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Windows 7 interface slows down when windows cold boots


eBookworm

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Hello folks,

I have recently encoutered a strange problem with my operating system.

Whenever my laptop boots from zero, logging on, opening any window and basicly taking any other action is slowed down severely. Like opening and closing windows gains fade in/fade out effect (problem is hard to describe in words so I attached link to short youtube video) I tried turning on windows aero and switching to windows basic theme but the problem persists.

Simple reboot solves the problem (and any time when I reboot for windows updates or software installation problem is non-existent), but next time when I shut down OS completely and boot it happens again.

Event viewer don't show any kind of error or anything, since everything "works", it is just severely slowed down.

As I carry laptop to work every day and I shut it down completely at least twice a day it becomes quite annoying.

Hardware is ASUS G73jh, all my drivers and BIOS is up to date.

Anyone got any clue on what might be wrong? Thanks to everyone in advance.

Youtube link: ht tp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0shS1HWleM

Edited by eBookworm
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Odd, not seen that one before :)

So a cold boot has the problem, but any warm reboot doesn't - what about hibernate & resume, does that show the problem too?

(On a laptop I tend to use sleep when it's going to remain docked, and hibernate when I'm going to move it, rather than shut down.)

Any USB devices connected when powering on, that maybe don't like the S5->S0 power transition?

Resource Monitor ("perfmon.exe /res", or open through Task Manager) > Overview tab > CPU section - anything eating CPU cycles there, or is the Maximum Frequency reported as a lot lower after a cold boot than after a warm reboot?

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Do you use the Radeon GPU or the graphic from the Intel i CPU?

Laptop has Radeon Mobility HD5870 graphics. Laptop does have Intel i7 CPU, but I am pretty sure that it uses its dedicated graphics.

Odd, not seen that one before :)

So a cold boot has the problem, but any warm reboot doesn't - what about hibernate & resume, does that show the problem too?

(On a laptop I tend to use sleep when it's going to remain docked, and hibernate when I'm going to move it, rather than shut down.)

Any USB devices connected when powering on, that maybe don't like the S5->S0 power transition?

Resource Monitor ("perfmon.exe /res", or open through Task Manager) > Overview tab > CPU section - anything eating CPU cycles there, or is the Maximum Frequency reported as a lot lower after a cold boot than after a warm reboot?

I just checked Resource Monitor when problem persists and when I rebooted and its problem free. I am not able to see any difference between two charts. I uploaded them so hopefully you will be able to get something from it that helps me solve the problem.

Also, I discovered one more thing while I was just trying to reproduce the problem. I powered off PC completely and than booted in again right away problem was not there. Than I powered off PC completely, came back 30 minutes latter and booted it and problem was there.

I never use sleep and hibernate functions and I am always on high performance power plan setting. I power off PC completely only when going home->work and work->home (which is around 30 minutes trip) and that is why I haven't noticed earlier that problem is there only when PC is turned off for longer period of time.

I have 3 USB devices connected, usb mouse, one Transcend external HDD that powers using USB port and one Western Digital Book external HDD that has it's own power supply. It is very possible that one of HDD's is causing this problem so I will try unplugging them now and retry.

Also I will try to put PC to sleep and hibernate for 30-60 minutes and monitor the behaviour.

Link to Resource Monitor (if I uploaded it well) : h ttp://picasaweb.google.com/100231031310701101500/Window7ColdBootProblem

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I discovered one more thing while I was just trying to reproduce the problem. I powered off PC completely and than booted in again right away problem was not there. Than I powered off PC completely, came back 30 minutes latter and booted it and problem was there.
Ah, so it quite literally is "cold" booting that has the problem.

If it's not consistent between S-state changes, then I don't think software can be blamed here - fairly unlikely to be externally-connected devices too (but not impossible).

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but I am pretty sure that it uses its dedicated graphics.

I think tis an issue with switching between the GPUs. Intel i CPUs also have a GPU. And this GPU uses less power. If you run 3D games, the Radeon should be used. And the switching maybe the problem if the laptop was off.

Does it happen right from the beginning?

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I think you have many checks to do:

  1. Did you install the Intel Chipset software?
  2. Did you install the latest Intel Rapid Storage Technology software?
  3. Do you have the latest VGA driver (V8.683.0.0)?
  4. If all the above are ok, proceed unplugging one USB device, shutdown, wait 5 minutes and boot it up
  5. Do the same with each USB device, once per time, and check. If nothing changed, go to the next step
  6. This problem happen when you use the battery power, the AC adapter or both?
  7. Run the laptop in safe mode, if everytime (do it more than once) you're in safe mode, you don't have this issue, means NOT an hardware problem
  8. If in safe mode you have the same trouble, contact the manufacter
  9. If not, try a clean startup (read here how), if in this condition your laptop runs smooth (do many cold boots), try to go back to its original setup re-activating, once per time, what you had disabled and check it

Edited by andywarrior
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I have unplugged USB hard drives and I did not have problem whole day yesterday. I will give it a shot next week as well to see if problem is really gone (I am not 100% sure that I got rid of it).

I think tis an issue with switching between the GPUs. Intel i CPUs also have a GPU. And this GPU uses less power. If you run 3D games, the Radeon should be used. And the switching maybe the problem if the laptop was off.

Does it happen right from the beginning?

It started happening a month ago (and I have purchased laptop over a year ago). It happens right on logon screen, before I type in password.

I tried to google it, but I just could not find anything about this laptop switching graphics. G73 Model with Nvidia card does have Optimus technology for switching graphics, but I cannot find anywhere that my Radeon model can do that as well. Is there any way I can determine if my laptop actually have some integrated graphics and it does do the switching, since there isn't any info about it in BIOS or Device Management (I added screenshots of device management, it shows only one card)

ht tp://picasaweb.google.com/100231031310701101500/Window7ColdBootProblem

I think you have many checks to do:

  1. Did you install the Intel Chipset software?
  2. Did you install the latest Intel Rapid Storage Technology software?
  3. Do you have the latest VGA driver (V8.683.0.0)?
  4. If all the above are ok, proceed unplugging one USB device, shutdown, wait 5 minutes and boot it up
  5. Do the same with each USB device, once per time, and check. If nothing changed, go to the next step
  6. This problem happen when you use the battery power, the AC adapter or both?
  7. Run the laptop in safe mode, if everytime (do it more than once) you're in safe mode, you don't have this issue, means NOT an hardware problem
  8. If in safe mode you have the same trouble, contact the manufacter
  9. If not, try a clean startup (read here how), if in this condition your laptop runs smooth (do many cold boots), try to go back to its original setup re-activating, once per time, what you had disabled and check it

- INF Update Utility - Primarily for Intel® 6, 5, 4, 3, 900 Series Chipsets - My version was 9.2.1025 and latest is 9.2.1030, I have updated it now. Thank you.

- I am using latest Intel Rapid Storage Technology software already.

- That VGA driver is just old outdated ati driver, I am using 8.881.0.0 version. (all drivers and firmware updates for my laptop are being updated on a daily basis by an ASUS employee and maintained in a thread on ASUS forum ( http://www.asusrog.com/forums/showthread.php?1150-G73-74-53-Series-Driver-and-Application-Reference ). That's where I update drivers from.

- I will be testing booting without USB devices for a while to see if I still experience problem. If it happens again I will try clean startup and safe mode as you recommended.

- I only noticed it happening when running with AC, since I never use it without AC (I run it a bit on battery only once in a while so battery doesn't fail)

P.S. Thank you people for all the help, I have several ideas that I can test now and to see if any of it works. I'll let you know how that goes. If anyone get any other idea I would be grateful. Cheers.

Edited by eBookworm
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