really slow start up

First, click Start--Run--type in "msconfig" (not the quotes)--click OK--click on the Startup tab--uncheck all entries except for your firewall anti-virus and spyware checkers--click OK--reboot.

Second, right-click the C drive--click Properties--under the General tab click Disk Cleanup--delete all files it finds--then click the Tools tab--click the "Check Now" button--select any of the two boxes you wish to check--click Start (it needs to reboot and run at startup so let it do this now)--then go back to Properties--Tools tab-- defragment the drive (defrag 3 times is best).

If you still have problems let us know.

Is your machine attached to a network? A windows NT network? A Network migrating to windows 2000 or 2003 ?

I've had similar situations and the problem may be with the user profile. Try logging on with another profile, if there is one (and preferably one joined to the domain if you're logging onto a domain or workgroup) and test the response time. You could also add an account and log on with it and test response time. Basically, if you can log on with other profiles without the slow response time the problem probably lies with the user profile. You may have to delete and readd the profile. Hope this helps.

I've had similar situations and the problem may be with the user profile. Try logging on with another profile, if there is one (and preferably one joined to the domain if you're logging onto a domain or workgroup) and test the response time. You could also add an account and log on with it and test response time. Basically, if you can log on with other profiles without the slow response time the problem probably lies with the user profile. You may have to delete and readd the profile. Hope this helps.

All the above are right and I recently ran across exactly the same problem which was caused by a bad LAN card which was somehow slowing the thing down dramatically.

I would first start by removing any applications from the start menu with msconfig and then create a different user profile and if that doesn't work you can them start to remove some of the additional hardware and see if things improve.

You should also run a HDD testing utility on your HDD just to make sure that it isn't going bad and slowing down as well.

If you hit ctrl-alt-delete how many running processes are there? The more that there are the slower the computer is going to be.

I've actually seen this quite often on game computers which are overloaded with games and as slow as HELL! The more that you put on the more that Windows has to manipulate at startup and while it is running all of which devour Clock Cycles and slow the system down.

Lets know how you get on.

Col

thanks everyone
ive tried all the suggestions.
it would seem to be the user acc
as a new one opens quickly, but i will loose to many files.email esp.
if i re-install xp with upgrade version and then update everything, will it keep all my files and email or will i still loose them all.
slower

you don't lose files just because your on a different account. you just need to move them (as admin) from one account to the other.

shouldn't lose ANYTHING just because your on another account.

just before u delete the old acc it says cannot save emails, favorits etc
slower

I'm assuming the new user account works and you're trying to copy files from one account to the other. (If this isn't the case, ignore this)

On the C drive open the Documents and Settings folder. There should be a folder for each user account. Open a window for both your old account and the newly created one and have them both open side by side. Copy My Documents, Favorites and Desktop from the old account folder to the new one (it's OK to overwrite the files if there is nothing new in the new account). As for email, it's a bit trickier.

Outlook Express: Open OE and set up your email account with the correct settings. Go to File > Import > Messages to open the import wizard. Take the defaults up to where is asks where the messages are located -- click Browse and browse to Documents and Settings > *old user name* > Local Settings > Application Data > Identities > *some off-the-wall folder name -- the only one there* > Microsoft > Outlook Express. Click OK and use the defaults from there, it will import email from the old account to the new one. For address book use Import > Addresses. It will open a menu to find your address book -- browse to Documents and Settings > *old username* > Application Data > Microsoft > Address Book and click Open. It will import your addresses from old to new.
(It's been a while since I've actually done this so the process may be a bit different but not much if at all)

Outlook: Set up Outlook account w/ correct settings. Click File > Import and Export. Choose "Import from another program or file" and click Next. Choose "Personal Folder File (.pst)" and click Next. Click the Browse button and browse to Documents and Settings > *old username* > Local Settings > Application Data > Microsoft > Outlook and import your *username*.pst file. Replace duplicates -- there should be none to begin with. Import under Personal Folders and include all subfolders. It will pull all email, contacts, tasks etc.
Hope it helps.

many thanks
all is ok now
slower

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