Sick PC - Help Please

[Piff]

Help!
Pc will not fully boot.
Old desktop running Windows XP.
Boots to normal desktop, with task bar at bottom. On task bar is start button on left and clock on right.
Rest of start up icons (next to clock) not loading.
Hovering cursor over task bar it turns into an egg timer.
None of desktop icons work. Start button does not work.

Tried reset button.
Tried switching off power.

Worked ok yesterday.

As I'm typing this on a laptop, the desktop is gradually coming to life, but start up has taken about 10 mins so far.
Just tried launching Firefox, & it has taken 2 minutes to load

Any advice appreciated to solve slow issues

 

[A210AMG]

Microsoft Corporation

start it in safe mode, then restart.

 

[grumpyoldgit]

Depending on the size of your HDD it could be getting full. Do you run Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter on a regular basis? Lots of Restore Points can also add to the problem, but don't delete any of those unless it's running ok again.

 

[Piff]

Thanks - had forgotton how to get to safe mode.
Have been there years ago and didn't know what to do when I got there - but after starting in safe mode it seemed to cure itself & start normally.

 

[Piff]

Depending on the size of your HDD it could be getting full. Do you run Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter on a regular basis? Lots of Restore Points can also add to the problem, but don't delete any of those unless it's running ok again.

Nope
Hard disc only 10% full

edit - ran clean up & defrag last week when I was having firefox problems

 

[A210AMG]

happy days

 

[Piff]

happy days

Don't they always play up when you are in a hurry

 

[Sp!ke]

Start windows in safe mode and do a system restore to before the problem started.

 

[Piff]

Start windows in safe mode and do a system restore to before the problem started.

Have done that (twice) before I saw your post.
Both times system restore has worked (never got it to work before in "normal" mode). After the system restore, the machine restarts itself and the restart is normal, takes the usual amount of time.

However, testing it with a subsequent restart, I'm back to a 10 minute start up

I've just tried "msconfig" and there doesn't appear to be anything unusual in the start up tab

Just tried Eusing registry cleaner, but I can't try a restart now cos I haven't got 10 minutes spsre to wait at the moment!

 

[Sp!ke]

Dont use any registry cleaner - seriously, most make things worse rather than better.

Something is starting up in normal mode that doesnt in safe mode...possibly malware of some kind, possibly a faulting application or driver.

I'd start by downloading malwarebytes in safe mode (get it from ninite.com) and after ensuring that it has the latest updates, run a full scan and see what it finds while still in safe mode.

Post up what happens

 

[Piff]

Dont use any registry cleaner - seriously, most make things worse rather than better.

Something is starting up in normal mode that doesnt in safe mode...possibly malware of some kind, possibly a faulting application or driver.

I'd start by downloading malwarebytes in safe mode (get it from ninite.com) and after ensuring that it has the latest updates, run a full scan and see what it finds while still in safe mode.

Post up what happens

Haven't followed your advice yet, but downloaded malwarebytes last week (firefox problems) It didn't find anything.
Inbetween re-starts/system restores today, malwarebytes installed an upgrade. This was lost when I did the last system restore.

I'll try an update & full scan now.

 

[Sp!ke]

In safe mode...

 

[Danny DeVito]

Have done that (twice) before I saw your post.
Both times system restore has worked (never got it to work before in "normal" mode). After the system restore, the machine restarts itself and the restart is normal, takes the usual amount of time.

However, testing it with a subsequent restart, I'm back to a 10 minute start up

I've just tried "msconfig" and there doesn't appear to be anything unusual in the start up tab

Just tried Eusing registry cleaner, but I can't try a restart now cos I haven't got 10 minutes spsre to wait at the moment!

Under startup in msconfig i disabled all except things i need to start. Like antivirus etc or system stuff. I dont see why adobe needs to start or my webcam software. It all runs when i click them. Even now on vista i have only 4 startup items. Under 'general' tab it will change to selective startup

 

[Piff]

Downloaded Malwarebytes, updated, ran full scan (in safe mode). No problems found.

Restarted in normal mode, took a few minutes to load the task bar, with the start button & clock, then took a further 21 minutes to load (clock was frozen during that time).

So no progress

 

[Sp!ke]

Can you see what is using the cpu at boot time in task manager?

Is the disk light continuously on?
Aside from msconfig, have you looked for any scheduled tasks?

are you aware of any recently installed applicatons or hardware changes?

If you do a system restore and it works for a single reboot, have you checked your event logs and windows update logs to see what is being changed between the restore working and the return of the problem?

 

[Piff]

Can't access anything during boot.
Wiil look for disc light next time (just re-started and another restart would last min 10 minutes!)
Sheduled tasks:-
Adaware - just deleted this as I got rid of adaware when I installed Malware bytes - it said that it was scheduled for Tue & Fri and had never run
Adobe flash player - says it is scheduled to run every hour
Apple software updater - says scheduled to run at 07:37 every Tue and has never run
Backup - at 20:00 every day, never run.
Google update task machine core - scheduled to run at user logon - could this be the issue?
Google update task machine UA - sheduled to run every hour

No recent hardware changes
Recently installed applications:-
Revo Uninstaller
Microsoft Security Essentials
Firefox
Adobe reader update
Malwarebytes

Event logs & update logs over my head!

I'm going to try getting rid of the 2 Google tasks from the Scheduled Tasks

 

[Piff]

Just restarted - took about 15 minutes.
Managed to get Task Manager open half way through & took a screen shot (just after I killed google updater as one of the processes


Hard disc light flickers & pulses during the start up

 

[Sp!ke]

You hadnt selected show processes for all users...

Have you tried creating a new user account and then logged on with this different user profile to determine if it is imited to a particular profile or not?

 

[Piff]

You hadnt selected show processes for all users...

Have you tried creating a new user account and then logged on with this different user profile to determine if it is imited to a particular profile or not?

I'll try tomorrow

 

[Sp!ke]

I see you have installed Rapport!!

This is one of the worst pieces of software in the universe and you do not need it to do your banking. It is likely to be a significant part of your problem. Uninstall it asap.