Really sloooow bootup in XP

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Really sloooow bootup in XP

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tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 05 10:17 am Post subject: Really sloooow bootup in XP
My PC (p4 XP SP2) is just refusing to boot at the moment, it goes through every pre OS boot check OK but can spend hours at the black Windows XP loadup screen and then even more hours at the blue welcome screen without actually getting to a log in. Managed to get it to boot yesterday by doing a logged startup, but this morning nothings working, any ideas anyone?

woodyandluna

Joined: 05 Jul 2005
Posts: 71
Location: Milton Keynes

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 05 10:54 am Post subject:

Have you tried booting up in safe mode? You do this by hitting F8 buring bootup. It's easy to miss, so power up then just keep hitting F8 until you get a screen that gives an option to "start windows in safe mode"

Safe mode often takes a little bit longer than a normal bootup, but it loads up Windows with the minimum drivers required to run your PC in it's basic form.

If it boots into safe mode OK, then in my experience it's often some sort of virus/spware or other nasty. Do you have Spybot or Ad-aware installed? How about antivirus software?

Good luck

Brica

woodyandluna

Joined: 05 Jul 2005
Posts: 71
Location: Milton Keynes

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 05 10:56 am Post subject:
Also, is the XP machine connected to the internet? If so, how? ie RJ-45 network cable to a router/hub, or a USB modem? Brica

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 05 10:57 am Post subject:
The funny thing is that my PC has been in splendid isolation from the outside world since I rebuilt it due to Virus attack a couple of months ago. I've got ADSL installed at my new place but haven't got around to hooking it up, my plan was to do that this week and download a few AV/spyware progs. I'll try safe mode tonight, but with no tools to run its not going to help much is it?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 05 10:59 am Post subject:

brica wrote:

Also, is the XP machine connected to the internet? If so, how? ie RJ-45 network cable to a router/hub, or a USB modem?

Brica

When I finally get round to it it'll be on an IPSEC router with static IPs so that I can VPN to work, I'm suposed to be testing it out before I get another couple set up.

tawny owl

Joined: 29 Apr 2005
Posts: 563
Location: Hampshire

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 05 11:31 am Post subject:

tahir wrote:

I'll try safe mode tonight, but with no tools to run its not going to help much is it?

You'd be surprised. If you can get it to boot up in SM, and then shut it down properly, it might well be fine. It often seems that certain things don't shut down correctly even though the PC seems to have shut down, so then it goes through a long diagnostic thing trying to sort it out the next time.

Might be worth looking at what's set to start up when you turn on as well, and get rid of anything you don't absolutely need.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 05 10:53 am Post subject:
Safe mode didn't help. Did a clean install this morning and I left it this morning progressing extreeeeeemely slowly through the black startup screen, WTF does that mean?

CelticRed

Joined: 20 Oct 2005
Posts: 21
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 05 1:56 pm Post subject:
Hi Tahir, Have you checked for hardware problems, i.e. RAM, graphics card, etc properly seated. Fan on CPU functioning? Does it beep at you at all as it boots up? Sarah

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 05 2:29 pm Post subject:
No abnormal bios beeps, checked all the cards, CPU fan AOK

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 05 3:56 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Safe mode didn't help. Did a clean install this morning and I left it this morning progressing extreeeeeemely slowly through the black startup screen, WTF does that mean?

The above is not absolutely clear.
Is it correct that you:
- booted normally from the cd/dvd drive into the installer ? (which suggests that cd/dvd drive, that ide channel, processor, ram, video card and essential motherboard functionality are OK)
- then did a 'clean' reinstall of Windows *only* (ie not a disk reformat) which proceeded at a normal pace? (suggesting that hard disk communication with motherboard is fine too)
- and that your freshly installed Windows was then going to take hours to boot?

If so, I have to say that it sounds to me as though your machine might be 'distracted' and spending most of its processor time waiting for something to happen, and it simply isn't happening - despite repeated trying.
This might be initialising some piece of hardware (so disconnect everything non-essential {printer? usb hub?? everything!}) - or even XP itself trying to "phone home" (I thought it needed to as part of the validation/registration scheme ???) and finding no net connection...

Is there any reason for NOT completely wiping the dsk in the new machine?

If you can't wipe it straight off, I think this may call for temporary installation of a different hard disk, doing a reformat and installation onto that. If that's OK, you've got some software poison on your original disk (that ain't being cleared by a system reinstall) - whether its benign or malevolent is irrelevant.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 05 4:18 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

Is it correct that you:
- booted normally from the cd/dvd drive into the installer ? (which suggests that cd/dvd drive, that ide channel, processor, ram, video card and essential motherboard functionality are OK)
- then did a 'clean' reinstall of Windows *only* (ie not a disk reformat) which proceeded at a normal pace? (suggesting that hard disk communication with motherboard is fine too)
- and that your freshly installed Windows was then going to take hours to boot?

Exactly, no idea if it eventually booted, I'll check tonight

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 05 4:19 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

Is there any reason for NOT completely wiping the dsk in the new machine?

Did a quick format

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 05 4:20 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

If so, I have to say that it sounds to me as though your machine might be 'distracted' and spending most of its processor time waiting for something to happen, and it simply isn't happening - despite repeated trying.
This might be initialising some piece of hardware (so disconnect everything non-essential {printer? usb hub?? everything!}) - or even XP itself trying to "phone home" (I thought it needed to as part of the validation/registration scheme ???) and finding no net connection...

That sounds like the only option

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