Ducky,
I would suggest that you go through the following article and see if this
helps. Long boot-up time would mean one of three things usually:
1. System instability or profile damage
2. Lots of background start-up apps
3. Hardware potentially starting to fail
For Windows XP:
310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310560
For Windows 9x and Me
How to Troubleshoot Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows Millennium Edition
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;281995
How to Troubleshoot Using the Msconfig Utility with Windows 98
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=281965&product=w98
See how you go. The above rules out background apps. If this resolves the
issue it would most likely be the stuff that is running in the background
when the computer starts up. If this didn't resolve the issue, then look at
creating a new profile. If after creating a new profile the issue still
hasn't gone away then look at taking your machine to a tech shop to see if
the hardware is starting to fail.
If you do post for assistance, it is always a good idea to post the
following stuff
Operating System (i.e. Windows XP Home, Windows 98 Second Edition)
Application name (if it is an application that you are using)
As well as the problem description as this provides more specific
information that can assist in a faster response.
Cheers,
Franksta.