My computer just started doing this a few weeks ago. I takes about 30 minutes to boot up the computer & load Windows 98. When I load an application, it is also pretty slow, but once I've got it up & running, it's fine. The computer's about a year old & has never been like this before. Does anyone know what this could be?

Hey Joe,

Run Scandisk and Defrag on a regular basis. I am assuming that you have WIN98SE. If so, go to Start/Run and type msconfig. Click on the startup tab and check to see how many programs you have loading at boot.

Have you added new software recently, such as anti-virus or system monitoring software, such as Norton?

There are only about three or four programs that you absolutely have to have loaded at boot up. They are: explorer, systray, load power profile and task monitor. The last two are debatable in my book.

Any of the programs that you disable at boot up can always be started once the computer is up and running, in case you think you need the program.

Try the above and see if it helps. Post back with further questions or updates on your progress.

Cheers,

Big Blue 66

Task Monitor is absolutely necessary. That's what opens when you use the three finger salute...[Ctrl] [Alt] [Del].

Also right click on the My Computer icon on the desktop and click the Performance tab, see if it says some drives are running in MS DOS Compatibility Mode.

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Yep Pete, thanks for the correction. I must have been thinking of Task Manager. It's hell to get old. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Joe: How's it going?

Cheers,

Big Blue 66

I thought the only thing that *had* to be running was the shell -- explorer.exe. The rest is dodads http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

skinnyjoe: Sounds to me like your harddisk is running in DOS Mode, like Palaeo Pete suggested (d*mn, I just can't type that word without the 'a'!)

[This message has been edited by sleddog (edited 01-03-2001).]

lol...you should see how many different spellings people can come up with for my real last name!

BB66: Yep, ya never get a bit younger...and it never gets any better...and in my case, the hair never comes back...Task Manager you can certainly live without, I usually disable it first thing.

sleddog: Nope, explorer, systray, and task monitor should alweays run. Task Monitor doesn't show up under [Ctrl] [Alt] [Del] but the other two do. You can usually "End Task" everything else and the computer will run, but leave systray and explorer. In msconfig, they have to be there, and it's best to leave Scan Registry too. Most of the rest can go, at least for troubleshooting purposes.

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My hairdresser charges me a finder's fee!!

Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)