Windows 8 3 Minute Full Logo BIOS Screen

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U.S.Navy D.A.V.
This started about a week ago and only from a cold boot, restarts are not affected.

When I turn on my PC, it runs the normal BIOS activity and goes to the Full Logo screen before I get to my OS choice menu, normally this takes a few seconds, I choose my OS and then boots in a matter of seconds.
The issue, is now it takes a full 3 minutes to go from the (BIOS) Full Logo to the Windows 8 OS Menu.
No BSOD's, no error messages and no errors in Event Viewer, well 1, and I'm pretty certain it has no barring.
If I select F2 (BIOS Settings) or F10 (Menu Settings) it still takes 3 minutes for my selection to open.
I thought it may have been a program I installed, no.
I set the BIOS to all defaults, no change, changed them back, didn't make a difference.
I've also removed 2 of the original memory sticks (1Gb ea.), no change.

This system has been running great since I got from my neighbor (for free), he was having problems with it, it turned out to be a bad monitor connection and 1 faulty 512Mb memory stick (3Gb total, 2-1Gb sticks & 2-512Mb sticks)
I cleaned it up, installed additional 4Gb's DDR2 Corsair memory, added 2 more Seagate 320Gb drives and a 480w Cooler Master SATA PSU.
It a Gateway/eMachines ET1161-03, that had Windows Vista Home Premium x86 and now has Vista Ultimate x64, 7 x64 and 8 CP x64.

Any thoughts on this or should I just live with it?

Thanks
Don

BTW, didn't know where else to put this as this does not seem to be a Windows issue.

Thanks again.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Don,
Have you tried turning the bios logo off just to see if it improves the time to open any? Also what is the default boot option? Is it HDD first?
Have you recently plugged in a lot of USB devices?
 
The natural process of the Windows 8 new boot manager, is that it fully loads Windows 8 before reaching that boot manager. A subsequent choice, in a multi boot environment, normally means that it will then REboot to that choice. This means that, possibly, in your case, you have a bad program installed in Windows 8. Have a look in Msconfig - Startup tab, and see what is running there - if you are unsure, post a picture of the running programs in the tab, for some help.
 
Thanks guys for responding, I was beginning to get a complex.

@kemical; I have disabled the Full Screen Logo, Small Logo (EPA) and HDD S.M.A.R.T. capability and then re-enabling them 1 at a time, made no difference. I have always had CD/DVD drive as 1st boot device, then HDD's, I disabled the HHD boot and got a boot failure, so that wasn't it, putting the HDD as 1st also didn't do it. No recent USB devices added.
Not sure if it's coincidence, but it did start shortly after I did the shortcuts for "Shutdown & Restart" as mentioned http://windows8forums.com/windows-8-desktop-customization/5473-power-button-request.html, post #2.
It doesn't seem logical, to me anyway, that a Windows program would affect the BIOS process.

@ davehc; The only "Start Up" programs in msconfig are the ones I want and have used for years. In my multi-boot setup, which I have also had for years I always make sure that each OS is setup the same in msconfig and in MyComputer and usually have the same programs, so nothing is really different there.

The BIOS hangs for a full 3 minutes when detecting RAM, HDD's etc;
If I press F2 or F10 during that process it still goes the 3 minutes then the BIOS settings will open or the Boot Menu appears (which ever I chose)
Once the Windows 8 boot menu appears and I choose which OS I want, it boots to the desktop within a matter of seconds and as I mentioned restarts are not affected.

Oh geez, I just realized something, using the "Shutdown and Restart" shortcuts mentioned before, I accidentally hit an option, don't remember which one
4uzytc.jpg
, but my screen when totally blank and I could not get to anything, I had to force shutdown and do a startup repair.
Could that have done it? I'm at a loss, I've really never had an issue I couldn't fix myself right away or search to find the solution.

Thanks for your help guys, I may have to set everything up all over again and even then I'm not sure that will do it.

Regards
Don
 
Hmm.. I'm wondering if you tried Start up repair on win 8 if it would help any? Your files could have got slightly scrambled with the forced shutdown...
 
Hmm.. I'm wondering if you tried Start up repair on win 8 if it would help any? Your files could have got slightly scrambled with the forced shutdown...

That's the startup repair I did, I was on 8 when I did the forced shutdown and I also have that selected as my default OS.
 
This caught my eye
"Once the Windows 8 boot menu appears and the required OS is chosen, it boots to the desktop within a matter of seconds and as I mentioned restarts are not affected."
As I said, unless you have customised, or had Windows 7 as the default at some stage, it should reboot into the chosen alternative OS from the menu.

From MSDN
On boot up, there's an option to choose the OS that should be loaded.
If Windows 8 is chosen, then it will load most of the Windows 8 system, to the Windows 8 boot menu.
If Windows 7 or an alternative OS, is selected, the computer reboots completely and then start the alternative OS"


Personally, I feel that is wasting boot time, until the full Windows 8 is released, and made the primary OS. But I have reinserted the original Windows 7 boot manager, and am rid of the problem.
But this doesn't help you! Are you in a dual boot situation, with Windows 7 and 8 on the same HD, or separate HDs? Perhaps a look through the event viewer might give you a clue as to what is hanging.
 
Hi Dave,

If Windows 7 or an alternative OS, is selected, the computer reboots completely and then start the alternative OS"

You & MSDN are correct in this, as that's what it does do if I choose Windows 7 or Vista, although I have to point out that it did not do that with the Developer Preview, but that's not the issue. I also mentioned there were no errors in the "Event Viewer", except 1 that had no barring.

Personally, I feel that is wasting boot time, until the full Windows 8 is released, and made the primary OS. But I have reinserted the original Windows 7 boot manager, and am rid of the problem.

I totally agree with that and will take your suggestion on the 7 boot manager.

I'm in a multi-boot with Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 & Windows 8 CP all x64 and on their own drives.
Your just waiting for disaster with more than 1 OS on the same drive.

I may try a "System Restore" and then load the 7 boot manager and see if that helps.

What exactly does the BIOS do during the detection process before loading the OS menu?
That's where it's hanging.

Thanks
Don

Update: Refresh didn't help.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
"What exactly does the BIOS do during the detection process before loading the OS menu" Good question! It generally loads the standard hard disk and nominal hardware defaults you have previously set. But, I confess I did not assume, in your first post, that the delay was during the Bios section. If it is as you have deduced, perhaps the bios chip is beginning to fail (unlikely!) or the bios battery is close to failure, and it is having to load the entire defaults each time?

P.S "Your just waiting for disaster with more than 1 OS on the same drive. "
- Don't dwell on that, lol. I have other situations on other computers and the test machine. I also keep images running. I have followed this procedure since dual booting began - no disasters yet! But, seriously, I am deeply involved in testing and, in my case, particularly in the areas associated with comparison. I am obliged, on instruction, to run in a dual boot environment, as this is the only true way to be sure you are comparing under similar conditions. )Unless of course, you have the opportunity to purchase two identical machines)
 
Hi Dave,

Thanks for your input and suggestions, but I have found the problem.
First let me reiterate on my comment "It doesn't seem logical, to me anyway, that a Windows program would affect the BIOS process.", well, it does.
I disconnected my drives and reconnected them one at a time. 1st, my Vista drive, everything loaded and booted as it should, leaving that one connected I then reconnected my Windows 7 drive, again, everything loaded and booted as it should, connected my Windows 8 drive and bang there it was, hang time.
Obviously I had done something to screw up Win 8, so I'm going to retest the drive, which I had done before I installed 8 the first time and it was good, so, I'm quite positive it's not the drive and then zero it out and reinstall 8.

Thanks again Dave, kemical, for all your time and effort, well appreciated.

Regards
Don

"I'll be back"
 
Hi Don,

I had this problem with Windows 7, it turned out to be a faulty external hard drive. Once I disconnected it, everything went back to normal.
 
I am obliged, on instruction, to run in a dual boot environment, as this is the only true way to be sure you are comparing under similar conditions. )Unless of course, you have the opportunity to purchase two identical machines)
No need to make dual boot for that. Make an independent installation on a second disk - even an eSata disk. Just unplug the disk with the first installation during the installation of the second OS.

In fact the easiest is to make all installation to external eSata disks that are in an open caddy. Then you can just switch the HDDs easily and need not make any gymnastics for unplugging. If you have no eSata port, that can be easily installed for little money via PCI-e on a desktop or PCI Express on a laptop.
 
Thanks for the feedback, Don. I realised, when yopu said you were using separate HDs(post#8) that I was possibly on the wrong track. I hope you post back if the situation gets sorted.

whs. Thanks. But perhaps you should read my post. I do have other alternatives, on other computers. The one in question is installed in that manner for comparitive purposes in that particular environment. That happens to be the portion of the project, to which I have been directed.
 
Hi Dave,

Thanks for your input and suggestions, but I have found the problem.
First let me reiterate on my comment "It doesn't seem logical, to me anyway, that a Windows program would affect the BIOS process.", well, it does.
I disconnected my drives and reconnected them one at a time. 1st, my Vista drive, everything loaded and booted as it should, leaving that one connected I then reconnected my Windows 7 drive, again, everything loaded and booted as it should, connected my Windows 8 drive and bang there it was, hang time.
Obviously I had done something to screw up Win 8, so I'm going to retest the drive, which I had done before I installed 8 the first time and it was good, so, I'm quite positive it's not the drive and then zero it out and reinstall 8.

Thanks again Dave, kemical, for all your time and effort, well appreciated.

Regards
Don

"I'll be back"

Hi Don,

glad to hear you found the culprit :)
 
Well, kemical & Dave, I'm back.
Zeroed out the drive, re-installed 8 and all's well, well, almost, before I zeroed out the drive, I was in 7 and in Disk Management deleted the 8 partition from it's drive (I had 2 partitions on that drive) went in to msconfig to make sure it was removed from there and noticed I now have 2 Windows 7 entries.
Disregarded what I saw and went on to install 8 figuring it would correct itself once I finished, nope!!, however, my initial boot issue is resolved.
Windows 7 shows up twice in the 8 boot menu, I can click on either one and get the same result, boots to 7, it still shows up twice in msconfig and if I click on either one and hit delete, they're both removed, so not taking the risk I hit cancel and left it alone. It's not adversely affecting anything.
Now, when I open EasyBCD, 7 only appears once. I'm not too concerned about it as everything is booting and running as it should, just thought I'd mention it.

Thanks again guys,
Don
 
Hi Don,
is it an old install? Try running the advanced disk clean and it should disappear. Run an admin command prompt. Type:
cleanmgr/sageset:1
Press enter and tick all boxes. Hit ok.
To get it to run: Type:
cleanmgr/sagerun:1
Press enter and it should clear things up nicely. :)
 
Hi kemical,

Thanks for the info, but sadly, it didn't work.
As long as it's all working good, I'm not concerned as it does only show up on the boot menu and I really don't go in to msconfig that often. I'll just let ride for now.

Thanks again
Don
 
Hmm... Oh well, I guess like you say as long as it's kinda working.. :) Mind you the RC version of win 8 is due for release around the end of May so that will perhaps sort things if you decide to install it..
 
Well kemical, I couldn't let ride any longer (short-lived huh?) I deleted the Windows 7 entry in msconfig and when I opened EasyBCD it was gone from there as well, so, I just added it back. all's good. Had a major brain fart
4uzytc.jpg
thinking something adverse was going to happen if I deleted it.

Don
 
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