Slow Boot

Greetings,

I recently built a P4 3.0Ghz machine and for some reason, when I boot it up, it takes forever before you start seeing the POST screen. I have double checked the BIOS settings and even went as far as to reset the CMOS and start over, but still does the same thing. Anyone ever seen this before?

 

Check to make sure that all cables are tight and all the hardware is seated securely!! The bios might be having trouble scanning for devices because something is not responding properly!!

Have you tested your memory...if not do so with MEMTEST 86+ of which i've attatched the file at the bottom. Let me know if you need assistance with that!!

Is your bios up to date...if not...download and flash to the latest revision!! BUT...MAKE SURE you know what you are doing if you've never done this before!! if not get a friend or someone that does know how to do it!!! It is a very risquea process, and has to be done PRECISELY 100% CORRECT or your screwed!!!!

Whenever you build a new system...you have to reset the CMOS!! Do this by removing the battery, with the power unplugged for a good two to three minutes!! Sometimes you just can't trust the jumper!!

Another thing...also when you do a new build...once you get it going...if you are running XP or 2000...you have to do a repair or new clean install for everything to work properly!!

But obviously you want to get the bios to boot right before you worry about the OS!!

BTW...what do you consider forever?? Are we talking seconds or minutes, hours, days, weeks?? LOL

Roger

 

Forever? 1 minute seems like an eternity when the machine is running and there is nothing on the screen. lol

I did the battery thing already, I don't trust the jumpers either.

Everything is tight and in the right place. This is like the 500th machine I have built. It's just this one is baffling me with the slow boot. And believe it or not, sometimes the stupid thing just turns itself on. Maybe I need a priest instead. rofl

The date on the BIOS is June 2003, I'll look this weekend for an upgrade.

And I thought about the memory too, but a friend brought over a couple of sticks of RAM and it still did the same thing. Totally weird.

 

What about disconnecting all devices. Just have the memory, cpu, and video card installed. Does it still take a long time to post?

 

i would have to agree with theefool...it sounds like something is causing the bios to hang when it boots!!

Like I needed to tell you that!!!! LOL

Roger