Need help - MCE2005 Welcome screen freezes after logon.

Hi

I have a 3-year old Inspiron 6400 laptop, on a home network, that has shown a consistent problem of a "Log-on freeze" over the past 3-4 months or so. It also occured for a short time about a year ago - but it then disappeared for several months. From my description of the symptoms below, I would greatly appreciate any help the forum members can give me to overcome this problem.

Symptoms;

1. From power-up, the laptop apparently boots OK to the point where the OS "Welcome" screen (with the user account icons) is shown.

2. If I login to any one (of 4 possible) user accounts immediately (less than 5 seconds or so) after the Welcome screen is displayed, the system progresses to the user desktop display and continues to function (apparently) normally. 2 accounts are privileged, 2 are limited, the same same symptoms are shown for all of them - so it doesn't look like a user priviliges problem.

3. If I delay login, i.e. leave the Welcome screen undisturbed, for say 20 to 60 seconds, I can select an account icon and type the password OK. The system then responds by clearing the other account icons, slides the selected icon to the centre and then freezes. Sometimes the "Loading your personal settings" message is displayed before the freeze. During the freeze, the system will not respond to any keyboard or mouse action - also no other PC on the n/w can connect to shared folders. Only the power button hold-down to power-down will respond. The freeze lasts typically 30 minutes and then I get the login jingle (sound) and the display of the user desktop and the system continues to operate (apparently) normally. The 30 minute delay is my principal gripe.

4. If I delay logon for say 45-60 minutes, the system immediately progresses to the user desktop display and continues to function (apparently) normally.

5. If I log-off back to the Welcome screen and then log-on to another account - with any length of delay between log-off/on the system operates normally.

6. If I perform a Safe-Mode startup, the system sometimes delays for a long (random) time at the driver-load-up list (last showing TDI.SYS). This is not consistent and sometimes the system sometimes continues to boot and operate normally in the Safe Mode.

6. If I re-boot the system using; Start - Turn off - Restart, or full power-down and restart, I can consistently reproduce any of the symptoms listed above.

7. There are no entries in the Event Viewer that appear to correspond with the symptoms. There are no (obvious) entries in C:\windows\ntbtlog.txt (boot log) that appear to correspond with the symptoms.

Outline Spec of laptop;

1. Dell Inspiron 6400, T2300 1.6GHz CPU, 2GB DDR2 667MHz RAM, 60GB HDD (Windows partition; (C:) approx 50GB, 23GB free), ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 128MB PCI-e x16 graphics. The only internal hardware change since delivery is a RAM upgrade from 1GB to 2GB.

2. OS = MS Windows Media Center Edition 2005, +SP3, all relevant Windows Updates applied, all relevant Dell drivers and utilities updates applied.

This seems to be a problem associated with system start-up - not an account startup problem. Could it be a driver problem? I have already searched many forums (Dell Community and others) and found others reporting similar problems. I have already tried many of the "fix" suggestions to no avail - including chkdsk, defrag, disable security s/w (Kaspersky Internet Security v9.0.0.463 = v2010-CF1 ), extensive RAM tests (Windows Memory Diagnostic boot CD) and HDD tests (manufacturer boot CD diags). I have tried disabling individual drivers and services, but this just clouded this issue. I have stopped short of a Windows "Repair" or a full OS reinstall - I have no guarantee that the same problem will not just reoccur if I do this. I would rather try and locate the problem and get an actual fix for it.

I am stuck due to the lack of visibility or report (log) of what is actually happening in the OS around this problem. Can anyone suggest suitable diagnostic procedures or software apps. that will display on the screen (or to a log file) the information I need to diagnose this, or more likely, to send to someone else who can diagnose it?

Thank you in advance.

dk2k

Mmmm - no replies eh! I'll see if this gets any attention.

NEWS FLASH - UPDATE

Could the problem be due to ---- wait for it  ---- THE BATTERY? :emotion-8:

Here's the thinking.

1. I uninstall Kaspersky Internet Security. No scientific reason - just wanted to remove the busiest piece of non-OS software at startup.

2. I attempt several Safe-Mode boots - all freeze on driver boot list at mup.sys. I Google this and read loooaaads of stuff. I pick-up on some saying that the drivers being loaded by/with/after mup.sys tend to be those for power-hungry components (ethernet, bluetooth, WiFi, USB etc.) - so, they say, check PSU, MOBO capacitors, toasting components, etc etc.

3. I think - don't want to dismantle my laptop. When I dismantle complicated stuff, there are always "spare" bits left after I have put it back together! Then I remember that I always use the laptop on mains power. "Not good for the battery" says they who are informed. - it needs some exercise!

4. I do several battery charge/discharge runs over the next few days - noting that the laptop takes longer to run down to the 10% alarm point each time.

5. At some point in this charge/discharge exercise, I notice that the freeze has disappeared.

6. Do some more charge/discharge - getting a plateau on the battery capacity increase now. Re-install KIS.

7. No more freeze on the Welcome screen!

I can't explain it, but hey! - I'm happy.

Cheers dk2k

P.S. Hey Dell - how about halving your laptop replacement battery prices!