The message appears during step 3 or 4. Under normal conditions, this text is visible for only 5 to 20 seconds. If it persists for more than 2 minutes, the boot process has stalled.
Once you do get your machine back up, immediately perform an SRAM Backup to a PCMCIA card or USB drive. It is the best insurance policy against the dreaded "Please Wait" screen. fanuc starting system software please wait
When power is applied, the FANUC CPU looks for the most basic instructions. In older systems, this was often loaded via "Bubble Memory" or EPROMs; in modern systems, it’s stored on compact flash cards or Solid State Drives (SSD). The message appears during step 3 or 4
If you have entered the Boot System menu and discovered a or if the screen remains black even after trying to reach the boot menu, you likely have a hardware failure. At this point, attempting to "initialize" the memory without a backup will result in the loss of all machine parameters, which can take days to manually re-enter. Once you do get your machine back up,
The duration of this "wait" state is a diagnostic goldmine for an experienced technician. Under normal circumstances, depending on the Fanuc series (from the legacy Series 0 to the modern 30i-B or 31i-B), the boot process should take between 30 seconds and two minutes. A normal, predictable wait indicates a healthy system. However, an unexpectedly prolonged wait—or an infinite loop of the message—signals deeper trouble. Common culprits include a corrupted system software file, a failing memory module on the main board, a depleted backup battery that has caused parameter or program loss, or even a hardware failure in the boot device itself. In these pathological cases, the "Please Wait" message transforms from a mundane status into a cry for help, often requiring the restoration of "from SRAM" data or a complete clean installation of the executive software.