Windows desktop loads, freezes for a minute

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jagarus
  • Start date Start date
J

Jagarus

The windows desktop loads when I boot my computer up,
icons appear and everything, but the computer sort of
freezes for about a minute. During this time, I can
click on the icons, move my cursor, double click internet
explorer but IE wont open up for about minute. The
cursor is also an hourglass when I hover over the taskbar
and I can't click anything on the taskbar for the
minute. After the minute, the windows boot up music
sounds and everything is fine.

What could be wrong?
 
Sounds like something is hanging when you boot your
computer, I suggest going to Download.com and downloading
spybot S&D, run the test and then use its System Startup
tool ( Run spybot in advanced mode, and system startup is
located under Tools>) and removing any unwanted/unneeded
items from your system startup.

Hope i helped,
~ mitch
 
The windows desktop loads when I boot my computer up,
icons appear and everything, but the computer sort of
freezes for about a minute. During this time, I can
click on the icons, move my cursor, double click internet
explorer but IE wont open up for about minute. The
cursor is also an hourglass when I hover over the taskbar
and I can't click anything on the taskbar for the
minute. After the minute, the windows boot up music
sounds and everything is fine.

What could be wrong?
Click to expand...

Obviously, it's something running on startup. The question is - is it something
that you benefit from?

If you keep your computer mostly safe, it's probably something like your
antivirus program contacting its home server to check for updates.

Or it could be spyware.

Get Process Explorer (free) from
<http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/procexp.shtml>. Provides way more
information than Task Manager. And Port Explorer (free) from
<http://www.diamondcs.com.au/portexplorer/index.php?page=home> will show you
what network connections your computer is actually opening, and what processes
are opening them.

If you setup Process Explorer to start immediately after you login, you can
watch it's display and see what process is taking up CPU time during this minute
or so.

I have a very large Hosts file, for adware and spyware blocking (see below). A
large Hosts file takes a long time to load, if you're running DNS Client (and if
you have a small LAN with no WINS server you don't need DNS Client). I disabled
mine. That significantly reduced my wait time that you're reporting.
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/service411.htm#DNS_Client

How current is your virus protection? Try these free online virus scans:
<http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/license.php>
<http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm>
<http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp>
<http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp>

Now check for, and learn to defend against, additional carriers of infection.

First, download LSP-Fix and WinsockXPFIx from <http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm>,
and CWShredder from <http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html>. All are
free.

Next, close all Internet Explorer and Outlook windows, then run CWShredder.
Have it fix all variants.

Now check for, and remove, spyware. Get HijackThis
<http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=3155> and Spybot S&D
<http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download>. Both free.
1) Install and run Spybot. First update it ("Search for updates"), then run a
scan ("Check for problems"). Trust Spybot, and make all recommended deletions.
2) Install and run HijackThis. Do NOT make any changes immediately. Save the
HJT Log.
3) Have your HJT log interpreted by experts at one or more of the following
forums (and post it here):
<http://forums.net-integration.net/>
<http://www.spywareinfo.com/forums/>
<http://forums.tomcoyote.org/>
<http://www.wilderssecurity.com/>

If removal of any spyware affects your ability to access the internet (some
spyware builds itself into the network software, and its removal may damage your
network), run LSP-Fix and / or WinsockXPFIx.

Harden your browser. There are various websites which will check for
vulnerabilities, here are three which I use.
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/
http://bcheck.scanit.be/bcheck/
https://testzone.secunia.com/browser_checker/

Harden your operating system. Check at least monthly for security updates.
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Block possibly dangerous websites with a Hosts file. Three Hosts file sources I
use:
http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/get_hosts.html
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
(The third is included, and updated, with Spybot (see above)).

And please don't contribute to the spread of email address mining viruses.
Learn to munge your email address properly, to keep yourself a bit safer when
posting to open forums. Protect yourself and the rest of the internet - never
post your address unmunged.
http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
I would also agree on something is hanging on startup. I would also do the
spyware thing and then go to start / run / msconfig. Click OK, go to the
startup tab and here you will see what is loading when your PC starts up.
You can uncheck anything here then reboot to see if what you unchecked fixed
the problem.

Good luck

Thanks
 
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