XP Slow Login

  • Thread starter WorldWarGeneral
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WorldWarGeneral

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Recently, my computer has started to take a very long time when logging in. The actual bootup, from power-on until the welcome screen, is normal. Afer I select my username and enter my password is where the trouble starts. After it accepts my password, it displays "loading personal settings" or something to that effect. Then it just sits there. The hard drive stops chugging for a several seconds too. Then it logs in normally. Any explanations for the slowdown? I tried running bootvis, that sped up the bootup a bit, but didn't affect the login problem at all.

I haven't installed anything recently accept iTunes, and I disabled the iPod service. I checked the Event Viewer, and there are several entries about failing to start the iPod service, as well as the Norton Ghost service. I haven't done anything with the ghost service, but I did set it in msconfig so that the ghost system tray icon doesn't load everytime. Could these disabled services be causing the problem?
 
Have you tried a defrag?
I remember my login slowing down when the NTUSER.* files in the Documents and Settings folder were badly fragmented. A defrag solved the problem.
 
Okay, I'll give defrag a try. Last time I defragged I used the one included with Norton System Works. Looking at the diagram in Windows Defragmenter now, it seems like the data is oddly organized, with sizable gaps of free space between chunks of defragmented data. I guess that's normal, I've never used anything but window's deframenter before, and that always shows stuff being more "together" after a defrag.
 
If you notice considerable fragmentation, defragging with third-party software (I personally prefer PerfectDisk) is a good idea.

However, if you selectively want to defrag only certain files, you could look into this little freeware app called Contig, which runs from a command prompt and defrags only the files you specify. :)
http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/contig.shtml
I actually used that to defrag the NTUSER.* files in my user account profile folder.

I've also heard that disabling the Background Intelligent Transfer Service has reduced lag after boot-up for some people. You might want to look at that as well. (Start>Run>services.msc)
 
I tried the defrag, but it didn't solve the problem. I found the suggestion for disableing the Background Intelligent Transfer Service while searching the forum for posts about similar problems, and disabled it, but it too was unsuccessful.
 
This may sound very wierd but this happened to me as well. I have an HP Photosmart 7350 Printer that has the Compact Flash Reader built in. Windows XP recognizes this as a drive. (E:/ in my case). Well one day XP didn't recognize it and it took forever to boot from the Welcome screen and log in. So I removed my printer and reinstalled it. BOOM... Fixed the issue of slow boot that I was having.

Just a thought......
 
Hmm....I don't have anything like you described, leenaci. I do have some network drives that aren't always connected, but they've never caused a problem in the past. My Network Places is very slow if one of the shares cannot be found, so that's why I mapped the ones that I use the most often.
 
do you still have any traces of norton .. some cases when you uninstall it you have to reformat ..
 
yes, I still have system works installed. I didn't think that Norton would be the problem, but I suppose it could be. I have Norton Anti-Virus on my desktop and it doesn't cause any problems, but I have System Works on my notebook which has the login issue. I'll try uninstalling it to see if it solves the problem. It's System Works 2003 in case that particular version has any known XP problems.
 
disable any startup programs you don't need, IE aim, notorn, winamp, kazza(shudder) etc, there maybe a program that takes awhile to load slowing you down
 
I have disabled most things, except some HP stuff that I"m not sure if I need or not. The only thing that I really use is the "one touch" buttons but I'm not sure which of the several programs HP installs is for one touch. The only thing is, these same programs have always been running, and haven't ever caused a problem before.

In addition, I've localized the problem to my user account, other existing accounts and newly created ones all login normally.
 
Okay, I'll check out the startup control panel. I don't have anything in my startup folder besides the Microsoft Office thing, which has always been there, but that isn't to say that something isn't trying to start anyway.

I still have Server and Workstation enabled, I have a network between my desktop and my laptop, so do I need to have them enabled?
 
Sounds if you might have accidently introduced"Spyware" as a result of the new software you loaded.
Maybe if you use "Ad Aware" you might see that thats a possible reason for your system slowing down.
 
I considered spyware, and ran AdAware, but it only found some "tracking cookies" I finally just gave up and just created a new user account and copied all my my documents and stuff over to the new one, and deleted the troubled account. I haven't run into the same problem again yet...
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
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Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
hello peeps... is been some time since i last came here.
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