Reboot is very slow with Bootcamp

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Reboot is very slow with Bootcamp

Some months ago I fixed a broken partition using gdisk. Everything worked fine and still works, but lately the reboot has become really slow. Basically it takes like 5 minutes just to see the boot options menu. I didn't install anything and didn't upgrade any OS that could make any change in the way booting works, so I'm wondering how should I check what's making rebooting so slow.

I'm using a macmini late 2012 (i5 2.5Ghz, 16GB RAM, HD 4000). The hybrid partition looks like that: EFI, Windows 8.1, Yosemite, and Lion. Yes, I removed the recovery partition when I fixed the broken partition with gdisk and it worked. I didn't do any Yosemite update or Windows update ever since. Automatic OS updates are disabled in all systems.

Any idea how I should check what happens in the booting sequence which is slowing it down so much? The only thing I suspect could have anything with this is that lately there were some power blackouts in my area, so when this happens Windows 8.1 takes longer to restart because it's rebuilding the system image based on which it works. But that usually only happens once, after the event, it doesn't keep happening.

Mac mini, Windows 8.1 Pro

Posted on Jun 29, 2015 1:22 PM

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Answer 1

BroFlav Author

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Jun 29, 2015 1:25 PM in response to BroFlav

The 4th partition is actually Mountain Lion. Still keeping it for some legacy programs.

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Answer 2

Loner T

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Jun 29, 2015 2:37 PM in response to BroFlav

The Windows installation is a legacy BIOS installation. If the CSM-BIOS layer is slow to startup from the EFI partition, it may explain the slowness. Is the speed of booting any different whether you use System Preferences -> Startup Disk vs power-cycle and hold the Alt key to select Windows?

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Answer 3

BroFlav Author

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Jun 29, 2015 3:53 PM in response to Loner T

Thanks for replying.

No, booting is just as slow in both cases.

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Answer 4

Loner T

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Jun 29, 2015 4:01 PM in response to BroFlav

1. Is the internal drive a HDD or SSD?

2. Has it been progressively slower?

3. A SMC Reset may not change the speed but should not hurt anything. Please try Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support .

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Answer 5

BroFlav Author

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Jun 30, 2015 5:35 AM in response to Loner T

1. HDD

2. No, it just started recently. The only correlation I see is that before the last power cycle there have been some power blackouts and the computer was in Standby mode in Windows. Usually when this happens, it starts a bit slower but that only happens once, after the system image is reloaded.

3. I did an SMC reset, nothing changed.

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Answer 6

Rudegar

Level 10

170,886 points

Jun 30, 2015 8:17 AM in response to BroFlav

does a restart from OS X to OS X take shorter ?

for me the time is the same but a cold boot does take awhile on a non ssd always did for me

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Answer 7

BroFlav Author

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Jun 30, 2015 10:24 AM in response to Rudegar

No, a restart from OS X is just as slow. And this is not about HDD booting being slower than SSD, which of course it is. This is very slow. It takes like 5 minutes to get to the boot menu.

Basically, it happens like this: shut down Windows or OS X, choose to restart in any of them, then you see a grey screen for 5 minutes and you wait until it either loads the OS you chose or until it responds to you pressing Alt to see the boot menu options. It's that slow.

Obviously, this is not because it's an HDD, something is not right in the way the computer starts. And I don't know yet if it's from the bootloader not finding a proper partition table and just wasting a lot of time checking something then finally defaulting on something, or something in the EFI power management is messed up or not working properly. There were no major OS changes and no major shocks to the computer, except for updates to browser flash plugin and a few power blackouts which both Windows 8.1 and OS X know how to handle, as far as I know.

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Answer 8

Loner T

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Jun 30, 2015 10:26 AM in response to BroFlav

Do you have any external storage connected when you boot either OS, cold or warm?

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Answer 9

BroFlav Author

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Jun 30, 2015 10:31 AM in response to Loner T

No. Only a webcam in a USB external port.

I also have an external backup HDD which is bootable, in case I need to rescue the data. But this external HDD is never connected. Just saying I could use it, if necessary.

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Answer 10

Loner T

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Jun 30, 2015 10:38 AM in response to BroFlav

Can you boot OSX in Safe Mode - Try safe mode if your Mac doesn't finish starting up - Apple Support ?

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Answer 11

BroFlav Author

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Jun 30, 2015 10:59 AM in response to Loner T

Problem solved. I did a safe boot in Yosemite and then disconnected the webcam.

I think it was the webcam. The bootloader was probably mistakenly checking if it's a storage device and just couldn't decide until it managed to ignore it and just go on with booting.

After disconnecting the USB webcam the boot menu shows up normally after a few seconds. Thanks for the help and sorry if I wasted your time, folks.

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