Takes Forever to load Log-in screen

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alex
  • Start date Start date
A

Alex

Please help!

It takes me 2 reboots before Windows XP Home SP2 shows
the Log-in Screen. There, my pc is slow and mouse is
skipping frames. I tried using System Restore, yet the
problem isnt fixed.

When I do log in, it takes a bit too long to "Load user
settings", etc. And the second problem is, after I log
in - my CPU is always 30-50% used by Something! I tried
shutting down all User Programs except Explorer and Task
Manager, yet something was still using my CPU, So i
thought of a virus. I have ZoneAlarm always on, Norton
Antivirus 2003 scan brought no results (virus definitions
up to date), and Ad-Aware 6.0 brought no results either.
And although I can live with it, since I got p4 3.0Ghz,
160 GB HD, and 1GB RAM, I cannot notice performance
differences, it does bug me.

So, 1. WHY is my log-in screen appears rarely and slow?
2. What is occupying my CPU?

P.S. Microsoft wont provide me with support since the
Windows came with my PC, and my PC maker wont support me
since I got SP2. So should I unistall SP2 for log-in to
work??

Please help. It frustrates me to reboot my PC so often
just so I can use it.
 
First, be sure your antivirus software has the latest definitions and run a
virus scan.

Second, download, install and run Ad Aware:
www.lavasoftusa.com
Note: you should always be well backed up before running an application of
this type.

If your system is clear of viruses, open Control Panel, open System, go to
the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery, remove the
check from "Automatically Restart" under System Failure. This will cause
the system to blue screen instead of restarting on errors and the
information on the blue screen may give a clue as to the source of the
issue.

Open Control Panel, open Administrative Tools, open Event Viewer, look for
errors corresponding to the crash, double click the error, the information
contained within may give a clue as to the
source of the problem. If you don't understand the information inside, the
third button down in that dialog box will copy the information,
you can then paste it into a message and post it here and maybe we can
figure out what is going on.

Assuming you have an XP CD and not a recovery CD, place the XP CD in the
drive, when the setup screen appears, select "Check System Compatibility,"
the report it generates may point to problem hardware or software on your
system. If you do not have an XP CD, you can download this application
known as the Upgrade Advisor from the following site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp
Note: If you have access to a broadband connection it might be best to
download using that as this is a rather large download.

Check for the latest drivers for your hardware, especially your graphics
card and soundcard and all peripherals connected to your system. Do not use
Windows Update for this, go to the device manufacturer's web sites and if
you install updated drivers, ignore the message about drivers being unsigned
by Microsoft. *Before installing any drivers, be sure you are well backed
up and it's probably a good idea to manually create a restore point in
System Restore in case you have problems as a result of the driver update
and note, System Restore is not a substitute for a backup. Start\All
Programs\Accessories\System Tools\System Restore
 
Whoops, sorry about the inclusion of the antirivirus and Ad Aware
instructions. However, the rest of the post is relevant and may help in
determining the source of the issue before considering removing SP2.
 
Michael,

Thanks for your reply, however, I am not getting any
errors.

My Windows just takes 10 minutes to login and logoff.
Also, it takes 5 minutes to get to "Task manager" if i
press CTRL+ALT+DELETE. I don't know why my windows became
so slow all of a sudden.

My drivers are up to date. Since the problems still
occured when I shut down all of user programs, maybe some
wrong software is running under System tab. Is there a
list of programs the Windows XP Home SP2 has running at
start-up, So I find and shut down any other unknown
applications to check if that helps?
 
You found no errors in Event Viewer?

Hmm, are you connected to a network or have a network card installed? If
yes, at least some of your issues might originate there.

If you're running a DSL modem and have a LAN or high speed connection, try
changing the properties of it.

Go to start> connect to> show all connections>right click on Local Area
connection>scroll down and click on Properties.

Highlight "Internet protocol (TCP/IP)"

Click on properties button>click on the "use the following IP address" radio
button.

Add the following.

IP address:192.168.0.1 (or any in the accepted range)

Subnet Mask:255.255.255.0

Some connections won't allow this, so if you can't get a connection, remove
it.

If the above doesn't apply but you are on a network, go to Start\All
Programs\Accessories and the Command Prompt. At the prompt type "ipconfig"
without the quotes and press enter. Make note of the numbers.

Go to Start\Connect To, select "Show all connections" and select Local Area
Connection. Right click and select properties. Select "Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP)" and click properties, select "Use the following IP address" and
input the appropriate numbers you found earlier. When you exit that box, the
Subnet Mask numbers should input automatically.

Reboot and see if that resolves the issue.

As to CPU usage, hit ctrl-alt-delete, go to the processes tab and look for
processes that are running constantly at a level under CPU or that
continually keep jumping up. Disregard the number for System Idle Process
as it is normal for that to run in the mid to high 90s.

Check the following site for a list of XP services and possible
configurations; you can also check around the site for more information
about various services:

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

As to whether or not you should remove SP2, did the problem only begin upon
SP2 installation. Even if the answer is yes, I'd only remove it as a last
resort since removing it may only be masking a problem that may have existed
Pre-SP2 but for some reason didn't show up at that time.
 
I ran into something similar with a P4 1.8Ghz/533 1Gb memory. All s/w and
drivers were current, registry was checked with several tools, etc. No
viruses, not spyware, etc. Nothing would resolve it. So, I saved my doc's,
..pst, .jpegs, vidoes, etc. and formatted the drive. I installed XP Pro, then
immediately SP2. I then re-installed only the apps I needed, rebooting
between each install. My system screams now!

I chalk it up as "windows deterioration"...
 
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