MacBook Pro Fresh SL install. VERY slow to boot.

sswats · 25 May 2012 at 13:46

I have a 17" MacBook Pro with a brand new fresh clean install of Snow Leopard.

I've run the Apple hardware diagnostics extended with no trouble found.

Butr when I switch it on it stays on the gray screen for about 1 minute, Apple icons and spins its disk for about 30 seconds, then the blue screen comes up and it stays on it for almost 5 minutes.

This is a fresh new install and even during the install it took longer than normal to install.

Any ideas on what steps to take.

rogan · 25 May 2012 at 15:52

hard drive degrading?

stevey3d · 25 May 2012 at 16:12

rogan said:
hard drive degrading?

Run Disk Utility Verify and, if necessary Repair.

Also do a NVRAM/PRAM reset: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

stevey3d · 25 May 2012 at 16:24

Oh yes, it might be worth running the Apple Hardware Test: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509. Also check your login items incase one is causing an issue.

sswats · 25 May 2012 at 23:40

Hard drive passes disk utility. No problems.
Did a PRAM reset.
And its a fresh install, there are no login items.

bloodiedathame · 25 May 2012 at 23:42

Run Xbench on your boot drive and post results, might be hard drive issues.

sswats · 26 May 2012 at 00:10

A program called Techtool was run on it, and it passed all hard drive and memory tests and everything else.

Will try xbench

bloodiedathame · 26 May 2012 at 01:11

I only say Xbench as it will give read and write speeds to possibly track down a problem there.

dav3evans · 26 May 2012 at 01:50

When you say Fresh install, I assume you zero/erased in disk utility first and then installed, as opposed to upgrade install etc...

stevey3d · 26 May 2012 at 07:40

sswats said:
Hard drive passes disk utility. No problems.
Did a PRAM reset.
And its a fresh install, there are no login items.

Did the Apple Hardware Test find anything?

sswats · 26 May 2012 at 10:06

Yep, hard drive was wiped clean in disk utility before install.
The Apple hardware test found nothing.

When OSX eventually loads, it works okay. Not too slow (although a bit slower than it should be)

Will try Xbench though, then I'll try a clean install, then finally I'll try a new hard drive I guess.

triggerthat · 26 May 2012 at 14:16

I'd probably format again if tests are fine - something might have got corrupted.

bloodiedathame · 26 May 2012 at 14:19

With Xbench post the results so we can see.

sswats · 27 May 2012 at 12:43

Xbench proved to be helpful.

Hard drive tests were all well below the standard. 67.53 for sequential, and only 27.04 for Random. The lowest being a 9.11 for uncached write (0.96 MB/s).

I guess this is the reason.
New hard drive time?

dav3evans · 27 May 2012 at 17:39

There's a rather nice SSD going for a bloody silly price on OcUK this weekend...

bloodiedathame · 28 May 2012 at 11:39

Drive on the left is my internal 4 year old drive, boots in maybe a minute, on the right is 2TB Esata external for comparison.