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| Thread ID: 97308 | 2009-02-11 10:32:00 | Computer slow to boot after installing external hard drive | Beemer (6956) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 746906 | 2009-02-11 10:32:00 | I purchased a WD Elements 640GB external hard drive last year and installed it on my Compaq Presario desktop computer (running Visa Home Premium). I transferred heaps of photos and files onto it, but I'm finding my computer has been very slow to boot ever since. It used to take less than a minute but now it takes up to five minutes. Not only that, but I am also having trouble accessing what I've loaded on it, especially photo files. The photo files are quite large - some up to 4-5MB each - but I wouldn't think that would make any difference. I'm finding sometimes when I try and open a folder containing photos that it just freezes. As you can imagine, I am not that thrilled to be having this trouble! It is likely to be the external hard drive or something else? My laptop fires up within seconds so I'm finding it really frustrating for the desktop to take so long to start and then to have trouble accessing the files anyway. |
Beemer (6956) | ||
| 746907 | 2009-02-11 19:52:00 | Unplug it when you aren't transferring stuff. | pctek (84) | ||
| 746908 | 2009-02-11 19:52:00 | Is it set to boot from the laptop internal HDD in the bios? | Blam (54) | ||
| 746909 | 2009-02-11 20:49:00 | Thanks guys, wasn't sure if it would cause problems not being plugged in all the time. Blam6 - it's not connected to the laptop, it's connected to the desktop. And any ideas as to why I can't always open photos? Sometimes it just says "not responding" and other times it just sits there for ages and then nothing happens. (Although, having had HUGE trouble with this in recent months, I've just gone in and found I can open photos and files pretty quickly - so it's just the slow start time for the computer that seems to be the problem now!) |
Beemer (6956) | ||
| 746910 | 2009-02-11 20:57:00 | Sorry then, I mean is it set to boot from the internal HDD as first priority in the Desktop bios? | Blam (54) | ||
| 746911 | 2009-02-11 21:19:00 | Hi Blam6, you're talking to a novice here - how do I find out this info? | Beemer (6956) | ||
| 746912 | 2009-02-11 21:32:00 | Depending on your desktop brand/bios revision etc it is different. Generally it should be like this: Hold down F1/Del/Esc when computer starts booting up. In the bios go to boot order/boot priority etc(navigate with arrow keys) then change it to Internal HDD first. The keys to change is is different for every bios, may be +/- or backspace etc. The keys are usually on the bottom. Blam |
Blam (54) | ||
| 746913 | 2009-02-11 22:11:00 | Thanks - I didn't have any trouble getting into the boot menu, but all it offered me was "choose a hard drive" so I selected the one that didn't say external or CDROM, but then I didn't have any other options. At the bottom the choices were the left and right arrows, enter and escape (I think), but nothing other than enter did anything. There was no option to choose boot order, and when I selected the main hard drive and hit enter, it still took 3 1/2 minutes to load to the desktop screen where I could click on things. | Beemer (6956) | ||
| 746914 | 2009-02-11 22:57:00 | So is internal HDD set to first priority? Do you have any autorun programs on the external HDD? |
Blam (54) | ||
| 746915 | 2009-02-11 23:03:00 | What about anti-virus programs?? Any installed and is it set to scan devices on startup?? If it is, disable the scanning option |
Speedy Gonzales (78) | ||
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