Windows XP start time is getting longer and longer - why?

Question

Over the last 2 weeks Windows XP has taken progressively longer and longer to start - it now takes several minutes to actually get going. It shows the "loading" page with the bar for a short time and then flicks to what will be the desktop but shows only the background and then takes ages to put all the icons up. I haven't loaded any new software that would account for this and One Care Live detects no spyware or adware. I'd appreciate any help.

Answer 1

Hello,

(ANS) This sounds like a dirty windows registry database, windows XP does take quite a long time to load up at the best of times. Why? if you understand the loading up process its actually pretty complex, windows has to use NTLDR to detect your machines hardware, then it has to load each device driver associated with each peice of hardware, after this it loads from the registry database, the individual users profile which iis also held within the registry. The user profile defines things like, desktop wallpaper, desktop icons, which applications you have on the programs menu, screen colours & screen preferences,etc. all of this has to be loaded from the settings within the registry. If software is load and then unisnstalled it can leave redundant seetings & values within the registry and these can cause problems at a later time or might just slow things down.

**There are several things you could do, one is to use the windows startup manager configuration tool that comes with windows XP and this allows you to set which programs you want to load when XP starts up. Try "msconfig" a command line tool in XP.

OR you could run a registry cleaning tool over the registry to clean out any old redundant settings.

OR you could try loading the windows XP last known good by keying F8 just after the xp start up logo.

IR

Answer 2

There are many reasons for this. It might be because there are some conflicting devices or IRQ conflicts that windows is trying to resolve. It may also because of little hard disk space on the partition where windows is installed, loads of programs and unnecessary services launching with Windows. Goto http://www.pcsecurityworld.com/free_pc_security_software.php and download XP-antispy and system security suite. Start->run->msconfig and under advanced tab prevent any unnecessary programs from starting up and disable any service you would not use. Also, clean up the registry and other garbage with Ccleaner and Regseeker. Use Cacheman to optimize your windows and memory. In the end, download BootVis, unzip and run it and it should solve the problem. An instant solution that works for me is - defragmenting Windows Registry. You could try that.

Answer 3

Click on START

Go to RUN

Type in msconfig

When window opens go to Startup tag

You will see loads of options to switch off items that load on start up of PC - Remove the ticks from the items you don't want to start and restart the PC.

Should speed it up

Leave your virus scanner and firewall alone though! Let them start as normal

Also DEFRAG your hard drive

Answer 4

1)Run Spybot-search and destroy to remove spyware
2) Run msconfig-and remove all unwanted applications on startup
3) Remove suspucious applications using task manager
4) Remove the last softwares that you installed
5) Remove the last hardware that you intalled
6) Defrag your hard drive
7) Boot in XP Safe mode and see the difference
8) Reinstall XP
9) Increase Ram

Answer 5

download a good antispyware and anti virusprogram and run a full scan and remove all the viruses.then intall registry cleaner and correct the registry
then run msconfig .under startup programs remove uncheck the programs u dont use

i use avg antivirus
http://free.grisoft.com/

Answer 6

i would run a repair off of the restore disc...sounds to me like youve got a corrupted registry

Answer 7

if you have your windows xp disk use it to do a repair

Answer 8

Have you tried msconfig?

http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/

Answer 9

I would have a look here first and go to the 'Hijack This' forum
http://www.webuser.co.uk/forums/ubbthreads.php