Windows 7 Start up softwares taking longer than usual?

[Abey Austin]

Hi,
I've a Dell Inspiron Laptop with Windows 7,
it usually completes booting (after loading all the start up softs) in 35-40 seconds,
but few weeks back I gave my laptop for service (keyboard replacement due to a jammed key) and when I got it back it,
It takes around 80-100 seconds to complete its boot !
I don't know what happened, I checked the start up programs, but It haven't changed
Usually all the start-up software loads quickly. Now, it takes like 5-10 seconds each after a software (say GoogleTalk) to load after it loads another software (like Bluetooth Devices).
I cleaned up caches and all using CCleaner and Run a Full scan with McAfee but didn't find any problems.
Sometimes the Windows welcome tone plays only after 20-30 seconds after it finishes boot!
(I believe the "Starting Windows" & "Welcome" screen loads as usual)

Its getting pretty annoying sometimes

Can any experts find me a Solution for this (to fasten / restore the speed of start-up software loading)? :-(

Thanks in Advance!
Regards,
Abey ☺

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

If you mean 80-100 seconds from power-on to windows login and Internet home page loading, then you really don't have too much to complain about. Windows7 laptops and older (going back to Windows XP) should do this within 5 min. or they need expert service. 3 min. or thereabouts, and now 20-30 sec. less than that puts it into the 2-3 min. load range, which is better than most laptops ever achieve, even right out of the box!

It sounds like you are used to running a really clean computer, with very few programs loaded, and you load up each of the programs you run manually when you use them, and that's fine. Me, I run 30 or 40 programs on startup, and it's takes me a little longer, but I don't have to wait when I need to open a program up to use it. (six of one, half-dozen of another).

Bassfisher mentioned the McAfee being a resource hog and that's true, as it uses around 250-300% of your CPU resources when loading and scanning *by comparison, Norton products use 360%*. That's the best protection on the market by the way.

But I would gladly be willing to have a quality subscription-based product protecting my computer and sacrifice a few seconds or minutes to avoid having a nasty spyware-virus infect my computer and have a hefty $100 or better repair bill to fix it! But, that's just me. Oh, by the way, I go out looking for new viruses on the web to report them, you probably do not.

Avast is the only free product that does a reasonably adequate job, but it cannot stop many of the viruses that I catch in the wild on my systems here; but I'm looking for trouble, most users are not. I work in conjunction with the AV companies to try and stop viruses and to produce antidotes. So, using the McAfee if it's current, working and up-to-date is a time-based sacrifice you may have to learn to live with.

I have a number of customers who don't believe in using security protection programs on their laptops, as they think it's a scam. Those folks keep me in business! It's like driving without Auto-Insurance; it's a money-saver; until you get caught and have a serious accident that mames or kills someone.

The other thing you might try, if the bootup time really bothers you that much is to backup all your data to an external hard drive, flash drive, or CD/DVD discs and run the Factory Recovery Windows Disk that came with your laptop. This will restore it to what we call in the biz "Out-of-Box" condition. It will format the hard drive partition that contains Windows, (make sure you choose the Format option)and replace Windows7 and all the installed programs from Dell that originally came on the laptop. Reboot the laptop, and time the power-on to Internet-home-page loading time and see if it improves, stays the same, or gets worse.

If the time substantially improves back to your original 35-40 seconds timeframe, then some program or programs (possibly including the McAfee) are slowing your system down, which as I said above is the price you pay for having a good quality security protection program running. *MAKE SURE YOU DON'T RESTORE YOUR DATA TO THE NEWLY RELOADED WINDOWS CONFIGURATION AS IT MAY CONTAIN VIRUSES THAT ARE CAUSING YOUR SLOWDOWN*.

Lastly, if after my Windows Restoration instructions are followed, and your bootup time significantly increases, say to 5 min. or more, you may be running into a problem of gradual hard drive degradation. If your laptop is running Windows7 it is between 2 and 4 years old; most hard drives in laptops fail from year 3 onwards. At this point, you should consider taking your computer into a local computer expert, preferably someone who has an A+ Ceritifcation Professional License to work on your computer. They may recommend you replace the hard drive, and they can run diagnostics to make that determination for a small fee. Most laptop hard drive repairs cost between $90-$170 in my area, that includes the cost of the new hard drive. Given that information, most people will wait until the hard drive catastrophically fails, and then go spend the money to repair/replace. The Cow is out of the Barn at that point. But, again, that decision is up to you.

It is quite possible that that is your real problem, and running all these various performance programs cannot fix a hardware problem.

Food for thought.

BIGBEARJEDI

 

[Pauli]

Gadgets are risky, because they very often come with connections. Ones you don't know of, since they are not in the open. If you want to install them, I would suggest to install one at a time, and see how it works.

I've personally gone backwards, to plain Windows. I can see the time and date, like I can on my arm watch, and that's good enough for me. Everything else is just a click away.

McAfee seems to be one of the Antivirus programs that use a lot of CPU. Besides, if you thought you'd get a free one, it's not true. The free license is limited. I personally have Avast Internet Security, paid for, and I'm happy with it. If you look for free ones, you might take a look in http://windowsforum.com/threads/any-good-free-antivirus.90590/

And MSE is recommended by the "light bulbs" in this Forum, Link Removed. It gives no extra cost to what you paid for Windows.

Cheerio.

 

[Abey Austin]

FIRSTLY, I would like to apologize for this late reply, And Happy To Say that I've Kinda Fixed the Issue!! :-D
Everyone was right about McAfee!! I believe he was the one Causing the delay! Because I had to re-install McAfee Cause the "Real-time-Scanning" was not getting turned ON due to some unknown problems. After the Re-install everything have gone back to normal!!
Now it finishes booting within 40-50 Seconds! I'm so happy, and appreciate all the Help !

If you mean 80-100 seconds from power-on to windows login and Internet home page loading, then you really don't have too much to complain about. Windows7 laptops and older (going back to Windows XP) should do this within 5 min. or they need expert service. 3 min. or thereabouts, and now 20-30 sec. less than that puts it into the 2-3 min. load range, which is better than most laptops ever achieve, even right out of the box!

It sounds like you are used to running a really clean computer, with very few programs loaded, and you load up each of the programs you run manually when you use them, and that's fine. Me, I run 30 or 40 programs on startup, and it's takes me a little longer, but I don't have to wait when I need to open a program up to use it. (six of one, half-dozen of another).

Bassfisher mentioned the McAfee being a resource hog and that's true, as it uses around 250-300% of your CPU resources when loading and scanning *by comparison, Norton products use 360%*. That's the best protection on the market by the way.

But I would gladly be willing to have a quality subscription-based product protecting my computer and sacrifice a few seconds or minutes to avoid having a nasty spyware-virus infect my computer and have a hefty $100 or better repair bill to fix it! But, that's just me. Oh, by the way, I go out looking for new viruses on the web to report them, you probably do not.

Avast is the only free product that does a reasonably adequate job, but it cannot stop many of the viruses that I catch in the wild on my systems here; but I'm looking for trouble, most users are not. I work in conjunction with the AV companies to try and stop viruses and to produce antidotes. So, using the McAfee if it's current, working and up-to-date is a time-based sacrifice you may have to learn to live with.

I have a number of customers who don't believe in using security protection programs on their laptops, as they think it's a scam. Those folks keep me in business! It's like driving without Auto-Insurance; it's a money-saver; until you get caught and have a serious accident that mames or kills someone.

The other thing you might try, if the bootup time really bothers you that much is to backup all your data to an external hard drive, flash drive, or CD/DVD discs and run the Factory Recovery Windows Disk that came with your laptop. This will restore it to what we call in the biz "Out-of-Box" condition. It will format the hard drive partition that contains Windows, (make sure you choose the Format option)and replace Windows7 and all the installed programs from Dell that originally came on the laptop. Reboot the laptop, and time the power-on to Internet-home-page loading time and see if it improves, stays the same, or gets worse.

If the time substantially improves back to your original 35-40 seconds timeframe, then some program or programs (possibly including the McAfee) are slowing your system down, which as I said above is the price you pay for having a good quality security protection program running. *MAKE SURE YOU DON'T RESTORE YOUR DATA TO THE NEWLY RELOADED WINDOWS CONFIGURATION AS IT MAY CONTAIN VIRUSES THAT ARE CAUSING YOUR SLOWDOWN*.

Lastly, if after my Windows Restoration instructions are followed, and your bootup time significantly increases, say to 5 min. or more, you may be running into a problem of gradual hard drive degradation. If your laptop is running Windows7 it is between 2 and 4 years old; most hard drives in laptops fail from year 3 onwards. At this point, you should consider taking your computer into a local computer expert, preferably someone who has an A+ Ceritifcation Professional License to work on your computer. They may recommend you replace the hard drive, and they can run diagnostics to make that determination for a small fee. Most laptop hard drive repairs cost between $90-$170 in my area, that includes the cost of the new hard drive. Given that information, most people will wait until the hard drive catastrophically fails, and then go spend the money to repair/replace. The Cow is out of the Barn at that point. But, again, that decision is up to you.

It is quite possible that that is your real problem, and running all these various performance programs cannot fix a hardware problem.

Food for thought.

BIGBEARJEDI

Hi @BIGBEARJEDI, Thanks a LOOT for taking the time to reply! . Yeah I totally Agree with you. I also believe 80-100 seconds is a pretty fair time. Cause like 6 years ago, my old computer (XP) used to take upto 8-10 mints to complete its boot !!
Yes, I usually never keep /installs un-wanted programs on my computer. I've my subscription of McAfee upto next April, so sometimes I'd stick with him till then McAfee also used to do a pretty decent Job, I'm sill wondering what could've possibly go wrong with it at the service station.
Yeah Avast! also do a pretty decent Job, I've used it for bout 3 months before I had McAfee. My Friend have Avast (free) on his computer and but strangely when I copied and scanned (with Avast) some files on my USB flash drive from his computer, it(Avast) didn't find any virus or spyware, I did a quick scan with McAfee also when I plugged in my drive on my computer and surprisingly McAfee found 2 malwares! I was also with the opinion that Avast was better than McAfee before this incident. I'm not sure if he usually updates his Avast or not.!

Haha. I believe you, Cause I was one of those guys who thought AV's are just scam! I've didn't use any AV's for about a year until my windows finally give-up It was very long ago, after that incident I put away my theory. ;-)
Yes, I also thought about re-installing windows, but I was too lazy to copy all the files and blah blah blah (I'm happy that I didn't do it, now )
You're right again I've personally experienced with slow system due to old HDD on my Moms laptop, however mine is pretty new. I bought it only bout 10 months ago.. My Cousin is a computer engineer, I made him to check my issue, but he couldn't find any issues, but he did several tests and other tune-ups which helped to increase the speed for a while. I'm glad that It is fixed now!

Gadgets are risky, because they very often come with connections. Ones you don't know of, since they are not in the open. If you want to install them, I would suggest to install one at a time, and see how it works.

I've personally gone backwards, to plain Windows. I can see the time and date, like I can on my arm watch, and that's good enough for me. Everything else is just a click away.

McAfee seems to be one of the Antivirus programs that use a lot of CPU. Besides, if you thought you'd get a free one, it's not true. The free license is limited. I personally have Avast Internet Security, paid for, and I'm happy with it. If you look for free ones, you might take a look in http://windowsforum.com/threads/any-good-free-antivirus.90590/

And MSE is recommended by the "light bulbs" in this Forum, Link Removed. It gives no extra cost to what you paid for Windows.

Cheerio.

Hi Pauli, thanks for the reply.. I usually use the Gadgets which Windows have provided in default (i.e Calendar & Clock). However I removed them now (just to be sure ). Usually I never mind Gadgets much, even If I'm on desktop, I'd check the taskbar first to check the time / date!
I also found out that if we click "Get more gadgets" on the Gadgets window, it opens the Page "Gadgets have been discontinued due to serious vulnerabilities" (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/gadgets) I think Microsoft should start some sort of campaigning to make other people aware of this too!

Thanks for the links Pauli, I think its legit to get a paid version of a good AV than a free-version (maybe just to increase my confidence ) and also Good AV's like Kaspersky is available <$10 in my place!

I've heard both good and negative reviews about MSE! One of my friend have installed MSE recently (and he's one of those guys who downloads the "whole internet" ), lets see how it goes!

Best Regards,
Abey.

 

[Pauli]

I'm glad to see that you have got it running. Problems are usually linked, one thing leads to another... that's why solving them most often require a conversation, not merely "question and answer".

Happy for You, best wishes.