Windows 7 Delayed Logon Screen

[Cody Kaspers]

Hello,

There is an issue that I have been experiencing with Windows 7 for a while now and I was wondering if anybody else has experienced it and/or knows a solution.

I have checked Google but I can't find my exact case, mostly system freezes and unrelated problems.

Basically when my computer boots I see the Windows logo with "Starting Windows" and when it disappears the screen stays black but I also hear the startup music playing. After a good 10-20 seconds my user appears and allows me to type my password. While the screen is black there is nothing visible, no icons, no mouse points, nothing.

If I blindly type my password after hearing the music I can actually log in because I hear the logon sound playing and a few seconds later I see my desktop instead of the logon screen.

Does anybody know of a way to solve this or at least find the cause?

 

[kaos]

when booting up, keep pressing F8, select resolution 640 x 480 and see if the screen comes on a lower resolution,

alternatively, try the above steps but select safe mode as the alternative,

 

[Cody Kaspers]

when booting up, keep pressing F8, select resolution 640 x 480 and see if the screen comes on a lower resolution,

alternatively, try the above steps but select safe mode as the alternative,

You mean you want me to test if my screen appears quicker when booting in 640x480 or in Safe Mode?

 

[kaos]

yes please

 

[Cody Kaspers]

After testing it seems to boot normally in Safe Mode without any kind of a delay. I must add however that this issue only occurs on Windows 7 and not Windows 8. I am beginning to think this is some kind of issue with Windows 7 and sending a signal to my monitor when the logon screen comes up.

EDIT: The issue only occurs when I perform a cold boot, if I choose to "Restart" the computer the logon screen appears quickly.

Also it took me 3 attempts to actually boot into Safe Mode because the computer simply freezes up with the HDD activity light permanently lit. This issue also occurs during the "Starting Windows" part of booting sometimes, I think it's an issue with my SSD because it has also happened with Windows 8 but it only happens when booting and never during use of the computer.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

HI

Try updating your video drivers.
It sounds like your video drivers not be loading correctly.

If that doesn't do it type msconfig into the run window and set it to diagnostic start-up.

If it reboots normally start looking at start-up items and see if you can figure out what's causing the problem by a process of elimination.

I.e. add 2 items and reboot until the problem starts again and then figure out which one of the 2 is the problem.

If you can start everything without getting the problem look at services.

There is another post here with a similar problem and their problem was Malwarebytes.
When they stopped that from loading their problem went away.

Mike

 

[Cody Kaspers]

HI

Try updating your video drivers.
It sounds like your video drivers not be loading correctly.

If that doesn't do it type msconfig into the run window and set it to diagnostic start-up.

If it reboots normally start looking at start-up items and see if you can figure out what's causing the problem by a process of elimination.

I.e. add 2 items and reboot until the problem starts again and then figure out which one of the 2 is the problem.

If you can start everything without getting the problem look at services.

There is another post here with a similar problem and their problem was Malwarebytes.
When they stopped that from loading their problem went away.

Mike

My drivers are fully up to date so unless there is a bug in the drivers this shouldn't be the issue.

I will test the Diagnostic start-up when I get the chance, although I kind of need all my start-up items since I know I will use them and don't want to have to manually start them every time. The list of items is not very long actually:

Skype, Norton Internet Security 2013, Razer Synapse, Java update manager, NVIDIA Control Panel, Bluetooth (2 parts), Intel RST, Adobe ARM. Note that Intel RST has a delayed startup.

Also I find it very strange that this issue did not occur when using Windows 8 with exactly the same software installed.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

of the 21 items that Windows would load at start-up I'm only using 7 the only difference I see it that my computer boots faster.
There's a lot of things that Widows starts that you don't need.

A good tool for managing start-up items is CCleaner.
You can just disable and restore items with a click so it's easy to turn them off an on.

But the main thing is to see if you can find the one that's causing the problem.

If your computer will boot at diagnostic start-up with no issues then I'd likely that something that is starting after that's the problem.

It's probably not your software but an error in one of the loading programs that's causing the problem.
If you can identify it re-installing will probable fix it.

I would get rid of Norton and use the built in security software in Windows along with CCleaner, Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware.

If you have updated your video drivers lately you can try rolling them back and see it the problems go away.
It could be a glitch in the installation.

Mike

 

[Cody Kaspers]

Hi

of the 21 items that Windows would load at start-up I'm only using 7 the only difference I see it that my computer boots faster.
There's a lot of things that Widows starts that you don't need.

A good tool for managing start-up items is CCleaner.
You can just disable and restore items with a click so it's easy to turn them off an on.

But the main thing is to see if you can find the one that's causing the problem.

If your computer will boot at diagnostic start-up with no issues then I'd likely that something that is starting after that's the problem.

It's probably not your software but an error in one of the loading programs that's causing the problem.
If you can identify it re-installing will probable fix it.

I would get rid of Norton and use the built in security software in Windows along with CCleaner, Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware.

If you have updated your video drivers lately you can try rolling them back and see it the problems go away.
It could be a glitch in the installation.

Mike

Any idea as to why it only happens when I perform a cold boot and not on a restart and also never happened in Windows 8 with the same software?

I will have to try disabling start-up items and services this weekend.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

I don't have any idea why it would only happen in a cold boot, but I have seen things like that on my own computers at times.

Things that would be messed up at launch on a regular but random basis, but just selecting Restart to reboot and everything would be fine.

Perhaps there are things that don't really shut off completely when you are rebooting.
It's obvious that, that's true I guess, after all the computer still knows it's rebooting so it isn't really shut off.

As for why it doesn't happen in Windows 8, you are dealing with a completely different OS installation.

My guess it that if you reinstalled Windows 7 it would set up differently some how and it wouldn't happen in the new install either.

Because you can still tell that your computer is running i.e. you can hear the startup sound, I still think the black screen is related to your video drivers somehow.

There's one last thing you could try for that.

Go into Device Manager, uninstall your "Display Adapter", then reboot your computer.

This will force Windows to re-detect your video card and install what it thinks are the correct drives for it.

Sometimes this is all it takes.

Mike

 

[Cody Kaspers]

I switched out Norton Internet Security 2013 for Microsoft Security Essentials (I still prefer to have some sort of protection just in case) and it seems to be booting normally now.

Currently my start-up items are:

Skype
Adobe ARM (Adobe updater?)
AthBtTray (Bluetooth)
AtherosBtStack (Bluetooth)
Launch LCore (Logitech Gaming Software for my headset)
LWS (Logitech Webcam Software)
MSC (Microsoft Security Essentials)
Razer Synapse (for my keyboard & mouse)
RTHDVCPL (Realtek Audio)
Jusched (Java updater)

Most of those I either need loaded or I would otherwise load myself. The Adobe & Java updaters I could remove and just update them myself every so often I suppose, but other than that which ones do you think I could remove? The Logitech Webcam Software starts with a -hide command so I'm not sure why it even starts since I only installed the driver and not the software package.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I turn off my Adobe and Java updaters, especially since Java has had some issues lately.
I don't start my Bluetooth either, since I don't use it.

Everything else you need.

It's possible that Norton could have been the problem, I've found that often both Norton and McAfee cause more problems then they are worth, and really impact performance.

I haven't had any issues only running MSE, CCleaner and Malwarebytes.

But I run the free version of SuperAntiSpyware every few days just to clean up the junk that the other programs don't find.
I've never found anything really bad that the other software didn't catch first.

Mike

 

[Cody Kaspers]

The issue is still there it seems, I am really beginning to think it's just a bug in Windows 7... I can't imagine any kind of service or program slowing down my boot that much especially with an SSD.

 

[kaos]

you can untick all of the options within the msconfig under the tab "startup" just make sure u have ure AV loaded and then see if windows boots , windows will select any optoins anyway that it needs,

 

[Cody Kaspers]

The thing is, there is no point in turning off every single start-up option because then I have to open the programs myself. I need the Logitech software otherwise my headset won't work properly, the same goes for the my mouse and keyboard with the Razer software. I always use Skype so I would start it anyway. The only thing I could disable is Bluetooth because I don't use it much.


Personally I don't see how having a few start-up items could make my screen stay black while Windows itself has already booted.


Keep in mind that I said the start-up music still plays and I can blindly type my password in and be logged in, Windows is not booting slowly in any way. My screen just doesn't load like it normally should. Either that's a bug in Windows, my monitor itself has a problem or the video drivers are causing it. That's my opinion.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

I still think it has to do with your video drivers.

Did you try uninstalling your video card in Device Manager and rebooting?

See how Windows thinks it should be set up.

 

[Cody Kaspers]

I still think it has to do with your video drivers.

Did you try uninstalling your video card in Device Manager and rebooting?

See how Windows thinks it should be set up.

If I do that Windows will revert back to old NVIDIA drivers, version 311.06 if I remember correctly and the issue remains. There was an update released yesterday, version 321.14 and nothing changed after updating. It also happened with 314.14 and 307.14 as well.

The funny thing is I installed Windows 7 because in Windows 8 my drivers wouldn't work at all, after every reboot none of my games would work until I disabled and enabled SLI and even then there were some bugs.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I'm running an nVidia GTX 680 video card in Windows 8 and using the latest driver package 314.07. I just ran a scan at nVidia's site and it said this is the latest driver.

I'm not having any problems, I have installed, on my computer...

The Secret World and the new Tomb Raider, Wow, Age of Conan, Skyrim, The Lord of the Rings Online, Dragon Age 2, Guild Wars 2, The Witcher 2, several other Tomb Raider games, and a couple of flight, sims everything runs great and I'm running most of them in stereo 3D.

I just don't know what's going on with your computer.
My friends are all running nVidia cards too, and no one is having problems in either Windows 7 or 8?

I just don't have any other ideas, but the fact that you have problems with both Windows 7 and 8 seems to indicate some problem in your computer, maybe there is some bug in your video card itself.

I hate hardware issues, software I can usually sort out but hardware can be a nightmare if you don't have a bunch of stuff lying around to swap out.

If you can get another video card to try that might tell you whether it's the card or not.

You could try unseating your card and putting it back in, I don't have a lot of hope that, that would make any difference but it's worth a try, maybe change slots if you have one free.

Mike

 

[kaos]

surely the point is though, regardless whether u need the startup for ure headset or not. the point is to determine what is causing this. im not saying dont re enable them, disable them all, try a boot, then enable one function, if it boots well then enable another. if it doesnt boot when u have renabled one of the options then turn it back off.

is it more important FOR NOW to have ure pc bootin or whether ur headphones work correctly?

 

[Cody Kaspers]

surely the point is though, regardless whether u need the startup for ure headset or not. the point is to determine what is causing this. im not saying dont re enable them, disable them all, try a boot, then enable one function, if it boots well then enable another. if it doesnt boot when u have renabled one of the options then turn it back off.

is it more important FOR NOW to have ure pc bootin or whether ur headphones work correctly?

Well it boots with roughly a 10-20 second delay, in other words I hear the start-up music and 10 seconds later my screen appears. (I can still log in if I just type my password, meaning that Windows itself has finished booting and is responding).

So it's nothing that will kill me if it can't be solved, I just thought this issue might be more well known here...