Computer Start Up takes for ever

[Deags]

Okay i recently installed a new Pioneer DVD burner(got rid of the old gave it to my dad) and since then my computer has taken forever to start up..

My system has 8 HDD's 3 CD/DVD rom drives, AMD 2700+, Albatron 5600XT and 2 x 350w PSU.

On the onboard ATA controller i have my C: and D: and my CD Burner and my DVD rom these drives have no issues.

On my PCI ATA controller #1 i have 2 HDD's which in are first.. This also has my new DVD Burner(DVR-111D). I have one free plug.

On my PCI ATA controller #2 i have 4 HDD's which work pretty well.

Okay it detects the onboard devices quickly then ATA controller #1 detect the first 2 hdd's(quickly) then waits a while and picks up the DVD burner. It then shows me that the hdd's are PM and PS. It then sits around and the DVD burner pops up after about 1 min (no SM OR SS next to its name). ATA controller #2 loads fine. It then gets to the boot loader(safe more or normal boot) after that it sits doing nothing for about 3 or 4 mins then it loads the fancy boot screen. And finally after about 2 or 3 mins i am into windows. So the process is about 10 mins generally i turn the PC on and have a shower or something.

Things i have already ruled out. Jumpers(tried all settings) Faulty IDE cable(swaped them around). Heat Issues(everything is pretty damn cool). I have swapped the DVD burner to ATA #2 but no mater what controller it is on it still takes for ever.

ATM the DVD burner is device number 3(4th) on the controller this is because if it were 0(1st) nothing else gets detected.

The power should suffice as i have ran 6 disk's and 3 dvd/cd rom drives on 1 PSU(350) with minimal issues.

The only other issue i have is some HDD's 2 in particular (G: and F:) either don't show up in windows or give me delayed write errors every now and then. I used to think this was caused by heat but i fixed that issue and it had no errors (except long startup) but as of late they have started dropping off line again.

If anyone knows of a solution to maybe fix this let me know. Bare in mind i have shit all money(any i have doesn't go toward my PC either) hence why my PC is a pos and why my main PC has so many hdd's rather than making a whole other PC just for storage.

[SenorDestruction]

maybe start to work with just the HDDs on the primary IDE/SATA slots and have the cd/dvd drives on the added cards... might be a problemw ith windows because you have so many drives and stuff...

use that new dvd burner to offload some stuff maybe? bit of a ballache, but i think you'd have a faster rig...

[Deags]

well windows didn't have a problem before only happened after i replaced the DVD burner. As for taking the CD drives off the onboard controller... i boot off DVD / CD alot.

[SenorDestruction]

then my meager knowedge can help you no further, good luck dude

[philbot500]

Does it start-up okay when the new drive is unplugged?

Have you tried the DVD burner in another computer?

[digip]

well windows didn't have a problem before only happened after i replaced the DVD burner. As for taking the CD drives off the onboard controller... i boot off DVD / CD alot.

Did you uninstall the one your replacing first? Maybe its trying to use drivers from the old one to work through the new one?

Also, make sure you update all the drivers for each device, and not use the standard ones from Microsoft.

If you go into the BIOS before booting, do you have an option to see or set the devices for each drive and their order. Maybe see if there is something not set properly in there.

[VaKo]

Step 1: Strip the whole thing down, and clean out all the heat sinks, re-apply thermal paste etc. (Not 100% necessary, but it might help)

Step 2: Start with just a single drive (ie your windows drive, a fresh, fully updated, un-hacked install is preferable), boot and see if you get a slow down. (might be worth timing it). Power down and add the DVD drive, then repeat.

Step 3: Add another drive and repeat, do the same with the IDE cards. (keep a note of boot times and any problems you have).

Yes, its going to take forever and a day, but if your meticulous you should be able to work out where the problem is. Once you know where the problem is, you should be able to fix it.

And a cheap fix would be to beg/borrow/steal a second computer and make a file server with it*. If your disks are NTFS, and your not overly fond of Linux, XP will work fine as a headless file server if you set it up correctly.

(its not that hard, just start telling people that your after old computers and within a few months you will be dreading the site of yet another old computer thats been dumped by a "well wisher")