Robert said:
When I start up windows xp it hangs at hte windows xp
logo screen for 20 minutes before finishing boot up. Is
there any fix for this besides reinstalling xp?
Thanks
Robert Nichols
P.S. Please respond to my email
Sorry, no free email support. This is a newsgroup. Obviously something
is set to start with Windows that is either timing out, crashing or
generally not working. Since you've given us no information about your
computer and what you've done to troubleshoot, it's impossible to give
specific advice. However, reinstalling Windows is the absolute last
resort and is hardly ever necessary. Below are general troubleshooting
steps:
1) scan with current antivirus ("current" means a version not earlier
than 2003 using updated virus definitions);
2) remove spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy
(
www.safer-networking.org) and Ad-aware (
www.lavasoftusa.com). These
programs are free, so use them both since they complement each other.
You may also want to run CWShredder and HijackThis from
http://aumha.org/freeware.htm. Although CWShredder is no longer being
updated, it will still clean older variants of the CoolWebSearch
malware. A combination of HijackThis and About:Buster
(
http://www.majorgeeks.com) works well in removing homepage hijackers.
Always read the instructions before running a spyware removal tool. Be
sure to update these programs before running, and it is a good idea to
do virus/spyware scans in Safe Mode. Make sure you are able to see all
hidden files and extensions (View tab in Folder Options);
3) delete temporary and Temporary Internet Files;
4) stop unnecessary services/programs from starting with Windows - see
www.blackviper.com for services info and
www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm for programs info;
5) look in Event Viewer for clues;
6) make sure you've visited Windows Update and applied all security
patches. Do not install driver updates from Windows Update;
7) run a firewall.
After you've gone through the general troubleshooting above, if you are
still having problems, post back to this thread. Be sure to include
information about your system, what you did to troubleshoot, and what
the results were.
Malke
