My GA-Z87-D3HP takes too long to boot. Solution(s)?

[Takis_M]

Good day to all.

This is my first message in this forum, although I have been an avid user of Gigabyte components for a very long time.

About two year ago, I built a new PC from scratch. Its basic configuration is the following:

- Computer Case: Corsair Carbide Series 400R Mid-Tower

- PSU: Etasis ET-750 Gaming, 750W

- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87-D3HP, rev. 1.0 (as posted - S/N: 133200026796)

- CPU: Intel Haswell i3-4330 @ 3.50 GHz (not overclocked)

- CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Blizzard T2

- RAM: DDR3 G.Skill Aegis, PC3-12800, 1600 MHz, 2 x 8GB + 2 x 4GB, total 24 GB

- Graphics Card: Sapphire-AMD Radeon R7 260X (1GB)

- System Disc: SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD, SATA 3-256 GB, SDSSDHP-256G-G25

- Other Storage HDDs:
2 x Toshiba DT01ACA200, SATA 3-2TB
1 x WD Caviar Black SATA 3-1TB
3 x Seagate Barracuda, SATA 2-500GB

- Optical Drives:
(a) LG GGW-H20L (G) BD-R/RW/HD-DVD/DVD-R/RW (Sata Interface)
(b) Lite On iHAS124-4-WU DVD-R/RW/ROM/CD Black (H) (Sata Interface)

- Expansion Cards:
(1) DIGITUS PCI, 4-channel, SATA Controller, installed in PCI 1 slot, driving the 3 Seagate Storage HDDs. Its 4th channel remains free and serves as an External SATA (e-SATA) connection.
(2) SUNIX UFC PCI-E, 2-channel 1394a/b + 2-channel USB 2.0 Controller, installed in PCI-E x 4 slot
(3) AverMedia Aver3D CaptureHD H727 hybrid TV Card, PCI-E, installed in PCI-E x1_2 slot

The PC uses Windows 10 Pro 64-bit OS, upgraded from Windows 8.1 Pro. Other software is also installed and working normally.

When it was initially built, its BIOS was properly set and after that, the Windows 8.1 OS was installed. From the first moment, it shows an enormous delay until it boots (when the startup screen of Windows appears on my screen). As soon as I push the start button, I get the DIGITUS card BIOS screen, showing the connected HDDs on it and after that, the startup screen of the motherboard appears, the well known one that displays the "Gigabyte insist on Ultra Durable" message in the middle and shows the various user selections at the bottom (DEL, F9, F12 and END). The condition is the same even after I upgraded to Windows 10 Pro.

This screen stays on my display for more than 3 minutes (about 3 and a half) and then it disappears. It takes another two more minutes to see the well known Windows flag with the rotating circle of the dots underneath, indicating that the OS is loading.

After that, at about one more minute, I get the Windows startup screen on my display, which allows me to enter the PC operations.

At the very beginning, when I initially saw it, something rung a bell in me. Initially, I thought that I did something wrong with the installation. But when I checked and found that everything was in order, I tried again and I waited patiently, until I saw it booting.

After that, I just got used to it and I let be. However, it still annoys me, every time I want to use it. By searching recently in the Net, I found somewhere a topic saying that the plethora of the HDDs might be the cause of the problem. Yesterday, I opened the case, I removed the SATA cables of all the storage HDDs and I tried again.

The trial revealed, first of all, that the BIOS startup screen remained on my display for only a few seconds. Then, I saw the Windows flag with the rotating dots and within a minute or so, the PC booted normally. But when I tried it again, it took more than 3,5 minutes to boot completely. Surely, the BIOS startup screen disappeared again within seconds, but from that moment until I see the Windows flag and the rotating dots, I had to wait for more than 2,5 minutes. All in all, this second trial took me about 3 minutes and 45 seconds, until I get the Windows startup screen.

Then I let it to do some other jobs I had to, and I came back after about two hours. Before starting it again, I reconnected only the two Toshiba storage HDDS, connected on the SATA "1" and "2" of the motherboard, and I pushed the start button. This time, it took less than 1,5 minute (!!) to boot completely  . It seems that this PC wants to drive me crazy, but I do not intend to give in. 

Some friends advised me that I may resolve the problem, by manually providing more PC lanes to the HDDs, via the BIOS setup. I am not sure if this will remedy the situation (or, at least, if it makes it more acceptable) and of course I don't know how I can do it.

If anyone knows it and can show me the way, I will very much appreciate it.

Generally, I will appreciate any advice, that may resolve the problem. I must also state that I am not using this PC for gaming. It serves as a general use PC and as a HPTC.

Thanks in advance.

[dmdilks]

When you installed windows 8 or 10 did you use the UEFI DVD or USB drive? You have to have the windows media in the drives when picking one of them and have the other OS set to 8 or 10 in the bios.

I have build many computers doing it that way and it boots with in 15 to 20 secs. Plus if it wasn't setup that way from the start even when you did the update to 10 will not change it.

To get it to boot fast you need to do a clean install of windows 10 for it to work right. You need to install it this way with the UEFI DVD or UEFI USB drive.

[Takis_M]

When you installed windows 8 or 10 did you use the UEFI DVD or USB drive? You have to have the windows media in the drives when picking one of them and have the other OS set to 8 or 10 in the bios.

I have build many computers doing it that way and it boots with in 15 to 20 secs. Plus if it wasn't setup that way from the start even when you did the update to 10 will not change it.

To get it to boot fast you need to do a clean install of windows 10 for it to work right. You need to install it this way with the UEFI DVD or UEFI USB drive.

Thanks for spending the time to see my post and reply to it.

Regarding the Windows installation, let me take the things from the very beginning.

The PC I built had initiallly Windows 8 Pro, which were installed from the promotional DVD that MS was offering for upgrading from Vista and/or Win 7.

Later on, when the Windows 8 were abandoned, the OS was upgraded to 8.1 via the MS web free upgrading offer. Consequently, the Windows 10 were also installed via the free upgrading download from MS.

If I understood well what you asked, does this answer your question?

Thanks again.

[Takis_M]

I have also to add that, during the installation of the first OS (Windows , I selected the "Windows 8" in the BIOS.

[absic]

Hi there,

reading through this thread, my first thought was that the startup delay is probably being caused by one of the PCI-e cards that you have installed.

Have you tried starting the PC without these cards installed?

In an effort to track down the cause of the delay I would probably strip back to a basic system, with just the one HDD attached that contains the OS. Check how fast the PC starts up in this configuration then add one drive at a time and check the progress before adding in any of the PCI-e cards.

The more devices attached to the motherboard the longer it will take to get going as, each unit is checked at startup. I have had issues with various PCI-e devices really slowing things up that has only been resolved with a BIOS update but, and here's the rub, you need to know which part is causing the problem before you can get help in getting a BIOS written to address the problem.

[MarkJohnson]

Sounds semi-normal to me.  With all of that external hardware it is taking a normal amount of time to boot up.

It definitely has nothing to do with Windows as it hasn't even been loaded up.

Check for firmware updates to your RAID controller.

Is there any reason for using the Digitus controller over the much better built-in Intel controller?

Try switching PCI slots as sometimes there is conflicts of device and delays from auto re-configuring the devices.

[Takis_M]

Sounds semi-normal to me.  With all of that external hardware it is taking a normal amount of time to boot up.

It definitely has nothing to do with Windows as it hasn't even been loaded up.

Check for firmware updates to your RAID controller.

Thanks, mate for your reply. I concur that the delay has nothing to do with the OS (Windows). After all, as soon as this is loaded, the PC runs quite normally and fast enough. Also, needless to say - as I noted somewhere in my initial post - that, from the time that BIOS is completely loaded and until the OS starts loading, the time varies a lot, depending which HDDs are connected and which are not. This strengthens your view that the OS is irrelevant.

The Digitus controller has the latest firmware and driver installed.

Is there any reason for using the Digitus controller over the much better built-in Intel controller?

The Digitus is not used over the built-in Intel controller. It is used in addition to that. And the reason is obvious: the plethora of the installed HDDs.

Now, it is surely another matter to make the PC faster, by removing the Digitus controller and the extra HDDs, knowing of course that I am going to loose the extra storage space in favor of booting speed. If this really proves to be the reason of the boot delay, it may be a matter of choice.

But, firstly, I have to be sure about it.

Try switching PCI slots as sometimes there is conflicts of device and delays from auto re-configuring the devices.

This is a good idea. I'll try it and see if it reallly makes a difference.

Thanks again.

[MarkJohnson]

Are any of your drives in RAID mode?

If not, move all HDDs to the motherboard.  Then you can remove the Digitus if you rarely use the optical drives.  Maybe get a USB optical drive.  I just bought a DVD burner for $15 USD on sale not long ago.  This will remove the controller card.

Did you try booting without the Digituis?

Another option is to sell your board and buy a board with an extra SATA controller built-in.  I have 10 ports on my system.  I use 5 of them.  Maybe more as I have a x4 speed nvme SSD.  I know it uses at least 2 sata ports plus the pcie lanes directly.

What do you use the 8.5 TB for if I may ask?