swap? Perhaps you have a bad cable somewhere? I had some strange and rare boot problems until I bought a replacement IDE cable for my older system.

 

[wanderer27]

SATA HD but you're getting IDE errors?

Is your CD/DVD on IDE?

If you truly have an IDE device, I'd definitely try another Cable.
I'm betting you need to make sure it's an 80 wire IDE cable and not a 40 wire (easy to confuse) so your DMA works properly. Make sure you don't have "Cable Select" set on your drive jumper.

I'm taking it that this is a newer build, so I'd suggest double checking your BIOS settings.
Also, if this is a newer build, I'm hoping you've installed the Chipset Drivers for North Bridge/South Bridge and Audio. You may need the IDE Driver as well, but these used to cause issues so the Windows IDE driver should be fine.

IRQ conflict is also a possibility. First I would check how things go with Sound disabled.

There are quit a few things that can cause what you're seeing, run through these to see if anything changes.

 

[RebateMonger]

Did you test the memory with memtest from a boot disk? or did you use prime 95? I would recommend memtest It found errors for me when prime found none.

I don't know if Prime 95 has changed since I last used it, but I have found instances where an overclocked PC is totally stable under days of Prime 95 Torture Test, but will immediately fail when a certain game is played.

MS' Motocross Madness would do this with an overclocked Pentium II 700 MHz that I owned. I could overclock it to 900 MHz and it'd seem fine with common applications and would pass a two-day Prime 95 test. But as soon as I started up Motocross Madness, the PC would crash. It was totally repeatable. As soon as I set the clock back to the default 700 MHz, the PC would run Motocross Madness all day long.

Anyway, my choice (and most people's choice) of memory testing software is Memtest86+.