Very slow boot on HP A307x with XP

In article < m>, atDFN
<> writes
>I'm trying to help a client with his new computer. When he turns it
>on, the HP Invent screen comes on and stays there for at least five
>minutes. Eventually, the computer begins to load XP and seems to work
>fine after that. It's as though there's a problem with the BIOS.
>
>Anyone have a similar problem? Any suggestions? I found a BIOS
>upgrade at the HP site, but didn't check the BIOS version while I was
>there.
>
>
>
>
>ben
>

Ben,
Try looking in the BIOS, see if "quick boot" (or something similar) is
disabled, that can cause a longish pause while it does a more exhaustive
ram test etc. There might even be a way to turn off the HP screen to see
what it's really doing.
--
Malcolm Ball

I did look yesterday to see if quick boot was enabled. It was. I
need to look to see if I can turn off the HP Invent screen so I can
see what's happening. None of my computers leave a graphic on the
screen during bootup, so I can see what's going on. I'm going to
check that when I go back.

Thanks.




ben



On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 16:14:42 +0000, Malcolm Ball <>
wrote:

>In article < m>, atDFN
><> writes
>>I'm trying to help a client with his new computer. When he turns it
>>on, the HP Invent screen comes on and stays there for at least five
>>minutes. Eventually, the computer begins to load XP and seems to work
>>fine after that. It's as though there's a problem with the BIOS.
>>
>>Anyone have a similar problem? Any suggestions? I found a BIOS
>>upgrade at the HP site, but didn't check the BIOS version while I was
>>there.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>ben
>>
>
>Ben,
>Try looking in the BIOS, see if "quick boot" (or something similar) is
>disabled, that can cause a longish pause while it does a more exhaustive
>ram test etc. There might even be a way to turn off the HP screen to see
>what it's really doing.

Ben, glad to find someone with the same problem! (Well not really!)
I helped my sister purchase the a307x-b from Office Max a couple of
weeks ago. We brought it home and hooked it up. It ran fine for a
couple of weeks but I finally got time to come over and help her set
up some game software, hook up a Lexmark printer, and "clean" up the
garbage that they always have on a new computer.
Yesterday while working on it, after the umpteenth boot, the system
appeared to "freeze" on the HP logo screen. As you have said, this is
way before XP is even loaded, and in fact it appears to be occuring
before the memory test.

It took so long, that the first 5 ot 6 times, I held the power button
it to force it "off", then rebooted. While taking to my sister about
the mess we were in now, while the logo screen was displaying, I was
shocked to hear the A-drive rattle as part of the search for the OS,
and Windows started and came up!

Now I was really baffled. When I realized that the system was going to
continue that way, I timed the delay.. 5 to 6 Minutes. It has no
bearing on the start list as XP isn't up when it occurs.

I distinctly remember taking out a CD from the CD reader while the
system was shutting down (the last time before this "delay" at boot
showed up).

I went ahead and went into Bios, turned on the "logging" option (and
played with the quick boot setting, which didn't affect the problem).

In the HP error logs I found many references to "mrtrate", another
story, but they also could not occur until XP was up. There were
several references to an IDE timeout on device\ide\ideport1 which I
believe also has to be after XP is up. But it is a clue. I think
there is an IDE timeout occuring but I haven't figured out which
device. (All ide devices work when the system finally comes up).
(More in part 2 as I don't know if these messages are restricted in
length).
Lee

Part 2--

One of the things that I had done while the sysyem was working OK was
to add support for a Lexmark USB printer-scanner-copier. It works OK.
While searching the HP web site for this computer, I found a
reference to a "must install" fix that involved a HP 3-in-1 printer,
but the descriptions of the problems fixed all had to do with OS
problems after XP was running, so I don't think it could be related to
"our" problem.

I don't think I've found the "real" boot log yet, but while running
with the BIOS logging option turned on, I don't remember seeing the
logo screen AND I do remember seeing the memory test statements. Once
the machine froze with the memory test message on the screen but
before the numbers started rolling. The next time it froze, that line
hadn't appeared on the screen yet!

Also, if, during the 5 minute delay, you hit F1 to enter Bios, (this
is without bios logging on), after it comes out of the 5 minute delay,
the line "entering setup" finally shows up and the system goes into
BIOS setup.


There are a couple of bios upgrades on the HP site already, but I have
not pursued them yet. Afraid to!

Tomorrow I'll be going over to her house again to get all the numbers
I'll need to call HP. But I think it may be a IDE related problem.
And since exactly the same thing is happening to you, I don't think it
is a DOA machine at this point.

Lee ()