Preparing network connections, slows logon

[Guest]

I have a xp pro ibm t30 laptop, which used to be used on the network at work,
but now is used as a stand alone machine at home

The problem is that when it starts up, it gets stuck for about two minutes
at the 'preparing network connections' screen.

I figure it still thinks it is a networked machine and spends all that time
trying to find drives and printers that are no longer there. It does
eventually give up, and start, but the delay is obviously annoying.

How can I stop it doing this? Any ideas?

 

[Guest]

Ok so trawling around the net I found the following suggestions:

- the problem will be solved if you upgrade to SP2. (I did, in fact it has
gotten worse, the hang at the 'preparing network connections' screen is
longer now)

- it is a problem with the machine pointing to the wrong DNS, and getting
hung up trying to connect to it, and if you fix this all will be well. (I
have no idea what this means or what to do to rectify it)

- It is a wireless network problem, so disable your wireless networking. (I
use a wireless access point, tis true. And if I remove the wireless card from
the laptop, the hangup time is less (2 mins instead of 20), but doesn't go
away. So maybe it is that... but I have no idea what to do about it.

Anyone out there with ideas.

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

DNS fails: restart windows, after you go to start/run, and type CMD, then at
that prompt type: IPCONFIG /flushDNS and then : IPCONFIG /registerDNS

 

[Guest]

Thanks, tried that but it didn't help. Have now solved the problem and this
is how:

Went into MSCONFIG and unchecked all except essential services. Re-enabled a
couple of services that I found I needed, the other twenty or so are still
unchecked.

I have no idea what they do, or did, except that one or more of them was
slowing down my logon.

I guess if I need them, time will tell! Until then, my logon time has gone
from two and half minutes to twenty seconds.

TIM