Boot is slow with dvd (video) attached.

Question

OK, excuse my non-technical jargon please.

I have a recent precision desktop running Linux (and I am very happy with it). I have a minor niggle, that I would like to sort out.... When I have DVD drive attached, with a disk in the boot is very slow. It seems as if the BIOS is interrogating the DVD drive to see if it is bootable, and this is a slow process. Is there any way that I can tell the BIOS not to do this?

I can manually eject the DVD during the interrogation and boot continues immediately. This is an irritating work-around but I can live with it if there is no cleaner solution.

I have poked around in the BIOS settings and not found anything useful (though I disabled the remote boot options as they are not needed for my setup) though I could have missed something important.

Thanks for any suggestions.

DELL-ChrisM2 · Answer

Our users need some data =

* What specific Precision Desktop model?
* To which port on the Precision Desktop is the external DVD drive attached?
* Prior to switching the Precision Desktop off or restarting, why not remove the DVD from the external DVD drive?

drphill · Answer

Precision 3680 tower one of the USB ports on the back is attached to a USB hub.  Is it important which physical port? Are they different? I forget sometimes ;-) plus it would be nicer to be able to control this functionality.

bradthetechnut · Answer

* Prior to switching the Precision Desktop off or restarting, why not remove the DVD from the external DVD drive? Are you using a bootable DVD? If you are, upon powering on, repeatedly press F12. In the Boot & Diagnostics menu, select drive you want to boot from.

There's USB 2.0 & 3.0 ports. That's why Chris was wondering which spot the port the DVD drive is plugged into; preferably the 3.0 port.

drphill · Answer

@bradthetechnut​ Fair point - USB3 should be faster, but I guess I am really wondering if I can tell the bios to only boot from the nvme, and to ignore all other block devices. I am using the USB 3.2 Gen2 port. I should have opted for the built in DVD drive when I bought it.  Can I retrofit one?

anne_droid · Answer

Hi

You don't mention the BIOS boot options / sequence, as to whether the DVD is listed or not.

What you can change

Boot Sequence: choose the order of bootable devices.
Boot Mode: the Precision 3680 Tower uses UEFI only.
Secure Boot: enable or adjust Secure Boot settings, including Microsoft UEFI CA and custom key management.
Network boot: options includeForce PXE On Next Bootand network stack / HTTPS boot settings.
Removable media: options includeSD card bootand USB-related boot behavior via the one-time boot menu.

Obviously the external / removable media is best avoided or listed last.

drphill · Answer

@anne_droid​ I could not see the DVD player listed in the boot options.   I am 'multi-booting'  Ubuntu (as supplied by Dell) and Linux Mint.  Since I boot Linux Mint I don't have the keys on the machine to use 'secure boot'.  I think I am using UEFI but I will reboot and check.Before I do that are there any other things I should check?  Changing BIOS settings is getting a little low level for my comfort - I do as little as possible to acheive my aim there......

anne_droid · Answer

Hi

Well a photo of the relevant BIOS screen(s) may prompt a thought to enter my head.

Also the boot screen, which I assume is GrUB.

Yes, Linux Mint officially supports Secure Boot, particularly in versions 21.3 and later (including Mint 22 and 22.1), which are signed with Canonical’s keys to ensure compatibility with UEFI firmware. Therefore Ubuntu will also 'secure boot'.

############### Nota Bene

Yes, you can retrofit a slimline DVD drive (such as an 8x DVD±RW, 9.5mm) into a Dell Precision 3680 Tower, as it has a dedicated optical disk drive (ODD) bay and slot designed for this.

Compatibility

The Precision 3680 supports official options like the 8x DVD-ROM (DKC2X) or DVD±RW (9M9FK, made by Hitachi-LG), which use SATA 1.5 interface and fit the slim ODD slot.
User forums confirm it's feasible post-purchase, despite Dell support sometimes claiming otherwise, by sourcing parts from Dell, eBay, or third parties—though stick to OEM for best fit due to proprietary mounting.

Required Parts

Bare slim DVD drive (e.g., GU90N or DU90N).
ODD bezel (DP/N VF0FD, snap-on).
Mounting latch/bracket (from Precision 3660/3680 kits).
SATA data cable (standard length, non-angled preferred; not always included).

Installation Steps

Power off, unplug, and remove the side cover (loosen captive screw).
Remove air shroud if present (for 500W PSU systems).
Snap bezel onto the drive, attach latch/bracket (no screws needed).
Slide assembly into ODD slot until it snaps.
Connect SATA data and power cables via routing guides.
Reinstall shroud/cover.

Refer to thePrecision 3680 Owner's Manualfor visuals and safety notes. Test compatibility in BIOS after install, given your Dell hardware experience.

drphill · Answer

@anne_droid​ Thanks - very useful info about DVD retrofit - within my comfort zone (I already fitted a couple of internal drives from previous machine). I'll assess the cost/benefit.  I'll try a reboot and a careful scan of options....

drphill · Answer

Boot config in bios and grub:

DELL-ChrisM2 · Answer

Page 126 in the Precision 3680 Tower Owner's Manual =

* In the BIOS, go to Integrated Devices
* Look for USB Configuration
* Change to Disable booting from USB mass storage devices through the boot sequence or boot menu

drphill · Answer

@DELL-ChrisM2​ Thanks Chris - I have found that and tried disabling, but the boot sequence still seems to wait for the DVD drive to grunt and grind.  A pity, as this would have been exactly what I would have wanted had it worked.  Maybe the system is not actually trying to boot for the DVD but waiting for it to wake up fully before continuing? But if this is difficult to cure I can manually eject the DVD - it offends my engineering mind but doesn't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.  Thanks all Phill

anne_droid · Answer

Hi My thoughts are the Pre-Boot Behaviour.   which may be where Chris was suggesting. NB the correct spelling of behavioUr.

bradthetechnut · Answer

@anne_droid​  'Behavior' is spelled without the 'u' in the U.S.  If you still want to spell it with a 'u,' that's fine too.  We're used to it.

DELL-ChrisM2 · Answer

It is all good!

This English Forum has users from all over as does our Dell Team. Common examples US to UK;

analog = analogue
apologize = apologise
behavior = behaviour
canceled = cancelled
center = centre
color = colour
defense = defence
encyclopedia = encyclopaedia

Rashmik · Answer

The BIOS is likely checking the DVD for boot files before moving to your Linux drive. Set your SSD/HDD first in boot order and disable 'Boot from Optical Drive' if available. Fast Boot may also help reduce the delay.

Precision Fixed Workstations

Boot is slow with dvd (video) attached.

Compatibility

Required Parts

Installation Steps

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