Intolerably slow Windows 10 startup
I have no idea what to do with my PC. It has an intel i5-2450M CPU @ 2.5 GHz with 4GB RAM running Windows 10 Home (is that a slow processor????). C:\ has 447 GB capacity of which 232GB is free. I am running Trend Maximum Security and I am also using Google Drive, One Drive and DropBox so I expect them to take some resource.
I have tried running Defrag and the usual checks. I contacted Trend and used their included service to check my system to make sure all was right. I tried uninstalling Trend and scanning with Windows Defender to make sure Trend wasn't missing something. I tried reloading Windows (while keeping applications).
Despite all this it still takes at least 10 minutes after a reboot or a wake up from sleep before the disk use drops below 100% and while it is running at 100% I can often type faster than the laptop can keep up. For the first 3-4 minutes after waking from sleep it is all but unresponsive.
Once disk usage drops to a more reasonable level the laptop seems to perform well. Is this normal? My old Centrino machine running Windows XP is much faster and I thought Windows 10 was meant to be light.
I have attached a copy of the Task Manger showing running applications and startup applications
Is this normal, is there something I need to change, or is there something severely wrong with my machine?
Temp.png
I have tried running Defrag and the usual checks. I contacted Trend and used their included service to check my system to make sure all was right. I tried uninstalling Trend and scanning with Windows Defender to make sure Trend wasn't missing something. I tried reloading Windows (while keeping applications).
Despite all this it still takes at least 10 minutes after a reboot or a wake up from sleep before the disk use drops below 100% and while it is running at 100% I can often type faster than the laptop can keep up. For the first 3-4 minutes after waking from sleep it is all but unresponsive.
Once disk usage drops to a more reasonable level the laptop seems to perform well. Is this normal? My old Centrino machine running Windows XP is much faster and I thought Windows 10 was meant to be light.
I have attached a copy of the Task Manger showing running applications and startup applications
Is this normal, is there something I need to change, or is there something severely wrong with my machine?
Temp.png
This is a common issue with Windows 10, i would recommend upgrading to a SSD.
It looks like Microsoft is forcing people to upgrade, just like they doing with Windows 7 updates.
You could also check out this article on how to possibly solve this; https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-hardware/how-to-fix-100-disk-usage-in-windows-10/7c5c979b-0ed0-4855-b9b8-05b9499533e2?auth=1
https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/3h4wjg/windows_10_high_disk_usage_100_ive_seen_a_thread/
Also have you checked unnecessary services or programs running in the background, check it in task manager.
It looks like Microsoft is forcing people to upgrade, just like they doing with Windows 7 updates.
You could also check out this article on how to possibly solve this; https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-hardware/how-to-fix-100-disk-usage-in-windows-10/7c5c979b-0ed0-4855-b9b8-05b9499533e2?auth=1
https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/3h4wjg/windows_10_high_disk_usage_100_ive_seen_a_thread/
Also have you checked unnecessary services or programs running in the background, check it in task manager.
I have one machine (this one) with an SSD and it starts fast. I have three other Windows 10 Pro machines including one client machine and all of these start within 3 or 4 minutes. So the issue is not all hard drive related.
it still takes at least 10 minutes ... before the disk use drops below 100% ...
Is it updating? Are you allowing updates to finish?
It may be indexing but that would go away in a day.
Try uninstalling Trend Micro temporarily and restarting.
Is the machine 64-bit? You might consider adding memory although 4 Gb should be enough.
The 3 machines above with hard drives all have high end Intel i5 CPU's. That is not a slow CPU.
Windows 10, properly set up, is fast.
Consider, if all else fails, doing a Windows 10 Repair. This is a safe process that does not lose anything at all.
Go to the Media Creation Link
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
Click on Upgrade to Windows 10 (even if Windows 10 is running), click on the Download button, select Open (Run) but NOT Save. Allow the program to run. Allow drivers to update. Then select Keep Everything.
it still takes at least 10 minutes ... before the disk use drops below 100% ...
Is it updating? Are you allowing updates to finish?
It may be indexing but that would go away in a day.
Try uninstalling Trend Micro temporarily and restarting.
Is the machine 64-bit? You might consider adding memory although 4 Gb should be enough.
The 3 machines above with hard drives all have high end Intel i5 CPU's. That is not a slow CPU.
Windows 10, properly set up, is fast.
Consider, if all else fails, doing a Windows 10 Repair. This is a safe process that does not lose anything at all.
Go to the Media Creation Link
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
Click on Upgrade to Windows 10 (even if Windows 10 is running), click on the Download button, select Open (Run) but NOT Save. Allow the program to run. Allow drivers to update. Then select Keep Everything.
Hi Rob,
I had also the problem on two of my pc's . I fixt on the first one by disable the services : BITS(Background Intelligent Transfer Service), Windows updates and Superfetch.
The other pc I fixed it by installing a ssd. It's not a cheap solution but defently a recommended one.
Best reguards,
Tycho
I had also the problem on two of my pc's . I fixt on the first one by disable the services : BITS(Background Intelligent Transfer Service), Windows updates and Superfetch.
The other pc I fixed it by installing a ssd. It's not a cheap solution but defently a recommended one.
Best reguards,
Tycho
ASKER
Thanks for your comments and suggestions.
<<motherboard HDD controller error>>
Is there any way I can test? This is a Lenovo laptop. The Lenovo software runs regularly and tells me everything is sweet
<<i would recommend upgrading to a SSD>>
I recently bought a new tablet that comes with an M3 processor, 4GB RAM and SSD and it's lightning fast. Which should be faster, an M3 or an i5?
<<Chrome and Skype link>>
Chrome settings were already set as recommended and Skype was removed from this machine some time ago as I never use it.
<<Windows Tips link>>
I had already turned that off
<<checked unnecessary services or programs running in the background>>
There are many services running but I don't know which ones are unnecessary. I have stopped any I recognized.
My Trend subscription includes the option for one of their technicians to dial in and check my PC while I watch - They couldn't find anything unusual.
I have included the enabled startup programs in the screen shot I attached in case someone spotted a problem program.
<<Is it updating? Are you allowing updates to finish?>>
Absolutely. i use my laptop for presentations and it caused a panic twice previously when I turned it on to do my presentation and Windows commandeered the machine to do its update. The latest Win 10 enhancements make it possible for me to reduce the risk of that happening but I now make sure the machine is ALWAYS up to date
<<It may be indexing but that would go away in a day.>>
I often see indexing on the Task list.
<<Try uninstalling Trend Micro temporarily and restarting. >>
I tried that some time ago but it made practically no difference
<<Is the machine 64-bit?>>
Yes it is
<<You might consider adding memory although 4 Gb should be enough.>>
My M3 tablet only has 4GB RAM and it is plenty fast - Should I expect an M3 to be much faster than an i5?
<<Consider, if all else fails, doing a Windows 10 Repair>>
I tried reinstalling Win 10 a few weeks ago, using the option to keep existing programs but it did not fix the problem
<< BITS(Background Intelligent Transfer Service), Windows updates and Superfetch.>>
I would like to try those but what do these services do? What are the side effects?
Last night, after raising this question I decided to look through the Scheduled Tasks loaded on my laptop. i was surprised how many were there, how many were relatively unimportant (like 8 EPSON printer tasks and 4 Google updater tasks) and noticed what I thought were strange anomalies:
1) None of them were Configured for Windows 10 so I changed them all to Windows 10
2) Most of them were set to Trigger at some time during the day and every hour after that but none of them had any conditions set to prevent them starting while the computer is busy so I changed them. Some, I set to start only if the computer is idle for 10 minutes, some 1 minute and the Wait for Idle was set to 1 hour
I dont' know if it's coincidence but this morning I turned on the laptop, started looking at your responses and preparing this response and didn't notice any of the usual problems. I will keep testing to see if there is perhaps some task or combination of tasks that may be overloading the disk. Do you have any cautions with the changes I made to the Task scheduler?
Rob
<<motherboard HDD controller error>>
Is there any way I can test? This is a Lenovo laptop. The Lenovo software runs regularly and tells me everything is sweet
<<i would recommend upgrading to a SSD>>
I recently bought a new tablet that comes with an M3 processor, 4GB RAM and SSD and it's lightning fast. Which should be faster, an M3 or an i5?
<<Chrome and Skype link>>
Chrome settings were already set as recommended and Skype was removed from this machine some time ago as I never use it.
<<Windows Tips link>>
I had already turned that off
<<checked unnecessary services or programs running in the background>>
There are many services running but I don't know which ones are unnecessary. I have stopped any I recognized.
My Trend subscription includes the option for one of their technicians to dial in and check my PC while I watch - They couldn't find anything unusual.
I have included the enabled startup programs in the screen shot I attached in case someone spotted a problem program.
<<Is it updating? Are you allowing updates to finish?>>
Absolutely. i use my laptop for presentations and it caused a panic twice previously when I turned it on to do my presentation and Windows commandeered the machine to do its update. The latest Win 10 enhancements make it possible for me to reduce the risk of that happening but I now make sure the machine is ALWAYS up to date
<<It may be indexing but that would go away in a day.>>
I often see indexing on the Task list.
<<Try uninstalling Trend Micro temporarily and restarting. >>
I tried that some time ago but it made practically no difference
<<Is the machine 64-bit?>>
Yes it is
<<You might consider adding memory although 4 Gb should be enough.>>
My M3 tablet only has 4GB RAM and it is plenty fast - Should I expect an M3 to be much faster than an i5?
<<Consider, if all else fails, doing a Windows 10 Repair>>
I tried reinstalling Win 10 a few weeks ago, using the option to keep existing programs but it did not fix the problem
<< BITS(Background Intelligent Transfer Service), Windows updates and Superfetch.>>
I would like to try those but what do these services do? What are the side effects?
Last night, after raising this question I decided to look through the Scheduled Tasks loaded on my laptop. i was surprised how many were there, how many were relatively unimportant (like 8 EPSON printer tasks and 4 Google updater tasks) and noticed what I thought were strange anomalies:
1) None of them were Configured for Windows 10 so I changed them all to Windows 10
2) Most of them were set to Trigger at some time during the day and every hour after that but none of them had any conditions set to prevent them starting while the computer is busy so I changed them. Some, I set to start only if the computer is idle for 10 minutes, some 1 minute and the Wait for Idle was set to 1 hour
I dont' know if it's coincidence but this morning I turned on the laptop, started looking at your responses and preparing this response and didn't notice any of the usual problems. I will keep testing to see if there is perhaps some task or combination of tasks that may be overloading the disk. Do you have any cautions with the changes I made to the Task scheduler?
Rob
Is there any way I can test? This is a Lenovo laptop. The Lenovo software runs regularly and tells me everything is sweet
Make sure Lenovo Solution Center is installed and set to run regularly. It sounds like it is running / has run and there is no hardware issue.
Which should be faster, an M3 or an i5? The M3 is a newer CPU and should be faster. But a high end i5 is not a slouch and unless defective (Solution Center says no) then it is not your issue.
I tried reinstalling Win 10 a few weeks ago, using the option to keep existing programs but it did not fix the problem
I tried that some time ago but it made practically no difference
Do you have other legacy software not compliant with Windows 10?
If nothing is wrong from your perspective, you might consider backing up, and doing a Windows 10 reinstall that keeps nothing. This is a full reinstall. Then see how the machine is with no software and then add software slowly.
There must be a cause and if you rule everything out, then a fresh install is the next step.
I would also consider 4 more GB of memory. We are weeding out 4 GB machines.
Make sure Lenovo Solution Center is installed and set to run regularly. It sounds like it is running / has run and there is no hardware issue.
Which should be faster, an M3 or an i5? The M3 is a newer CPU and should be faster. But a high end i5 is not a slouch and unless defective (Solution Center says no) then it is not your issue.
I tried reinstalling Win 10 a few weeks ago, using the option to keep existing programs but it did not fix the problem
I tried that some time ago but it made practically no difference
Do you have other legacy software not compliant with Windows 10?
If nothing is wrong from your perspective, you might consider backing up, and doing a Windows 10 reinstall that keeps nothing. This is a full reinstall. Then see how the machine is with no software and then add software slowly.
There must be a cause and if you rule everything out, then a fresh install is the next step.
I would also consider 4 more GB of memory. We are weeding out 4 GB machines.
ASKER
Hi John,
Thanks for the added comments.
In answer to "Do you have other legacy software not compliant with Windows 10?", I have no idea, however I was under the impression that it didn't matter what I had on the computer unless it is running. The machine runs fine after the initial 100% disc problem subsides so unless non-compliant software was running before I put the unit to sleep, it shouldn't be a problem - is that right?
Also it intrigues me that this morning I didn't have the problem. After making the changes to task scheduler last night I rebooted the machine. The reboot took much longer than usual but eventually it started, then I did a little more work put it to sleep overnight (not off). This morning I turned it on and started looking at the replies to this question. Normally it lets me work for 20-30 seconds before grinding to a halt for up to 10 minutes but I didn't notice that this morning. Could it be that all these scheduled tasks would normally fire concurrently overloading the disk and competing for resources?
Rob
Thanks for the added comments.
In answer to "Do you have other legacy software not compliant with Windows 10?", I have no idea, however I was under the impression that it didn't matter what I had on the computer unless it is running. The machine runs fine after the initial 100% disc problem subsides so unless non-compliant software was running before I put the unit to sleep, it shouldn't be a problem - is that right?
Also it intrigues me that this morning I didn't have the problem. After making the changes to task scheduler last night I rebooted the machine. The reboot took much longer than usual but eventually it started, then I did a little more work put it to sleep overnight (not off). This morning I turned it on and started looking at the replies to this question. Normally it lets me work for 20-30 seconds before grinding to a halt for up to 10 minutes but I didn't notice that this morning. Could it be that all these scheduled tasks would normally fire concurrently overloading the disk and competing for resources?
Rob
I keep my software up to date so that I do not create any issues that way.
I suspend (ed) my T61p, X230 i5, and X1 i7 several times a day and that does not affect CPU speed.
Could it be that all these scheduled tasks would normally fire concurrently overloading the disk and competing for resources?
That is a reasonable possibility. I find with hard drives I needed to wait a full 4 minutes maybe 5 for the machine to start completely before using. SSD's are not like that.
Competing tasks is in same basket as software (legacy or otherwise).
That is why I suggest now starting fresh and installing software slowly so you can gauge the results.
I suspend (ed) my T61p, X230 i5, and X1 i7 several times a day and that does not affect CPU speed.
Could it be that all these scheduled tasks would normally fire concurrently overloading the disk and competing for resources?
That is a reasonable possibility. I find with hard drives I needed to wait a full 4 minutes maybe 5 for the machine to start completely before using. SSD's are not like that.
Competing tasks is in same basket as software (legacy or otherwise).
That is why I suggest now starting fresh and installing software slowly so you can gauge the results.
ASKER
Thanks John. I think
I spoke too soon. I just rebooted and it was super slow again. I think I will try getting a SSD. I just can't stand having to wait 10+ minutes every time I bring the machine out of sleep before I can start using it. I can get a 500GB Samsung EVO for $AUD239 (about $US180) from a local store. Is there any Free software that will allow me to clone my existing drive? I have a portable USB 3.0 case that I can put the SSD in while I create the clone and then I can just swap the disks.
Rob
I spoke too soon. I just rebooted and it was super slow again. I think I will try getting a SSD. I just can't stand having to wait 10+ minutes every time I bring the machine out of sleep before I can start using it. I can get a 500GB Samsung EVO for $AUD239 (about $US180) from a local store. Is there any Free software that will allow me to clone my existing drive? I have a portable USB 3.0 case that I can put the SSD in while I create the clone and then I can just swap the disks.
Rob
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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The one possibility I did not think of was that you may have a 5400-rpm hard drive. Those are deathly slow. I quit 5400 rpm drives 10 years ago.
ASKER
Thanks for the added information. I know you are right. My wife has an identical machine that she rarely uses and hers works much, much faster than mine so clearly I have something on mine that is causing issues. Unfortunately I haven't been very disciplined keeping all my activation keys etc so starting afresh will be a problem. Nevertheless it may be my only option. However if I reinstall Windows won't I lose all my Lenovo software?
BTW is my assumption correct - that a program will not slow down a computer unless it is running, either the program itself or an associated service?
BTW is my assumption correct - that a program will not slow down a computer unless it is running, either the program itself or an associated service?
If you install a new drive, yes you lose all the software. But Lenovo has an excellent support site for downloading their software. That is how I update my own machines.
ASKER
Ok thanks. I don't know if it's a 5400 or 7200 RPM disc - I've looked through my paperwork but can't find details. This model (1298RH5 ThinkPad Edge E320) came with a range of configurations. Mine appears to have the higher end spec for processor and disc size. In looking at paperwork I now realize it's over 4 years old but still works well, once it has been running 10 minutes so maybe buying a new SSD may be worthwhile. From what I can see it will only handle a max of 4GB RAM and that's what it has so I don't know that I can upgrade that.
Thanks again for all your support. I will have a detailed look at what software I need and make sure I can reload. I can then decide if I should have a go with the existing drive, or if I should get a new SSD. I could always get a new SSD, clone it and see how it works. If it is still slow I could then start afresh on the new SSD. That way I always have the option to reinstall the old HD if I need to.
Thanks again for all your support. I will have a detailed look at what software I need and make sure I can reload. I can then decide if I should have a go with the existing drive, or if I should get a new SSD. I could always get a new SSD, clone it and see how it works. If it is still slow I could then start afresh on the new SSD. That way I always have the option to reinstall the old HD if I need to.
Thanks and I was happy to help.
In first situation I've replaced HDD bu SSD because all test pointed to very slow HDD controller inside HDD.
I realized that disk controller was not working correctly or disk was overheated before.
I cloned HDD to SDD using AOMEI software and after I've replaced it in laptop my laptop start working fast like hell.
In second situation after replacing HDD by SDD my laptop start working faster but not fast it supposed to be. I've replaced motherboard and everything starts working the way it supposed to be.
It looks like it was motherboard HDD controller error.