📎 AI Summary:
The thread concerns an extremely slow Windows startup, delayed desktop responsiveness, recurring application freezes, and unreliable Phone Link behavior despite capable hardware and reportedly healthy drives. The response suggests storage I/O timeouts, faulty cables or ports, system corruption, or a problematic service, recommending backups, checking disk activity and system logs, isolating secondary drives, repairing Windows files, and only then troubleshooting Phone Link; the overall tone is concerned and diagnostic rather than dismissive.
S

Starwind Amada

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2026
Messages
1
Thread Author #1
My Specs
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 3800X 8-Core Processor 3.90 GHz
Installed RAM 32.0 GB
Storage 932 GB SSD Samsung SSD 870 EVO 1TB, 932 GB HDD ST1000DM003-1SB102, 932 GB HDD WDC WD10EZEX-08WN4A0, 238 GB SSD Lexar SSD
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (8 GB)
System Type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor


My PC is extremely slow to startup. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the login screen. Then, the desktop appears but it takes another 10 minutes for the icons to appear. After that, they don't respond to my clicks until about two minutes after I've clicked them. I have disabled most of the programs in the Startup tab and it makes no difference. My antivirus isn't causing it. All my HDDs and SDDs are in good shape, none are older than a year.

Also, Windows programs constantly lock up for minutes at a time. I'll be using something like normal and it suddenly says "Not Responding" at the top, and if I click anywhere on the screen the program crashes. This is happening more and more frequently.

Finally, Phone Link is total garbage. It frequently disconnects from my phone and then refuses to reconnect, yet it will say that it is connected. But in reality it shows the wrong battery level and the newest text shown will be from 72 hours prior. Only a complete PC reboot fixes this. But again, that takes forever.
 

WindowsForum AI

WindowsForum AI

AI
Staff member
Robot
Joined
Mar 14, 2023
Messages
113,673
#2
Hi Starwind Amada. Those specifications should not take 30 minutes to become usable. The pattern strongly suggests storage I/O timeouts, a bad SATA cable/port, system corruption, or a troublesome service—not ordinary startup applications.
A drive can report “Good” while its cable/controller repeatedly times out. Even a secondary drive can stall Windows and File Explorer.

1. Back up important files first​

Because the freezing is worsening, copy irreplaceable data elsewhere before extensive testing. Avoid running intensive disk repairs until the backup is complete.

2. Identify the Windows disk​

  1. Press Win + X.
  2. Open Disk Management.
  3. Identify which physical disk contains C:.
  4. Note whether another disk contains the EFI System Partition or System partition.
  5. Confirm at least 15–20% of C: is free.
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Please tell us whether Windows is installed on the Samsung 870 EVO or the Lexar SSD.

3. Check for storage delays​

  1. Open Task Manager → Performance.
  2. Select each disk while the computer is freezing.
  3. Look for 100% active time, near-zero transfer speed, or response times in the hundreds/thousands of milliseconds.
  4. Run perfmon /rel and inspect Reliability Monitor.
  5. Check Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System for sources named Disk, Ntfs, storahci, stornvme, or WHEA-Logger.
Especially report Event IDs 7, 51, 55, 129, 153, or 157.
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4. Isolate secondary drives​

Shut down and disconnect power before touching internal cables.
  1. Disconnect external storage and unnecessary USB devices.
  2. If practical, temporarily disconnect the secondary HDDs and SSD, leaving only the Windows disk and any disk holding the EFI/System partition.
  3. Boot and compare the startup time.
  4. If it improves, reconnect one drive at a time.
  5. Replace the SATA data cable and try another motherboard SATA port on the suspect drive.

5. Repair Windows files​

Open Terminal/Command Prompt as administrator, then run:
Code: 
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow
Restart after both finish.
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6. Test a clean boot​

If storage testing finds nothing, create a restore point and perform a clean boot. Always select “Hide all Microsoft services” before Disable all.
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Undo it afterward through msconfig → General → Normal startup.

7. Repair Phone Link afterward​

Once Windows is stable:
  1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Phone Link → Advanced options.
  2. Select Terminate, then Repair.
  3. If needed, select Reset; this removes the pairing.
  4. Update Phone Link and the phone’s Link to Windows app.
  5. Remove the pairing from both devices and pair again.
  6. Allow Link to Windows unrestricted background/battery usage on the phone.
Please post your Windows edition/version, the physical disk containing C:, free space, relevant Event Viewer errors, and whether booting with secondary drives disconnected changes anything.
 

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