HELP Boot Up Really Slow Painfully Slow Dimension 2400

smeakim · 01-11-2006, 07:24 PM

So last night my computer was acting up so I tried to reboot it. It displayed the splash screen for my dell and then went to a blank screen with a blinking cursor. After about 3 min the computer boots fine into windows. I tried reformmating the HD and reinstalling but that does not work. Anyone have any ideas why? Sometimes it goes to a screen that has 8 choices of what I want to do like boot from IDE, normal, and etc. Any help would be appreciated.

DarkFury · 01-11-2006, 08:49 PM

Virus possibilities? Spyware?

When was the last time you defragged your hard drive?

Honestly, over time it just seems that Windows needs "cleaning" just to keep stuff running smoothly.

smeakim · 01-11-2006, 09:00 PM

I thought virus and spyware but I run both mcafee and anti spy ware from microsoft. I reformatted doing a low level format and reinstalled windows. The computer runs fine once it boots no problems. The problem is between when the splash screen displays and when windows starts loading. After the windows loading screen comes up it boot perfect.

DarkFury · 01-11-2006, 11:40 PM

Did you run the virus and spyware progs from "Safe Mode"? If not.. you may not catch them all.

Also, maybe you should test your memory with Memtest86 to make sure that everything is cool there too.

Jeffbx · 01-12-2006, 05:50 AM

Maybe try upgrading the machine's BIOS

smeakim · 01-13-2006, 11:57 AM

Well I pulled out the modem since it is no longer needed thinking there might have been a conflict. I rebooted and still had issues. I rebooted into safe mode and ran MS Anti-Spyware running a full indepth system scan. I then ran a full Mcafee scan. Both have current definitions as of yesterday. Found nothing. Rebooted going to BIOS setup. Cleared the system boot log and rebooted. Nothing showed in the log. Well I was thinking of flashing the BIOS, but since my machine doesn't have a floppy I think I may just live with it. After boot it works fine and I am backing everything up I change each night that is of importance.

zero2dash · 01-18-2006, 06:09 PM

Do you have a cd in the drive that it's trying to boot off of?
I know on my desktop PC, if our Sims 2 game disc dvd is in there, it will hang on the post screen for several minutes...bad enough that I give up and reboot the machine without the disc in the drive. (In the screen right before it says "Press any key to boot from CD.")

Being that its a Dell - it probably won't prompt you to hit a button to boot off cd (if there is one in the drive)...my experience has been that most manufactured pc's almost never ask you and they just try to do it regardless.

You might also want to check your boot drive list/order and maybe disable everything but your hd and see if that speeds up things a bit.

I'd also boot off of a Win2k/XP cd (even if it's Dell restore cd) and see if you can get to the Recovery console to do a checkdisk (CHKDSK)...you may have a boot sector problem and/or need to fix your MBR (master boot record).

Markel · 01-18-2006, 07:50 PM

Sometimes after removing (or moving) PCI cards it can help to go into the BIOS and have it "rediscover" the cards. The settings for this vary (on my ASUS I think it has to do with disabling "fast boot").

Paymaster · 01-27-2006, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zero2dash

You might also want to check your boot drive list/order and maybe disable everything but your hd and see if that speeds up things a bit.

I'm thinking the same thing. The usb CD Burner on my uncle's PC died, and it took about three minutes to boot. As soon as I unplugged the CD burner, it started right up. It sounds like your machine is trying to boot of something that you don't want it to...

smeakim · 01-27-2006, 03:34 PM

I reviewed the boot order in the BIOS and the HD is first. I tried unplugging the CD and DVD drives and still have issues. Can I run CHKDSK from within windows. I don't have any way to get to DOS becuase I don't have a floppy. Anyone have any links to read on fixing the master boot record?

Grimm · 01-27-2006, 03:39 PM

Do you have an extra hard drive you can replace the boot drive with? Install an OS and see how fast it is then. If it is still slow, you have a hardware problem. If it is fast, it is either the old hadr drive or a software problem.

01-11-2006, 07:24 PM	#1
smeakim Lieutenant Commander Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: CO Posts: 690	HELP Boot Up Really Slow Painfully Slow Dimension 2400 So last night my computer was acting up so I tried to reboot it. It displayed the splash screen for my dell and then went to a blank screen with a blinking cursor. After about 3 min the computer boots fine into windows. I tried reformmating the HD and reinstalling but that does not work. Anyone have any ideas why? Sometimes it goes to a screen that has 8 choices of what I want to do like boot from IDE, normal, and etc. Any help would be appreciated.

01-11-2006, 08:49 PM	#2
DarkFury Secretary of the Navy Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Chillin' N Da 'Hood Posts: 34,997	Virus possibilities? Spyware? When was the last time you defragged your hard drive? Honestly, over time it just seems that Windows needs "cleaning" just to keep stuff running smoothly. __________________ DarkFury's Pimptopia - Don't Hate the Playa, Hate the Game! Home of the Original OG Pimp (accept NO imitations)

01-18-2006, 06:09 PM	#7
zero2dash Commander Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Fenton, MO - but I wish I was at the beach. ANY beach. Posts: 1,367	Do you have a cd in the drive that it's trying to boot off of? I know on my desktop PC, if our Sims 2 game disc dvd is in there, it will hang on the post screen for several minutes...bad enough that I give up and reboot the machine without the disc in the drive. (In the screen right before it says "Press any key to boot from CD.") Being that its a Dell - it probably won't prompt you to hit a button to boot off cd (if there is one in the drive)...my experience has been that most manufactured pc's almost never ask you and they just try to do it regardless. You might also want to check your boot drive list/order and maybe disable everything but your hd and see if that speeds up things a bit. I'd also boot off of a Win2k/XP cd (even if it's Dell restore cd) and see if you can get to the Recovery console to do a checkdisk (CHKDSK)...you may have a boot sector problem and/or need to fix your MBR (master boot record). Last edited by zero2dash : 01-18-2006 at 06:11 PM.

01-18-2006, 07:50 PM	#8
Markel Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 11,733	Sometimes after removing (or moving) PCI cards it can help to go into the BIOS and have it "rediscover" the cards. The settings for this vary (on my ASUS I think it has to do with disabling "fast boot"). __________________ stay low... keep moving...

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01-11-2006, 09:00 PM	#3
smeakim Lieutenant Commander Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: CO Posts: 690	I thought virus and spyware but I run both mcafee and anti spy ware from microsoft. I reformatted doing a low level format and reinstalled windows. The computer runs fine once it boots no problems. The problem is between when the splash screen displays and when windows starts loading. After the windows loading screen comes up it boot perfect.

01-11-2006, 11:40 PM	#4
DarkFury Secretary of the Navy Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Chillin' N Da 'Hood Posts: 34,997	Did you run the virus and spyware progs from "Safe Mode"? If not.. you may not catch them all. Also, maybe you should test your memory with Memtest86 to make sure that everything is cool there too.

01-12-2006, 05:50 AM	#5
Jeffbx Fleet Admiral Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Michigan Posts: 9,390	Maybe try upgrading the machine's BIOS

01-13-2006, 11:57 AM	#6
smeakim Lieutenant Commander Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: CO Posts: 690	Well I pulled out the modem since it is no longer needed thinking there might have been a conflict. I rebooted and still had issues. I rebooted into safe mode and ran MS Anti-Spyware running a full indepth system scan. I then ran a full Mcafee scan. Both have current definitions as of yesterday. Found nothing. Rebooted going to BIOS setup. Cleared the system boot log and rebooted. Nothing showed in the log. Well I was thinking of flashing the BIOS, but since my machine doesn't have a floppy I think I may just live with it. After boot it works fine and I am backing everything up I change each night that is of importance.

01-27-2006, 03:34 PM	#10
smeakim Lieutenant Commander Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: CO Posts: 690	I reviewed the boot order in the BIOS and the HD is first. I tried unplugging the CD and DVD drives and still have issues. Can I run CHKDSK from within windows. I don't have any way to get to DOS becuase I don't have a floppy. Anyone have any links to read on fixing the master boot record?

01-27-2006, 03:39 PM	#11
Grimm 100% Pure Evil Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 7,861	Do you have an extra hard drive you can replace the boot drive with? Install an OS and see how fast it is then. If it is still slow, you have a hardware problem. If it is fast, it is either the old hadr drive or a software problem.

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