Computer is Slow to Start (Page 3): I guess the best thing to do is notice what programs start when the computer is brand new.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

ebbote wrote:

Jerry, you can disable every thing in MSCONFIG, that does
not disable the programs, it just stops them from loading
on startup, everything still works normally and your PC will
boot up faster. The only thing I would leave checked is the
anti-virus program.

I guess the best thing to do is notice what programs start when the computer is brand new.

DaveHam Loc: Reading UK

Laptop or desktop?

If it's a desktop it may be that the power supply is starting to fail and requires longer to start. Any computer shop should be able to check it out in a few moments.

Another possibility is the on/off switch having been distorted by use.

shadows creation Loc: san antonio

What os are you running?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

shadows creation wrote:

What os are you running?

Vista

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DaveHam wrote:

Laptop or desktop?

If it's a desktop it may be that the power supply is starting to fail and requires longer to start. Any computer shop should be able to check it out in a few moments.

Another possibility is the on/off switch having been distorted by use.

It's a desktop, and I replaced the switch.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Is this a Studio XPS tower from Dell ?

jerryc41 wrote:

It's a desktop, and I replaced the switch.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Screamin Scott wrote:

Is this a Studio XPS tower from Dell ?

Yes, it is.

shadows creation Loc: san antonio

You can send me a private message and I can walk you through fixing it. Takes about 20 min.

Pepsiman Loc: New York City

jerryc41 wrote:

I thought someone might ask about that. I keep a pad and pencil next to the computer, and... kidding.

I have a great free program called CrystalDiscInfo. It keeps track of hard drive info, including temperature.

http://crystalmark.info/software/CrystalDiskInfo/index-e.html

My An3ti vi2ris saiqd 3that 3that software is not safe...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Pepsiman wrote:

My An3ti vi2ris saiqd 3that 3that software is not safe...

I've used it on several computers for quite a few years. Okay so far.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Tomorrow I'm going to reseat all the connections, replace the BIOS battery, and then replace the power supply. Of course, I'll stop if one of these solves the starting problem. I'll let you know how it goes.

DrPhrogg Loc: NJ

jerryc41 wrote:

My son has a Dell, about 5 years old. It's a Core i7, 8GB of RAM. When he pushes the ON button, nothing happens. Holding it for a few seconds will usually get it started. I replaced the switch with one that was good, but it didn't make any difference. it has about 8,300 hours on it, with 2,700 starts.

Any ideas?

The longer you use a computer, the more "footprints" get left in the hard drive. Run "msconfig" by clicking on the Start button and entering msconfig in the box. Look at the programs you have in the startup files. Uncheck those you don't need, and click apply. Don't uncheck those you don't know. If you don't use a program all the time, like Scype, it doesn't need to load on startup. You can load it later if you need it. Uncheck it.
Also go to the control panel and look at the programs you have installed. Uninstall any you are sure you don't need. If you don't know what the program does, do not delete it. Some are used by other necessary programs. However, programs like "Ask" and BingBar" will install as a parasite with other install or updates. Every program that loads on startup will take additional time.
Then go to Explore and right click on C:/ drive, and select properties. Select disk cleanup. Then run defrag, and reboot.
You don't say if you have a anti-virus program running. If you have more than one, they will often conflict and slow the computer down. McAfee and Norton are known as Bloatware, because of the ad-ons that you don't want. If you use Windows 7 or earlier install Microsoft Security Essentials. Another good free program is Avast.com. They have a paid upgrade, but their free version is highly rated.
One of the basic problems with a slow computer is the extras that accumulate over time. You can buy a program that will help, but you can do it yourself without difficulty. You can also sign up for a blog by Bob Rankin (askbobrankin.com) Use the search to find articles on how to clean up your computer.
If none of this works, I just bought a new Dell 15" for about $300.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DrPhrogg wrote:

The longer you use a computer, the more "footprints" get left in the hard drive. Run "msconfig" by clicking on the Start button and entering msconfig in the box.

Thanks. I'm pretty good about keeping up with the Start programs through msconfig. They can accumulate fast.

The "slow" in this case is the actual turning on. The power button has to be held for several seconds while you hope it will start.

Today, I'm going to reseat all the cables, replace the onboard battery, and replace the power supply. I'm hoping one of those things will get it starting properly again.

Picdude Loc: Ohio

jerryc41 wrote:

Thanks. I'm pretty good about keeping up with the Start programs through msconfig. They can accumulate fast.

The "slow" in this case is the actual turning on. The power button has to be held for several seconds while you hope it will start.

Today, I'm going to reseat all the cables, replace the onboard battery, and replace the power supply. I'm hoping one of those things will get it starting properly again.

:thumbup: :thumbup: Good luck, let us know the result :-D

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Picdude wrote:

:thumbup: :thumbup: Good luck, let us know the result :-D

It's working!

I want to thank Kubota King for suggesting that I reseat the cables on the MOBO. That was all I did, and I was able to start it with one push of the button - several times in a row.