WinXP SP3 takes forever to load after cold reboot

[Tom]

WinXP SP3 all MS updates
2GB RAM
320GB 5400 HD
All of a sudden one of my WinXP SP3 systems (PC, not laptop) is taking
forever to load and splash the Desktop - like 3-5 minutes. Using IE8 takes
over 3-5 minutes to go to a common Homepage. Just started about 5 hours ago.
CPU utilization is very minimal (<2-5%)
Motherboard is about 5+ years old (P4 vintage); RAM is 1.5 years old; system
manifest itself in IE being slow but even Outlook connecting to the Win2K3
server is snail pace.
Ideas and approaches appreciated!
TIA

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Help! My computer is slow!
http://miekiemoes.blogspot.com/2008/02/help-my-computer-is-slow.html

 

[Daave]

WinXP SP3 all MS updates
2GB RAM
320GB 5400 HD
All of a sudden one of my WinXP SP3 systems (PC, not laptop) is taking
forever to load and splash the Desktop - like 3-5 minutes. Using IE8
takes over 3-5 minutes to go to a common Homepage. Just started
about 5 hours ago. CPU utilization is very minimal (<2-5%)
Motherboard is about 5+ years old (P4 vintage); RAM is 1.5 years old;
system manifest itself in IE being slow but even Outlook connecting
to the Win2K3 server is snail pace.
Ideas and approaches appreciated!
TIA

Once it has finished loading, how is the performance?

What has happened in the last five hours that you are aware of? Have you
installed any new programs or updates?

What is the malware status of your PC?

What anti-malware programs do you run. Are they current?

Are other PCs that are connected to the Win2K3 server exhibiting similar
symptoms?

If you have no clue as to what might be causing the issue, you can try
running System Restore to yesterday to see if the problem goes away. (Of
course, even if this works, we won't know what the cause of the issue
was...)

One troubleshooting method is to disconnect all devices (except mouse,
keyboard, and monitor) and configure a Clean Boot to see if booting time
improves or not:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353

 

[poatt]

WinXP SP3 all MS updates
2GB RAM
320GB 5400 HD
All of a sudden one of my WinXP SP3 systems (PC, not laptop) is taking
forever to load and splash the Desktop - like 3-5 minutes. Using IE8 takes
over 3-5 minutes to go to a common Homepage. Just started about 5 hours ago.
CPU utilization is very minimal (<2-5%)
Motherboard is about 5+ years old (P4 vintage); RAM is 1.5 years old; system
manifest itself in IE being slow but even Outlook connecting to the Win2K3
server is snail pace.
Ideas and approaches appreciated!
TIA

Start off. If you have highspeed "Always on" internet. Disable it before
you reboot.
Turn off all automatic updates. ie; Windows, Antivirus, Adobe Reader,etc.
Set firewall to "block all". Reboot. See if it speeds up or starts giving
messages that something cannot reach the internet.
Also in "Internet Options" go to "Connections" and tick "Never dial a
connection".
Would not hurt to thouroghly clean all I.E. Temp files.

 

[Tom]

To all...
I've done the defrag. seemed to help a little. Load time now for startup,
Word and Excel are normal. Uniquely, can't access the Internet so I've put
in a TrendNet RJ-45 PCI card and still can't access the Internet. Devices
doesn't have the typical yellow triangle. I've switched cables, new port on
the router etc. still no Internet! ;-)
So, functionally, the PC works fine now albeit sometimes seems to take a
little longer on the splash to Desktop than normal but nothing as excessive
as last night! TGFT!
Other ideas on the RJ-45 port issue? I tried my laptop and I got in to the
Internet fine and when I tried the PC in the AM I couldn't get in. So, the
original assumption was related to the PC RJ-45 motherboard port being bad.
Still refining ideas here.
McAfee is AV and it's just gone offline a/o 2 weeks ago. So, CPU util
should be less w/o McAfee. Sites visited recently are normal 'highly public'
sites. No foreign etc.
TIA!