My computer takes over 5 minutes to boot

[jim.mar]

Recently my machine has developed a habit of taking over 4 minutes after I push the "ON" button before it even tries to boot Windows.  After that it frequently refuses to respond to my mouse commands for several minutes before it reacts.  Sometimes, while using my "FLIGHT SIMLATOR GAME",  it will freeze up indefinately, ruining the session that I  have running.   

Also I cannot restore to a previous restore point.  I get an error signal 0x80042318 message.  I am about ready to reformat and start over.

I am running Windows 7 64bit on a desktop machine with a quad core CPU, 700Gb Hard drive, and4 Gb RAM.    Can anyone help me out here??          Thank you for reading this (in advance).    JIM

[Allan]

What is new or different since the last time everything worked properly (ie, new hw, new sw, virus, error, etc)?

[jim.mar]

Thanks for the comeback ALLEN.   About a motnth ago I was having trouble getting my new wirelss printer to work.  I finally got it working (using USB bus, not wireless) with the heLp of COMPUTER HOPE FORUM but I think I did some damage using "REVO Uninstaller Pro" to fix the register as it started acting pecularly at that time.  ie;  I was not longer able to "System Restore"   (I got the error message re 0x80042318 at that time) and the machine often drifted off doing something else.    I would check the task manager and it would show the CPU almost at idle and NO activities going on.  Yet the machine would not respond to my mouse commands.   Then yesterday I was "FLYING" with my Flight Simulator game and the machine just froze up.   Had to power down manually to shut it off.   
 
   This AM when I tried to boot up it took about 4 minutes before it even tried to load Windows.  Then after it finally loaded Windows, it refused to respond to the mouse again.  Had to use the keyboard to shut down.
So, I don't know what I did but the more I keep trouble shooting the deeper I get into trouble.

Right now the machine is working and I am using it to respond the this post.   Incedentally, I live in Arizona.  Yesterday was pretty hot outside but with air conditioning I keep the enside temp below 84 deg F.   I have lots of cooling in my machine but I do not monitor the CPU  temp,   Should I be doing that?

Thanks again for looking,   JIM

[jason2074]

You may try running msconfig or perform a clean boot. In XP click Start and click run, type msconfig, Ok.  Go to Services tab and checkmark 'Hide all Microsoft Services',click Disable All and click Apply. Reboot your PC or if prompted. Check now booting process. Is it still slow? If its on Vista or Win 7, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

[Forge]

Once when I downloaded FrostWire, the computer booted fine next day, but when I logged in, it took 30 minutes to start. Once it took over an hour too. I formated the computer, maybe it will help you? Since your problem is in the boot, I am not sure if this would help you, because your computer is slow before even Windows have started, which often is the biggest problem. Maybe there is something in BIOS that is changed?

[reddevilggg]

 

Once when I downloaded FrostWire, the computer booted fine next day, but when I logged in, it took 30 minutes to start. Once it took over an hour too. I formated the computer, maybe it will help you? Since your problem is in the boot, I am not sure if this would help you, because your computer is slow before even Windows have started, which often is the biggest problem. Maybe there is something in BIOS that is changed?

Formatting a computer is the last resort and should not really be recommended until all other possibilities have been used. The focus of this site is to give advice and help. I think telling someone that 'maybe' this is it, can be very misleading. I appreciate you are trying to help, but believe me, giving vague and ambiguous advice can often make the problem worse, not better.

[jim.mar]

Thank you FORGE for your concern.  I have been holding back on reformatting to use as a last resort.   I don't think my problem is with windows.  Right now my machine is idling with a black screen.  I turned it on 45 minutes ago.  It took two minutes to even try to boot Windows and another 40+ minutes doodling around in some loop.   I did get into the Bios and set it for optimized default but that didn't help.  I am using my wife's machine to write this. 

My next step is to try to get back into the BIOS and set the boot sequence to try to call up my Windows 7 Recovery disk.  See if that can be of any help.  Keep watching.   If I ever get it fixed, I will let you know  what I dId..       ... JIM

reddevilggg;   Thank you for your input.   I will heed your advice and resort to reformatting as a last ditch effort     Altho it is getting to be a drag.        ...JIM

[patio]

Optimised default may be part of it...try another fail safe setting...

[Spoiler]

I agree with Patio. I have a lot of trouble on machines setting it to the optimised default.

Change it back and did you try to reseat your cards and cables lately? It would give you a change to clean out the inside of the case. May not help but it can't hurt.

[jim.mar]

PATIO:  I don't even know what optimised default is.  I  just picked that assuming that it was the safest.  Nor do I know how to get back to my original BIOS settings.  Can you tell me what would be some other fail safe settings ??

Yesterday I had the machine running sporadically and it recognised that it was sick and ran it's own diagnostic, then sent the data to Microsoft and they returned a diagnosis that:
1   I didn't have the latest updates on Win 7 [WRONG,I do]   
2   I should run the disk checking tool   [I tried to do that but was unsucessful]   
3   Restart my computer [didn't work]   
4   check my disk drive cables  [which I am about to do]   

For some reason the only way I can get the machine to run at all is set the boot priority to boot off of a CD/DVD reader and then have a DVD inserted in the reader.   It doesn't even have to be a bootable DVD.   Figure that???   The machine will start after about 3 minutes then runs like a drunken sailor. 

I am just about to open my machine and check the cables.  I have 4 SATA devices and 1 IDE device.  The  machine does not recognize 3 of the SATA devices.    I thought that if I put in the OEM Windows 7 DVD that I would have an option of repairing the OS already installed.   But it doesn't look like it.   I have not yet given the command to reinstall, thereby reformatting the hard drive.     I keep procrastinating, hoping some one will give me a better answer.

Anyway, thanks guys for your interest and concern.   I will keep stirring the pot.  See ya  ..  JIM