Slow start up

ICIT2LOL · Aug 16, 2022

I have an older Ivy Bridge build that I am running both Windows 10 and Windows 11 (unsupported hardware version) on and just lately it has been getting very slow to start up. I also have a problem with getting into the BIOS screen too which again is very slow if at all ( a bit hit and miss) and am wondering if anyone has got any ideas on what is causing this to happen, please. I should add that both versions of Windows are on two separate SSD's which I just change the SATA cable over to when I want to get onto Windows 10 or 11.
Any help really be appreciated.

ICIT2LOL · Aug 17, 2022

Anyone ?

glasskuter · Aug 17, 2022

I am not a hardware expert by any means, but a failing HDD would normally be my first suspect but since it happens on two drives and they're both SSDs, I would eliminate it being the PSU or ram. If it proved to be neither of those, it may a motherboard component failing (the AHCI controller maybe). Visually look at the lights on your motherboard as you turn it on to see if they appear abnormal (ie flickering) and examine for bulging capacitors.

ICIT2LOL · Aug 17, 2022

Thanks glasskutter I will check those out. The drives are relatively new and I was wondering too if it could be the CMOS (BIOS) battery.

Ghot · Aug 17, 2022

As you probably know, I do the same thing. Win 10 on one SSD and Win 11 on the other.
I too just switch the cables.

However, I always unplug the SATA power cable first, THEN unplug the data cable.
When moving the cables to the 2nd SSD, I always plug the SATA power in first, and then the data cable.

Every now and then when I pulled the data cable first, Windows would get corrupted.
Since I changed to the method above... no issues.

ICIT2LOL · Aug 17, 2022

Ok ghot I might try your method it is just that both drives are hooked to power permanently and I just switch the data cable over and it did afterwards occur to me that maybe using the same cable for the data to both drives it is getting a little worn out?
It did this morning fire up with no issues though and I only use the Windows 10 drive for when there are updates for when support for the unsupported hardware version of 11 runs out on that drive.

Ghot · Aug 17, 2022

ICIT2LOL said:
Ok ghot I might try your method it is just that both drives are hooked to power permanently and I just switch the data cable over and it did afterwards occur to me that maybe using the same cable for the data to both drives it is getting a little worn out?
It did this morning fire up with no issues though and I only use the Windows 10 drive for when there are updates for when support for the unsupported hardware version of 11 runs out on that drive.

If you have power to both drives... that's fine.
But I would still just unhook the SATA power, before I messed with the data cable.

I have no idea if this is really a thing, or not.
I just know that I occasionally had corruption issues when I messed with the SSD data cable first.
So now... I always do the SATA power cable first, then the data cable.

And even though I've switched between W10 and Win 11 SSDs about 500 times... no problems.

P.S. I too, worry about wearing the connectors... so I do it very slowly and gently, each time.