Windows 7 64-bit slower boot post-graphics driver install

[Hippogriff]

I have been installing a new PC.

It is an Intel i5 3450S-based PC, with an SSD as the drive that Windows 7 64-bit was installed on.

During the install process, boot up was taking about 11 seconds from pressing the button to seeing a desktop.

I had installed drivers for a wi-fi dongle - same boot time (verified). I had installed drivers for the USB 3.0 ports - same boot time (verified). I had installed a few other things.

I then went to install the Intel HD Graphics driver for the 2500 on-board chipset. I pulled down the latest version from Intel's website - 8.15.10.2761 - all installed fine and I rebooted.

Now, and every time, it gets beyond the ball-flag creation Windows thing in the same time, but then seems to halt at a "Welcome" screen while a progress circle spins... for about 24 seconds on each boot.

I did test and I uninstalled the Intel drivers and went back to standard VGA controller and, lo and behold, the delay disappeared.

I see, from System Configuration, that Intel is starting 3 things at start-up - all to do with "Intel(R) Common User Interface", one being the tray icon (igfxtray.exe) and 2 others (hkcmd.exe and igfxpers.exe) but even if I disable these the PC spends what seems (now) to be an inordinate amount of time saying "Welcome"...

...is this just a fact of life if I'm using the integrated 2500 graphics or is there something I can do to eliminate this 'pause' on boot?

The sad thing is - the 2500 is enough for me in this instance; I don't want to install a new graphics card in this PC if I can help it.

Cheers, Hippo

[Hippogriff]

Well, this boot delay comes from having a solid colour as your background, in my case black. Once you change the solid colour background to an image, the boot time drops right back down. I have tested this on two PCs, one with Windows 7 64-bit and one with Windows 7 32-bit, both exhibit the same behaviour. This is somewhat puzzling to me, but at least I figured it out.

[JLK03F150]

That's interesting as well as quite odd. Thanks for sharing the resolution once you found it.

[RicheemxX]

Well, this boot delay comes from having a solid colour as your background, in my case black. Once you change the solid colour background to an image, the boot time drops right back down. I have tested this on two PCs, one with Windows 7 64-bit and one with Windows 7 32-bit, both exhibit the same behaviour. This is somewhat puzzling to me, but at least I figured it out.

That really makes no sense to me at all, if anything it should be the other way around since it should take more time to load an image than just render a blank screen.

[ShyguyXPC]

unless its something to do with the Aero Interface?

[RicheemxX]

I'm guessing observational bias - I just tested it with my machine and the time from a cold boot to the first showing of the desktop is the same with a high-res photo as it is with a solid black or white background.

And damn my boot times are slow. Just a shade under a min from a cold start. Might be time to upgrade

[Hippogriff]

Testing performed...

Start with Windows booted - ensure selected background is a 1,600 x 900 .jpg
Shut down
Cold boot - from "Starting Windows" to seeing the desktop = 7 seconds
Shut down
Cold boot - same as above (7 seconds or thereabouts)
Change selected background to a solid colour, in my case, that was black
Shut down
Cold boot - from "Starting Windows" to seeing the desktop = 35 seconds
Change selected background to the previous 1,600 x 900 .jpg
Shut down
Cold boot - from "Starting Windows" to seeing the desktop = 8 seconds (margin of error with my manual counting)

With a solid background selected, after you see "Starting Windows" and the flag assemble, you are presented with a screen showing "Welcome" and a mouse busy cursor for quite some time.

With the background image selected, you see "Starting Windows" for only a flash, then the screen goes black before you are presented with the desktop.

The same kind of behaviour is exhibited on another PC (an older one so the times are different) with very different hardware throughout, e.g. no SSD, different graphics card.

[RicheemxX]

Interesting, I see the Starting Windows Screen and a Welcome screen no matter what and I tested my times for the entire boot. Meaning from the power on time or first seeing the bios screen to the desktop. IMO that gives a more accurate representation of boot times. Not matter what I changed the settings to there was less than a 1sec difference, using a stop watch.

Timing my boot times is a first for me I never pay much attention as I hardly ever do a cool boot. But it would be interesting to know what is taking place there that might be causing it because there really isn't a reason it should make a difference. There isn't anything different being loaded. The system is just reading a registry string that either points to an image or points to a color value.

[Taxmancometh]

No slow boot times here using XP 64 and a SSD.

BTW- I have Win 7 in a virtual machine. How do you change the background color or wallpaper? Is this the log in wallpaper?

[paul9]

Some nasty glitch in the Intel graphics driver?
Maybe it is waiting or searching for something, until it times out?
Perhaps it is looking for an HDMI connection or similar.

[Hippogriff]

Possibly, but I don't care any more as I first had a fast boot, then experienced 'slow' booting and I now have fast booting back... if I'm forced to have a background to have fast booting, then I'll have a background.