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Exceptianaly long bootup ? ?


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#1
rxkevco

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Hi all,,
My desktop pc is a little over a yr old and has been spot on since i got it, but just recently it has been taking between 4 and 5 mins to boot up ! !
When i turn on the pc, the compaq boot page comes up first, and stays on for roughly a minute ( 5 secs prior to problem), then screen goes blank for 30 to 50 secs during which time the cpu fan kicks in really louly for 30 secs, then, xp loads,, then a minute later,,windows loads to the welcome page.
Once windows has loaded and the desktop is visible, it takes another2 mins before i can use the pc. It takes a minute for all the desktop icons to take their proper form,, then a further minute to get thru the startup programs.

I run the latest version of Kaspersky teamed up with the latest Prevx1 antivirus,, as i always have, and there is no conflict between the two, they have always got along together without fault.
Both Kerspasky and prevx1 full scans say the pc is completly clean.
Adaware and Spybot come up completly clean as well (apart from a few cookies which i delete ).
I have emptied all the tempory internet files etc,,, I do so 2 or 3 times a week.
I have been into the add/remove programs , and removed a load of stuff i no longer use or need,, but still the long bootup

My two drives are less than 30% full and chkdisk comes out fine.
They have both been defragged since this problem started, but still the unacceptably long bootup continues.

I have used the usual pc optimisers and reg utilitys,,,,no change.
I have scanned the startup programs and found nothing that shouldnt be there,, although there are 43 processes loading.
Have tried system restore twice, but still the long bootup.

My pc has never taken so long to boot into windows,, and what used to take a minute and a half max,, is now taking anything up to 5 minutes to be usable,,
Oh,,and,,,, the compaq page that first starts when i turn the pc on stays on for a minute or so,, but,,, wont let me enter the boot menu or any other service provided by the F keys ? ? ?

I am sure i have tried everything i know to identify a problem,, and i am getting nowhere at all....

Anybody got any ideas,,, this is doing my head in ????????

Many thanks,, kev

Edited by rxkevco, 01 August 2007 - 02:48 AM.

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#2
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Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit, select all, right click any file, click delete, confirm, reboot

Have you run a system file check
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#3
rxkevco

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Hi Keith,,
Many thanks for the quick reply.

Forgot to mention in my original post that i have run prefetch and deleted all the files,,, no change ! !
Havent run a file check ( forgot about that ! ), but will do so right now.
Will post back after its completed.

By the way,, have only just noticed, straight after the compaq page, and before xp starts,,,,for the briefest of seconds, the "start windows normally" page appears with start windows normally highlighted. Its gone as soon as it appears, so there is no way of entering ? ? Just thought i would mention it.

Will post back after the scannow is completed.
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#4
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If it started after the recent Microsoft Updates, you could look at the update page / installation history to see if uninstalling those helps
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#5
rxkevco

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I wouldnt know which updates the pc has had since it started, and to be honest,, i cant say exactly hen this started, although its definetly in the last 4 weeks i would imagine.

Just tried to run sfc/scannow and it keeps putting up an error box saying " cant locate sfc/scannow"...... what next.
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#6
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sfc then space then /scannow - sfc /scannow

If you go to Microsoft Update, there is the option to view installation history, though see how the file check goes first
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#7
rxkevco

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Sorry Keith, getting nowhere with this ! !
Have run sfc / scannow ( with the spaces), and all i get is a small black window appear ( like command box ) for a split second then ,,,nothing ! ! !
Ran it 5 times,, same thing ???
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#8
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Can you right click the taskbar, click task manager, click file, new task, type sfc /scannow there then press enter

Or click start then all programmes, accessories, command prompt, type sfc /scannow then press enter
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#9
rxkevco

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Using the task manager to run scannow, does exactly the same as using run. The black window appears for a split seckond, then is gone just as quickly.

Using the command prompt shows the following black window,,, but nothing happens when i press enter ????

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
© Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Compaq_Owner>sfc / scannow

Microsoft® Windows XP Windows File Checker Version 5.1
© 1999-2000 Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved

Scans all protected system files and replaces incorrect versions with correct Mi
crosoft versions.

SFC [/SCANNOW] [/SCANONCE] [/SCANBOOT] [/REVERT] [/PURGECACHE] [/CACHESIZE=x]


/SCANNOW Scans all protected system files immediately.
/SCANONCE Scans all protected system files once at the next boot.
/SCANBOOT Scans all protected system files at every boot.
/REVERT Return scan to default setting.
/PURGECACHE Purges the file cache.
/CACHESIZE=x Sets the file cache size.

C:\Documents and Settings\Compaq_Owner>
C:\Documents and Settings\Compaq_Owner>
C:\Documents and Settings\Compaq_Owner>



Getting a bit lost now,,,somethings not quite right with this pc ?????
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#10
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There isn't a space after /

sfc /scannow
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#11
rxkevco

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SORRY !!!!! THIS PC IS DRIVING ME CRAZY,,

Scannow is now running,,,,, at last.
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#12
rxkevco

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Have just ran scannow and it appeared to start off ok.
The dialog box with the progress bar came up and over the last 20 minutes or so, the progress bar crept along until it reached the end.
Then the dialog box with the full progress bar just disapeared when the scan was complete.
There was nothing after that,, no dialog box to give a report on the scan,, or for the next step, or what to do next ! !

It scanned,, and it finished,,, thats it ! ! !
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#13
rxkevco

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Just ran it again,,, same thing,,, scanned then the dialog box disapeared when it was complete ???
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#14
rxkevco

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Just tried a system recovery as on this occassion, the pc let me use the F10 button.
System recovery started, only to turn into a BSOD.
Error message is as follows,,,,,,,,,

STOP: C0000218 (registry file failure)
The registry cannot load the hive (file)
\systemroot\system32\config\security
or its log or alternate.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writable

Any ideas,,,, after this BSOD error message from the system recovery attempt, i rebooted the pc.
This time it took nearly 10 minutes to load up to internet access state.

Things seem to be getting worse, and i havent got a clue why....
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#15
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The system file check does just go when complete

Did you get a recovery CD

What are the recovery options you have

Are you able to borrow a same version as installed XP CD
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