Pavilion Power 15 - Very Slow Boot Up / Startup

[AudioGeek]

Pavilion Power Laptop 15 - 2017 - Model# 15CBOXX, Upgraded to Windows 10 Pro. i7 2.8Ghz, Quad Core, 512GB SSD,  1TB HHD, 32GB (2x16GB) RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Video Card.

When I got this laptop in September, 2017, I bought it because the vendor reccomended it to me and because I wanted a very fast computer to handle 3D CAD software.  I also need it to boot up fast.   When I first received it, the computer took about 4 minutes to boot up and I was very disapointed with the boot time.  I then had it upgraded to Windows 10 Pro by a proffessional computer tech with 28 years of experience.  When I got it back, it would boot up in 15 seconds and I was thrilled.  I loaded my CAD software and several other softwares on it and it still booted up in 15 seconds.  Then about 4 days later, it took 4 minutes and 30 seconds to boot and over two months later, it still takes that same period of time.

I have tried almost everything to get the boot speed down.  The following is a brief list of steps that I have taken to resolve the problem.

1. Hard Drive test for both drives - PASSED

2. RAM memory check - FAILED, had the HP dealer send new RAM

3. RAM memory check  (retested) - PASSED

4. Ran Windows Updates - Completed

5. Scanned Windows files - FAILED

6. Ran Utility to fix Windows files via CMD prompt - files FIXED

7. Downloaded current BIOS - INSTALLED 11/13/17 version

8. Optimized Startup

9. Ran Disk Cleaup

10. Uninstalled and reinstalled NVIDIA GeForce GTX1050 Drivers

I also get an occasional "Blue Screen of Death" error when coming out of sleep.  Last one said: Critical_Process_Died.

Please, please help.  I have spent over 2 weeks working on this and nothing seems to work.

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Have you done a factory restore? If the RAM was bad it is very likely you have some corrupted files...

I assume it failed sfc /scannow, is that the Windows test you are referring to? And then it repaired but it only repairs the system files. If system files were bad you could have other corrupted files like drivers which might hang the system at boot. 

Did you disable fast boot? Sounds counterinutive but fastboot can actually be slowboot. 

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/windows-10-slow-boot-issues/

If it were mine I would do a clean reinstall of Windows on it after finding out it had a bad stick of RAM in it. 

[AudioGeek]

You are correct, I couldn't remember the test at the time of writing but it was the sfc /scannow test I ran.  

I also have disabled the "fast boot" option.  It greatly helped the shutdown process, but didn't affect the boot speed much.

If I do a clean reinstall, will I have to reload all of the software I already loaded?  I just hate to do that because the software I have takes awhile to install.  I really appreciate your help, thanks.

[Huffer]

That's the downside for sure but if you try any kind of clone or even a system image backup you might just propogate the problem. It is impossible to know if you have some esoteric hardware issue or a software issue until you try a clean reinstall. If you have an HP restore disk that is a little faster, but with Windows 10 you can get a free Windows 10 installer disk that needs no Key Code by downloading it from the Media Creation Tool site. You can back up the drivers and original HP apps from the C:\swsetup folder and that will speed reinstall a little. 

If fast boot time is your goal you also need to ditch the archaic "spinner" drive and get an SSD...my Spectre 13-v with the NVME M.2 boots to a Window desktop from dead off in about 14 seconds. 

[savvy2]

Ok my take, I weigh in, I and not HP but do know how to build a fast PC.

3D CAD,

why not a real desktop? 

ok it has a SDD, very wise that.

try to know that W10 is slow until (virgin loaded) it learns to image boot, (W10 runs in cold boot is slow)

why not fresh load w10, first.

but seems the guy did. IDK

never upgrade PC, fresh load them for best performance.

5 minutes is slow,

Scanned Windows files - FAILED (how and what methods, endless ways for sure) a/v scans,  SFC scans what?

"Blue Screen of Death"

is bad RAM (there are 100 BSOD screen in w10 which one. exactly)

or bad drivers that dont like sleep or hibernate, why not turn off sleep and hibernat, on  CAD system. for sure.

BSOD are a first order problem solve that first.

also a bad hdd/ssd can do that.

W10 boots from an image (fast boot feature) and if that file has errors, it BSODs.

why not get your 28year guy do this?  (me im a 45year guy on the job, now retired, from main frames forward)

My guess is hardware bad or bad drivers

id go to DM and click power and turn off all sleep features, and for sure hibernate that loves to fail.

put the PC in what I call presentation mode, like using PC for a projection system 24/7.

see what it does now.

questions there are 69 , models  of Laptop 15s

the 15CBOXX

I paste that in the parts surfer or the full support pages and get zero

can I have the full service tag on it ,less the s/n?

so I can see the full product spec?

Ran Utility to fix Windows files via CMD prompt - files FIXED  (my guess, sfc right?  details matter here0

if SFC fails tell the helper it did please.

SFC failing is never ever a good sign.

Even windows 10 can corrupt its own files if SSD is bad (i  dont think it is) or the memory fails

this is windows 10 weakness.  it does not boot,  cold ever.  unless you know how.

it saves RAM images, then load them.

so if ram is bad w10 goes bad.  and some files. go south.

seen this many times.

the cure is here. its simple after the bad ram is replaced

see the legacy cold boot trick here.

this makes F8 key  work and even running F8 mode safe , fixes the boot files !~!!!  a lil secret that is...

http://www.pcdied.com/BSOD-s/W10-DEAD.html

do this when sure hardware is ok.

or fast boot fails again.

[AudioGeek]

Thanks both for your input.  I will try to answer some of your questions before I ask mine.

1.  Prefer laptops as I am mobile much of the time, sometimes work on the road.

2. Yes failed SFC scan.

3. BSOD is CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED

4. 28 year guy is not convenient, also now have confidential info on the HDD, don't want to have to scrub it. Want to fix this myself if possible.

5. Specs follow (if you need more, let me know):

OS Name Microsoft Windows 10 Pro

Version 10.0.15063 Build 15063

Other OS Description Not Available

OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation

System Manufacturer HP

System Model HP Pavilion Power Laptop 15-cb0xx

System Type x64-based PC

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700HQ CPU @ 2.80GHz, 2808 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s)

BIOS Version/Date Insyde F.13, 11/3/2017

SMBIOS Version 3.0

Embedded Controller Version 46.23

Other info:

1. The bad RAM was in place during and after I did a clean load of W10Pro.  Also,

I loaded all of my personal software with bad RAM in place, I am sure this did not help matters.

It seems that the consensus here is that another clean load of Windows is probably the best course of action.

Is that correct?  I just dread the time this will take, but since this is a new computer and I will probably be living with it for the next few years, migh be good to start off on the right foot, good RAM, good SW loads.

I look forward to your feedback.

[Huffer]

Bottom line I have to concur. Clean reload is the way to go. Good luck. Fortunately it is pretty mindless and can be done while watching football on TV. 

[AudioGeek]

OK, so over the weekend I wiped everything on the SSD (I keep all my work files on the HDD), and reinstalled Windows 10 plus all the software I use.  My computer now boots up in 20 seconds flat.  I think I can live with that.  I have also made a couple of restore points.  One when I loaded up W10 and then another restore point after I loaded all of my work software.  I am still a bit confused about all of this.  Why the five minute delay in booting up?  I would think that corrupted files would either not boot, or still boot up quickly but then fail later.  It's like the computer is trying to decide whether or not it wants to boot up at all, and then thinks "OK, I guess I'll go for it".  Weird.

But on a happier note.  I want to thank you for your help and getting my past all of this crap. 

Cheers

[Huffer]

You are welcome. Lots of information here. You may want to "Accept as Solution" one of the posts with the suggestion to do a clean install so it becomes easier to find on the internet if somebody else has a similar issue.