XPS 8940, bootup issues, any help?

It is probably cumulatively Windows update that has slowed down Windows loading.  one option is to do a fresh clean install of latest Windows 10 which will wipe all data and you will have to install chrome etc. again.

you can back up your personal data on external hdd then do a clean OS install on boot drive.  In general because boot drive may get corrupted by Windows update and user applications over time, it often becomes less crisp and efficient. A fresh clean drive is a good way to rejuvenate a healthy OS environment.

@zlstm  What application(s) caused the "application error" and "application hang" listed in Event Viewer?  You can ignore the "kernel" errors because that's a generic error meaning you didn't shut windows down properly, eg you force rebooted...

Have you scanned thoroughly for malware recently? Malwarebytes (free) is a good tool for this.

And before you do a clean install I suggest you try this:

1. At the desktop, open a CMD prompt windows, Run as administrator
   
   
2. Type in: chkdsk c: /r and press Enter
   Accept the offer to run chkdsk at next boot
   Reboot PC and chkdsk will run before Windows loads, so be patient
   When it's done and you're back at the desktop, you can view the chkdsk log using Event Viewer to see if any errors were logged
   
   
3. Then, back at desktop, open a CMD prompt window, Run as administrator
   
   
4. At the prompt, type in: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter
   Be sure to include a space in front of each / and note any error messages when that's done.
   
   
5. Assuming no errors in #4, at the CMD prompt, type in: sfc /scannow and press Enter
   Be sure to include a space in front of the / and note any errors when that's done
   
   
6. Assuming no unfixed errors in 2, 4 or 5, reboot PC and see if the problems are resolved.

---

@zlstm wrote:

Sometimes when I start up my computer,

it logs into the account slower than usual,

and the pinned taskbar icons (Chrome, File Explorer, etc.) do not show up.

Attempting to press the Windows key does not open up the Windows start menu,

---

Sounds like your Windows is corrupt.

Either a hardware failure, too many poor/dirty shut-downs, or maybe even a virus.

Does it pass ePSA Diagnostics (F12 on boot).

"application hang" is caused by explorer.exe version 10.0.19041.1415, while "application error" is caused by pcdrsysinfovideocapture.p5x, version: 6.0.7303.400. I suspect the application hang is the issue, and not the application error because that occurs throughout the day with no noticeable problems.

Thank you for the responses @RoHe, @Tesla1856, and @redxps630, I will try each suggestion as the problem arises and see which solution sorts it out.

Cheers.

@zlstm -  "pcdrsysinfovideocapture.p5x" is part of PC Doctor which is part of Dell's SupportAssist.  SupportAssist could be responsible for many/most your problems.

If the commands I listed above, don't (fully) solve the problem, I'd either disable or uninstall SupportAssist and Dell Update, and see if that's the fix. You can always download and them again for free from the XPS 8940 support page, if you want/need them.

If you decide to uninstall them, use Revo Uninstaller (free) to manage the uninstall for you. Near the end, when Revo shows screens with leftover items marked in bold, select and delete all bold items. Don't delete anything marked in red.

Let us know how things go...

---

@zlstm wrote:

, while "application error" is caused by pcdrsysinfovideocapture.p5x, version: 6.0.7303.400.

---

That could be SuppportAssist .

Either update, re-install, or just uninstall for now (to help troubleshoot).

@RoHe  might have better SupportAssist troubleshooting tips.