Highlighting before starting Windows installation
Highlighting before starting Windows installation
Not sure if the Software -> Windows subforum is right, but I’m hoping it is. I just installed a new PC (though it still has an old GTX 580 GPU). When I power it on, I see a blinking underscore on a black screen for about three seconds, then the BIOS logo appears (ASUS in my case), followed by another underscore for 2-3 seconds, and finally it boots into Windows. Yes, it works, but this causes extremely slow booting. How can I fix it and remove the underscore part? I’ve looked in some forums, but nothing seems to explain this issue here. Most discussions mention multiple drives or that the USB installer is still connected. I only use one M2 SSD (no HDD like most people discuss), the USB stick isn’t connected anymore, and I don’t have any other drives or SATA devices. The SSD is in the correct M2 slot (I got two slots). I’ve checked it and it’s in the primary Gen4 slot. Also, only one boot option appears in the BIOS for the M2 SSD with Windows, nothing else. I’m using an Asus Prime B550 M-A Wifi Mainboard. Maybe someone has a solution? Thanks!
Fix suggests it may seem broken, but it works fine. The issue is impatience—welcome back! Focus on quicker IPC, faster RAM, improved disks, and optimized Windows settings. Take advantage of hibernation options to boost performance. Speed improvements vary depending on components being initialized, and this isn't a universal solution for everyone. It's just part of the process; you can only reduce delays to a certain extent.
I suspect the GPU might be the issue. Have you checked if CSM is active? This is related to the fact that earlier 500-series and some 600 models lacked UEFI support. Do you have a newer GPU available for testing? Once you switch to a more recent one, you should be able to turn off CSM, activate UEFI, enable FastBoot, change your drive format from MBR to GPT so the UEFI can communicate and boot your OS, and then it should start quicker.
It's unfortunate that the image lags before showing up on the screen without a dedicated GPU. This happens because graphics card makers (possibly even GPU companies) prioritize performance over quick startup times, since few people test for this. I'm not sure about AMD APUs, but Intel seems to focus on its integrated graphics. This isn't the issue discussed here. By the way, these should be your intended boot speed—Intel integrated graphics, SSD, FastStartup turned on (default, gets disabled if hibernation is off).