Question Really slow boot up time on Ssd after random power outage

[DanDiaconescu]

Hello tech lords, I'm coming to you in a time of need.

I have a really annoying issue with my sistem that I cannot figure out for the life of me. It's becoming increasingly more emphasized and more annoying.

Long story short, bad electric distribution infrastructure, bad fuses, one particularly bad power shortage, my pc now boots up in 2 hamster generations worth of time. Windows reports the bios time at 260 minutes, in reality is 5 to 7 minutes stuck on the windows rotating thingy. Only on fresh boot up, like in a restart or when I cut power to the pc.

I have tried every quick hack that I can find on the internet, but now I do not think it's a windows problem, as the frustration got to me and I just did a clean install of windows and the problem still persisted.

So, my new guess is a bios problem, or hardware problem. The pc boots up, my keyboard lights up on the bios option screen, then USB power is cut on the windows rotating thingy. After 5 to 7 minutes, USB power is returned and I'm in windows.

The installation drive might not be the component that is broken, as I did some benchmarks on it, it works as good as my storage ssd. I reinstalled the latest bios as well, did not do anything, I will try to downgrade it, maybe that will help.

My pc is 5-6 years old, but it was cared for. Specs:

i7 6700k
Asus strix 1070
Asrock Z170 Pro4S mobo, latest bios
Kingston 256gb ssd used for windows
Some Cruscial 480gb for storage

I am not sure what to do next, please help me. I don't want to replace components randomly, as I do not afford and the pc generally works really good for what I use it for.

 

[Darkbreeze]

The first thing I'd do is replace the CMOS battery. It is old enough that it could definitely be playing a role here if it is weak or dead. CR2032 coin battery is what it SHOULD be. Few bucks at most stores where batteries are sold.

Did your storage SSD "EVER" have Windows installed on it at some point in the past? Try disconnecting that secondary drive and see if it makes any change to the boot time. Also, in the BIOS, make sure that "Windows boot manager" is set to the primary boot device if this is a full UEFI installation, which it SHOULD be.

Also, what is your EXACT power supply model and how long has it been in service?

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

If you have power failures, you should look into getting an UPS for your system. You forgot to mention the make and model of your PSU. It might very well be a problem with the OS, meaning there's a corruption on the installation. It could even be a precursor to the demise of your SSD. As opposed to stating latest BIOS, it'd be good if you could state which BIOS version you're on at this moment of time.

As for your OS SSD, Kingston have a number of drives in their portfolio, which one do you have? Have you used Kingston's tool to see if there are any firmware updates pending?

Please don't downgrade the BIOS, only update them.

 

[DanDiaconescu]

Thank you for your answers, I will try to add details and correct some mistakes.

Darkbreeze , I ordered a new CR2023, good idea, I did not think about that up until now. The storage SSD did not have windows installed, the storage SSD was a replacement / addition to a HHD for better game load times, no OS was ever installed on it. "Windows boot manager" is selected as the primary boot device, I have tried disconnecting all other SATA devices and switching the SATA cable to a new one, no luck. The PSU that I use is a KOLINK ENCLAVE - 600W , I replaced it a week before the pandemic stared, February 2020 if I recall correctly.

Lutfij, I have since moved to a different city, I did consider one, but it never fit into my budget back then, and now I'm postponing it, I'm considering a rebuild next year. Now I use one that I have indefinitely borrowed from work, but it's not up to spec for a full load. On the topic of the demise of the SSD, I need to correct a mistake that I have made in the original post. It's not a Kingston SSD, it's an old Radeon R3SL240G, firmware updates to this are impossible to find. I'm biting the bullet and I'm ordering a new one. HWinfo shows a drive health of 88%, but I do not know if the numbers are correct. I will not downgrade the BIOS, the one that is in use right now is Version 7.50.

Thank you all again for taking some time to help me and I'm sorry for the mistake that I have made in the original post. I'll keep you posted on further updates.

Best regards, Dan

 

[Darkbreeze]

I hope you didn't order a CR2023, because that's wrong. Motherboards take a CR2032, and they make both kinds, so a 2023 is not the right kind.

If that Radeon SSD is from around 2014-ish like I think it is, then there is a very good chance that drive is the problem especially if it's fairly full and is down to 88% health.

Also, Kolink PSU isn't great, but Aris (Top PSU engineer and reviewer, probably in the world, for Tom's hardware and TechPowerUP) says it's decent for a budget model on the cheap. For what you have now, likely fine. If you upgrade, plan to replace it with something better as it DOES have some question marks like the use of Teapo caps, high ripple on the 12v, and so forth.

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/kolink-enclave-series-700-w-psu/7.html

 

[DanDiaconescu]

Thank you Darkbreeze for paying more attention than me and for warning me about the CR2023, luckily it was just a typo, I ordered the correct one.

The drive was in use since 2017, but still, it's time to retire it.

For the upgrade I won't cheap out on components again, I already replaced the PSU twice, the CPU cooler, case fans and now the SSD. The money that I have saved back then I've spent twofold on fixing the system. I will chose a good Seasonic PSU. I picked the Kolink based on some reviews, all were praising it's bank for the buck, and price, I got it for ~50USD on sale, and 600W it's a lot of headroom for the components that I run.

 

[Darkbreeze]

For 50 bucks, it's not a bad option. But when you get ready to upgrade there are three things I'd like you to read before you do, and I think they will help you with selecting and understanding the selection of the power supply, which of course is the MOST important component in any build since not one other component can work properly if the power supply is not working properly and which might not last long if there are problems or concerns with the performance of the PSU, like high ripple, poor voltage regulation or inferior internal component selection like the cheap 85° capacitors used in most budget units.

First, this one.

Why does a better power supply mean a better computing experience?

So how does a better PSU equate to a better computing experience? Consider this: If your power supply isn't doing a good job of regulating voltage and filtering ripple, what is?The computer power supply essentially converts AC to DC. Older or more basic computer power supplies convert AC to multi...

forum.corsair.com

Then my (admittedly, out of date, and planning to update it soon) PSU recommendation thread.

Discussion - PSU recommendations and power supply discussion thread - Tom's hardware

Below you will find MY standard list of recommended power supplies and beyond that this thread is intended as a landing place for questions or discussions regarding specific units, platforms or related PSU tech, all of which are all welcome to be discussed here. If it's related to power supplies...

forums.tomshardware.com

And finally, the PSU cultists tier list, which, while not entirely accurate in my opinion and having a few glaring discrepancies (Which ANY tier list is going to have simply because it's almost impossible for everybody, or anybody, to agree on everything or even to agree on what considerations should have higher value than other considerations) is still pretty good and likely better than anything else you'll find out there right now when it comes to a tier list of recommended units. At worst, you are very unlikely to get a "bad" power supply if you stick to any of the units listed on Tier A.

PSU Tier List rev. 17.0g - Cultists Network

PSU Tier List will help you to choose the best PSU out of hundreds of models on the market. From budget to the highest end Power Supplies.

cultists.network

Units listed on other tiers should probably be avoided unless you are in an extreme pinch, in which case SOME of the models on tier B might be acceptable.