XP slow boot help--SOLVED

[I get Taurens]

Hi guys,
I got this prob just today, it took me a very long time to boot up XP, I got to the Windows bootup screen, and after a while I see my desktop wallpaper, and that's it, I have to wait for several minutes for the icons and bars to come up, when I do CTRL +ALT +DEL, the system idel takes up 98% of the cpu, and when I tried to shut it down before the icons appeared, the processing that requires immediate shutdown is WINDOWS EXPLORER, I didn't see anything unusual in the processes list either, someone please help me out here.
cheers

[Leon]

system idle takes up 98% of the cpu means that your cpu is only using 2%,so you are waiting for something. Are you connecting to networks on boot-up?

[johnson]

Go to Start > Run > MSCONFIG and see whats starting up on the system boot. You have the option of running only what you want by checking the list under the startup tab.

[raisindot]

This may be somewhat related.

I've noticed the reverse of your problem happening lately. While startup and processing overheard seem okay, on shutdown it's taking over 5 minutes to turn off. I'm getting a popup windows saying "Hidden Fax Window shutting down", which takes forever to terminate (and sometimes goes into the "not responding" thing), usually followed by the "Explorer shutting down" which also takes forever. Sometimes these processes repeat themselves. I've msconfiged and disabled anything even remotely looking like a fax viewer, and disabled my modem (I use broadband these days).

I'm thinking I may have some nasty malware somewhere. (admittedly, my Norton Internet Security hasn't been updated in a while). Last night I ran a malware remover and it came up with tons of spyware which it killed. When I shut down afterward it seemed to take less time (I didn't see the fax window or explorer shut down popups), but, weirdly, the video signal cut out (I've got my TP40 going to a 17" monitor) for around 15 seconds before the TP shut down; usually, they shut down together simultaneously.

Wondering whether something similar might be affecting yours. And if anyone has any insight regarding my problem (or recommendations on where to find this kind of assistance) please let me know...

Jeff in Boston

[I get Taurens]

I tried everything suggested, no joy...it's very strange that after I see the welcome screen then the wallpaper, the machine becomes idle, no hard drive access, at this time, I can still do CTRL+alt+del, and I see 20 common taskes running(as suppose to 50 after complete startup), and after a couple of minutes, things pop up.

[beerak]

How much memory do you have ? In case of 256MB it is normal.

Check if it is not IBM Message Center (often causes problems on boot)

Run anti-virus check, it could be a virus trying to attempt network. Try Norton

[beerak]

I tried everything suggested, no joy...it's very strange that after I see the welcome screen then the wallpaper, the machine becomes idle, no hard drive access, at this time, I can still do CTRL+alt+del, and I see 20 common taskes running(as suppose to 50 after complete startup), and after a couple of minutes, things pop up.

With high probability it is an insufficient memory issue.

[I get Taurens]

well, I guess it's not a memory issue, hardware is as follows:
T42 2379DXU, 1.7GHZ, 512MB, 7200rpm60GB

followup: I restarted again, and it was somehow a bit better, I still have to wait for a while tho, during the idle period, I check my memory useage, it's at 100mb(cpu is at 5%), so again I don't think it's memory issue.

about virus scan, I did it before I put up my second last post, found a couple adware, removed, but no help.

I am trying defragmenting my drive right now

[Leon]

Run Microsoft Bootvis (Google it), and it will show you which process is hanging you up.....

[I get Taurens]

system boots up normally after fregmentation, but thanks to Leon for the tool also. THANKS TO EVERYONE

[beeblebrox]

Sounds very familiar, I had the same problems once.
Then updated Norton Antivirus and Internet Security, Ad-Aware and Spybot and run all programs for a while.

The outcome was that Norton and Ad-aware discovered a great party of Greek Trojans and Asian Viruses at the hard disk property of some Italian Malware Mafiosi.

1 month without scanning the disk, and I have never seen such a long list of items, that Norton and Ad-Aware wanted to delete.

[rocky01]

also be sure to turn off unecessary services:

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

and note that in addition to the MS offenders, he identifies some very common third party services known for troublesome tentacles, this listing is located on another page in the site. you should review if you have win sp1 OR sp2 update.

btw, xp sp2 update mercifully shut off several irkesome services that were turned on by default, but there are more gremlins that can safely be disabled (or at least set to startup manually - rather that automatically - when in most instances they are not used in non corporate setting). easily improve OS effciency and responsiveness, including startup and shutdown.

[Kenn]

If your system hangs at the wallpaper for 60-120 seconds, most likely you're run into a wireless delay from the MS Wireless Zero Config service. This affects pre-SP2 installations running both IBM Access Connections with WZC, and post-SP2 installations running IBM Access Connections without WZC.

The kicker is that it will boot up quickly with your wireless off, or if you boot up into the same wireless environment you were in when you logged off. But if you start-up in a different environment, it will tie up your boot process for 120 seconds as it hunts for a connection. This shows up in MS Bootvis as a "network delay."

You can bypass the problem by not running the configs listed above (don't run Wireless Zero Config + Access connections if pre-SP2, and don't disable Wireless Zero Config post-SP2).

[rocky01]

As to WinXP's MS Wireless Zero Config, make sure you have IEEE 802.1x authentication checkbox **disabled** under your Wireless Network Connection's Properties Tab. This arcane little feature makes your wireless connection intermittent (even disabled) as it seeks to engage each time your connections are surveyed and/or IP address is renewed.

And as far as unwanted services running and hogging your resources, here is a helpful page that indentifies some very common 3rd party offenders:

http://www.liutilities.com/products/win ... plication/

[Leon]

can't find that check-box... direct me?

[rocky01]

sure, it's on the tab where you "determine the order of prefered networks", it's called "authentication" -- you can access by right clicking your wireless icon in the taskbar and then selecting the option of "changing order of preferred networks" and then right clicking the designated wireless network name (most likely the ssid name that you made in your router's software) .

[Leon]

I think that this option is only available if you have windows manage your wireless connection?

[budspencer]

Leon thats right.

i do use the access connections, also to manage my wireless connection. the problem is, that when i connect to a wlan the windows integrated wlan manager appers and searchs after an ip-adress, even tough access connections has found one and is connected.

to solve the problem, i must manually go to the "network-connections"-window and press "F5" to refresh it. then windows directly finds the ip and everything is ok.

the problem is, that i don't really want to do this every time i connect to a wlan

[budspencer]

i found the reason... the ibm access connections depends on the windows firewall and internet connection sharing. if the win firewall is enabled, the problem is solved. but i don't want to enable the firewall, i wanna use my one....

[waterside]

i found the reason... the ibm access connections depends on the windows firewall and internet connection sharing. if the win firewall is enabled, the problem is solved. but i don't want to enable the firewall, i wanna use my one....

I don't have this problem.

WinXP SP2; WZC service left enabled; Access Connections 3.53

In the Access Connections connection profile you are using on the 'Security' tab make sure 'Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet (Windows Firewall)' is unchecked and 'Disable Internet Connection Sharing' is checked

Access Connections is much more aware of WinXP services and attempts to "play nicely" moreso now than it had in the past. If you leave the firewall box checked, AC will attempt to start windows firewall.

[w0qj]

How do you disable WZC anyways?

[Leon]

START>RUN>SERVISES.MSC