Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Precision T5600 long POST/boot problem
344 views
Skip to first unread message
David Baxter
Nov 19, 2014, 11:53:05 AM11/19/14
to
Hello,
I have a Precision T5600, specification as follows:
- Dual Xeons
- 8Gb RAM (4x2Gb)
- Corsair SSD and two Seagate 2Tb HDDs in HDD0, 1 and 2 respectively
(using the Intel C600 RAID controller in SATA/AHCI mode)
- DVDRW on SATA0
- AMD graphics card
- Windows 8.1.1 Enterprise x64
The problem I have is this:
- On power on, there is a wait of up to 10 seconds before the Dell logo
is shown. I know something happens during this time as I can see the
diagnostic LEDs on the front of the PC lighting up in various sequences.
- The POST sequence hangs with the progress bar at the 50% position for
up to 15 seconds before continuing.
- The Intel RAID BIOS then does its thing and correctly identifies the
drives. This takes no more than a few seconds.
- There is then a black screen with a flashing cursor which flashes for
approximately 15-20 seconds with 1-2-3 showing on the diagnostic LEDs.
- The BIOS finally hands over to the Windows boot loader which then
starts the boot process; but spends about 30 seconds showing me the
Windows logo.
- Finally, the rotating dots appear but spend a further 20 seconds
minimum before Windows finally boots into the GUI. Log in takes a
further 20 seconds before I am finally shown the Start Menu / Metro screen.
Given that this is on a clean installation of Windows, with no other
software installed, these wait times seem excessive to me; especially
the 20 seconds before Windows boot starts, then the 30 seconds when the
Windows logo is displayed.
Things I have tried:
- Disabling the Intel RAID and connecting just the SSD to the non-RAID
controller.
- Disabling network boot
- Restricting the boot sequence to the SSD only
- Run the diagnostics (no fault found)
- Installed the latest Intel RST drivers (v3.8.0.1111)
- Installed the latest Intel chipset drivers (v9.2.3.1023)
- Flashed the latest BIOS (A13)
Other information:
- The problem exhibits with Windows 7 Professional installed, leading me
to believe this is not a software fault.
I have a Core i7-4771 system with 8Gb RAM and a 256Gb Kingston SSD that
boots from power-on to working desktop in less time it takes this
significantly higher specification computer to even show me the Windows
boot logo. I cannot believe that this is right - for the price and
specification of this Precision, it should blow my i7 out of the water
in terms of performance and loading times but it does not.
Any help appreciated!
Dave
--
(remove spamblock and underscore or reply to group)
I have a Precision T5600, specification as follows:
- Dual Xeons
- 8Gb RAM (4x2Gb)
- Corsair SSD and two Seagate 2Tb HDDs in HDD0, 1 and 2 respectively
(using the Intel C600 RAID controller in SATA/AHCI mode)
- DVDRW on SATA0
- AMD graphics card
- Windows 8.1.1 Enterprise x64
The problem I have is this:
- On power on, there is a wait of up to 10 seconds before the Dell logo
is shown. I know something happens during this time as I can see the
diagnostic LEDs on the front of the PC lighting up in various sequences.
- The POST sequence hangs with the progress bar at the 50% position for
up to 15 seconds before continuing.
- The Intel RAID BIOS then does its thing and correctly identifies the
drives. This takes no more than a few seconds.
- There is then a black screen with a flashing cursor which flashes for
approximately 15-20 seconds with 1-2-3 showing on the diagnostic LEDs.
- The BIOS finally hands over to the Windows boot loader which then
starts the boot process; but spends about 30 seconds showing me the
Windows logo.
- Finally, the rotating dots appear but spend a further 20 seconds
minimum before Windows finally boots into the GUI. Log in takes a
further 20 seconds before I am finally shown the Start Menu / Metro screen.
Given that this is on a clean installation of Windows, with no other
software installed, these wait times seem excessive to me; especially
the 20 seconds before Windows boot starts, then the 30 seconds when the
Windows logo is displayed.
Things I have tried:
- Disabling the Intel RAID and connecting just the SSD to the non-RAID
controller.
- Disabling network boot
- Restricting the boot sequence to the SSD only
- Run the diagnostics (no fault found)
- Installed the latest Intel RST drivers (v3.8.0.1111)
- Installed the latest Intel chipset drivers (v9.2.3.1023)
- Flashed the latest BIOS (A13)
Other information:
- The problem exhibits with Windows 7 Professional installed, leading me
to believe this is not a software fault.
I have a Core i7-4771 system with 8Gb RAM and a 256Gb Kingston SSD that
boots from power-on to working desktop in less time it takes this
significantly higher specification computer to even show me the Windows
boot logo. I cannot believe that this is right - for the price and
specification of this Precision, it should blow my i7 out of the water
in terms of performance and loading times but it does not.
Any help appreciated!
Dave
--
(remove spamblock and underscore or reply to group)
Lee
Nov 19, 2014, 12:06:32 PM11/19/14
to
On 19/11/2014 16:53, David Baxter wrote:
> - Corsair SSD and two Seagate 2Tb HDDs in HDD0, 1 and 2 respectively
> (using the Intel C600 RAID controller in SATA/AHCI mode)
I would check that the SSD has the latest firmware and that it is
> - Corsair SSD and two Seagate 2Tb HDDs in HDD0, 1 and 2 respectively
> (using the Intel C600 RAID controller in SATA/AHCI mode)
aligned and partitioned properly.
David Baxter
Nov 20, 2014, 4:44:11 AM11/20/14
to
The black screen with the flashing cursor happens regardless of whether
the computer is booting from HDD, CDROM, USB stick, etc. I don't know
what it's doing at that point as I have disabled everything except for
HDD boot, so it shouldn't be looking at other devices to boot from (if
that's what it's doing).
Dave
Message has been deleted
Jaimie Vandenbergh
Nov 20, 2014, 6:27:59 AM11/20/14
to
On Wed, 19 Nov 2014 16:53:01 +0000, David Baxter
<incoming@atlantic_realm.spamblock.com> wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I have a Precision T5600, specification as follows:
>
>- Dual Xeons
>- 8Gb RAM (4x2Gb)
>- Corsair SSD and two Seagate 2Tb HDDs in HDD0, 1 and 2 respectively
>(using the Intel C600 RAID controller in SATA/AHCI mode)
>- DVDRW on SATA0
>- AMD graphics card
>- Windows 8.1.1 Enterprise x64
>
>The problem I have is this:
>
>- On power on, there is a wait of up to 10 seconds before the Dell logo
>is shown. I know something happens during this time as I can see the
>diagnostic LEDs on the front of the PC lighting up in various sequences.
Any of them take more than a moment? If so, look them up for possible
<incoming@atlantic_realm.spamblock.com> wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I have a Precision T5600, specification as follows:
>
>- Dual Xeons
>- 8Gb RAM (4x2Gb)
>- Corsair SSD and two Seagate 2Tb HDDs in HDD0, 1 and 2 respectively
>(using the Intel C600 RAID controller in SATA/AHCI mode)
>- DVDRW on SATA0
>- AMD graphics card
>- Windows 8.1.1 Enterprise x64
>
>The problem I have is this:
>
>- On power on, there is a wait of up to 10 seconds before the Dell logo
>is shown. I know something happens during this time as I can see the
>diagnostic LEDs on the front of the PC lighting up in various sequences.
clues.
Have you done a RAM test? A loop of memtest86 seems well worth a go.
Try pulling out the RAID card?
Have you got another T5600 nearby - perhaps they are just very slow
booters. Dual Xeon workstations do sometimes try and emulate big-boy
computers and do a lot of bootup-time checks, compared to fast-booting
domestic PCs.
Thinking of which, have you made sure the firmware is up to date and
that there isn't a checkbox somewhere for "long slow careful boot"?
Cheers - Jaimie
--
I hope I live long enough
to vindicate my pessimism -- http://www.boasas.com/?c=1108
Lee
Nov 20, 2014, 7:42:34 AM11/20/14
to
would suggest that it's the initialization of the raid controller which
causes the delay, presumably this still occurs whether it is "disabled"
or not....
TMack
Nov 20, 2014, 10:55:10 AM11/20/14
to
On Wed, 19 Nov 2014 16:53:01 +0000, David Baxter wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have a Precision T5600, specification as follows:
>
> - Dual Xeons - 8Gb RAM (4x2Gb)
> - Corsair SSD and two Seagate 2Tb HDDs in HDD0, 1 and 2 respectively
> (using the Intel C600 RAID controller in SATA/AHCI mode)
> - DVDRW on SATA0 - AMD graphics card - Windows 8.1.1 Enterprise x64
>
> The problem I have is this:
>
> - On power on, there is a wait of up to 10 seconds before the Dell logo
> is shown. I know something happens during this time as I can see the
> diagnostic LEDs on the front of the PC lighting up in various sequences.
>
> - The POST sequence hangs with the progress bar at the 50% position for
> up to 15 seconds before continuing.
>
> - The Intel RAID BIOS then does its thing and correctly identifies the
> drives. This takes no more than a few seconds.
>
> - There is then a black screen with a flashing cursor which flashes for
> approximately 15-20 seconds with 1-2-3 showing on the diagnostic LEDs.
>
> - The BIOS finally hands over to the Windows boot loader which then
> starts the boot process; but spends about 30 seconds showing me the
> Windows logo.
>
> - Finally, the rotating dots appear but spend a further 20 seconds
> minimum before Windows finally boots into the GUI. Log in takes a
> further 20 seconds before I am finally shown the Start Menu / Metro
> screen.
It's a design feature! Blame the PERC 310 Raid controller.
> Hello,
>
> I have a Precision T5600, specification as follows:
>
> - Dual Xeons - 8Gb RAM (4x2Gb)
> - Corsair SSD and two Seagate 2Tb HDDs in HDD0, 1 and 2 respectively
> (using the Intel C600 RAID controller in SATA/AHCI mode)
> - DVDRW on SATA0 - AMD graphics card - Windows 8.1.1 Enterprise x64
>
> The problem I have is this:
>
> - On power on, there is a wait of up to 10 seconds before the Dell logo
> is shown. I know something happens during this time as I can see the
> diagnostic LEDs on the front of the PC lighting up in various sequences.
>
> - The POST sequence hangs with the progress bar at the 50% position for
> up to 15 seconds before continuing.
>
> - The Intel RAID BIOS then does its thing and correctly identifies the
> drives. This takes no more than a few seconds.
>
> - There is then a black screen with a flashing cursor which flashes for
> approximately 15-20 seconds with 1-2-3 showing on the diagnostic LEDs.
>
> - The BIOS finally hands over to the Windows boot loader which then
> starts the boot process; but spends about 30 seconds showing me the
> Windows logo.
>
> - Finally, the rotating dots appear but spend a further 20 seconds
> minimum before Windows finally boots into the GUI. Log in takes a
> further 20 seconds before I am finally shown the Start Menu / Metro
> screen.
http://commweb-ps3.us.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/19476679
--
Tony
'09 FJR1300, '07 Street Triple OMF#24
0 new messages