Unless there's a hardware issue, the startup should take nowhere near that long.
If the system has Windows 10 or 11 and an i3 CPU, 4G RAM and a spinning (conventional) hard drive, it will be slow, but not that slow.
Start with a hardware diagnostic. F12 at powerup.
As for the other comment, that will limit you to systems built before 2005, when IBM exited the PC business. The last IBM PCs were made just about 17 years ago.
Once you're logged in and at the Windows desktop, launch task manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), click on more details, and click on the performance tab. Monitor all the graphs for usage for several minutes, or until hard drive activity has decreased. If the memory usage is constantly high or maxed out, you'll need to install more memory to help boost system performance. If the CPU usage is constantly high or pegged at 100%, click on the details tab and find out which programs(s) are taxing the processor. If both CPU & memory usage remain moderately low, but disk access is constantly pegged at 100%, the storage drive is likely starting to fail, and should be replaced, preferably with an SSD if the existing drive is a mechanical hard drive. Also, please list the exact model of your system and its specifications (CPU, amount of memory, storage, etc.) so that we can further help you.
A computer freeze can cause lost work, but one or two freezes don't usually indicate an underlying problem. When your machine freezes regularly within a short time of booting, however, it can point to a number of problems. As a first precaution, you should check your system for viruses. If scans don't reveal any threats, your problem may lie in the software you use or in a hardware failure.
Check for Viruses
Computer viruses can cause a wide range of abnormal behaviors, including using up your computer's processing power to the point of locking up the system. Run a full scan in your anti-virus program to check for problems. Many anti-virus programs can schedule a boot time scan that runs before Windows opens, which can help if your computer freezes before a regular scan can finish. You should also run a scan with an anti-malware program, which can catch other types of invasive software that can harm system performance.
Track Your Computer Use
When your computer freezes repeatedly within a regular time period, track how you use your machine. If you're in an office setting, you may be running the same program every day during a certain period of time. If so, try doing something else, such as letting the computer sit idle past the time it normally freezes. If the problem goes away, your software is probably causing the freeze. Check the program's website for patches that might resolve the problem.
Check for Error Details
Windows keeps a log of errors it encounters, which may provide details about your freezes. Press "Windows-R," type "eventvwr" and press "Enter." Open "Windows Logs" and check both the System and Application categories for errors that occurred around the time of the last freeze. Error logs may mention specific files. If you don't recognize the file names -- errors often cite particular system or driver files -- copy the name into a Web search to find out what program the file belongs to.
Update Your System
Windows Update downloads system bug fixes that fix glitches and incompatibilities, which can cause freezes. You can update manually or schedule automatic updates from the Windows Update control panel. If an error log cites a problem with a non-Windows file, such as your video or audio drivers, download the newest version of the driver from the manufacturer and install it. Because these drivers run continually on your system, they can cause freezing and crashing even if you aren't actively using audio or video software.
Hardware Problems
If troubleshooting software issues doesn't resolve your freeze, you may have a hardware defect. Unfortunately, tracking down hardware issues requires a great deal of time and access to spare parts -- the best way to test individual computer components is by replacing one at a time. One common problem, however, does have an easy fix. Internal dust buildup can cause your computer to overheat a short while after turning on every time you use the computer. If you hear your computer fans consistently running at full blast, try unplugging the computer, opening the case and cleaning the dust out of fans. If your fans don't seem to run at all, check their connections and replace them if necessary.
Version Notice
Information in this article applies to Windows 8 and 8.1, as well as Windows 7 and Vista. It may vary slightly or significantly in other versions.
ejn63
10 Elder
•
30.7K Posts
0
February 25th, 2022 09:00
Unless there's a hardware issue, the startup should take nowhere near that long.
If the system has Windows 10 or 11 and an i3 CPU, 4G RAM and a spinning (conventional) hard drive, it will be slow, but not that slow.
Start with a hardware diagnostic. F12 at powerup.
As for the other comment, that will limit you to systems built before 2005, when IBM exited the PC business. The last IBM PCs were made just about 17 years ago.
Kflash08
3 Apprentice
•
674 Posts
0
February 26th, 2022 10:00
Once you're logged in and at the Windows desktop, launch task manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), click on more details, and click on the performance tab. Monitor all the graphs for usage for several minutes, or until hard drive activity has decreased. If the memory usage is constantly high or maxed out, you'll need to install more memory to help boost system performance. If the CPU usage is constantly high or pegged at 100%, click on the details tab and find out which programs(s) are taxing the processor. If both CPU & memory usage remain moderately low, but disk access is constantly pegged at 100%, the storage drive is likely starting to fail, and should be replaced, preferably with an SSD if the existing drive is a mechanical hard drive. Also, please list the exact model of your system and its specifications (CPU, amount of memory, storage, etc.) so that we can further help you.
AdrianG001
4 Operator
•
4K Posts
0
February 28th, 2022 04:00
A computer freeze can cause lost work, but one or two freezes don't usually indicate an underlying problem. When your machine freezes regularly within a short time of booting, however, it can point to a number of problems. As a first precaution, you should check your system for viruses. If scans don't reveal any threats, your problem may lie in the software you use or in a hardware failure.
Check for Viruses
Computer viruses can cause a wide range of abnormal behaviors, including using up your computer's processing power to the point of locking up the system. Run a full scan in your anti-virus program to check for problems. Many anti-virus programs can schedule a boot time scan that runs before Windows opens, which can help if your computer freezes before a regular scan can finish. You should also run a scan with an anti-malware program, which can catch other types of invasive software that can harm system performance.
Track Your Computer Use
When your computer freezes repeatedly within a regular time period, track how you use your machine. If you're in an office setting, you may be running the same program every day during a certain period of time. If so, try doing something else, such as letting the computer sit idle past the time it normally freezes. If the problem goes away, your software is probably causing the freeze. Check the program's website for patches that might resolve the problem.
Check for Error Details
Windows keeps a log of errors it encounters, which may provide details about your freezes. Press "Windows-R," type "eventvwr" and press "Enter." Open "Windows Logs" and check both the System and Application categories for errors that occurred around the time of the last freeze. Error logs may mention specific files. If you don't recognize the file names -- errors often cite particular system or driver files -- copy the name into a Web search to find out what program the file belongs to.
Update Your System
Windows Update downloads system bug fixes that fix glitches and incompatibilities, which can cause freezes. You can update manually or schedule automatic updates from the Windows Update control panel. If an error log cites a problem with a non-Windows file, such as your video or audio drivers, download the newest version of the driver from the manufacturer and install it. Because these drivers run continually on your system, they can cause freezing and crashing even if you aren't actively using audio or video software.
Hardware Problems
If troubleshooting software issues doesn't resolve your freeze, you may have a hardware defect. Unfortunately, tracking down hardware issues requires a great deal of time and access to spare parts -- the best way to test individual computer components is by replacing one at a time. One common problem, however, does have an easy fix. Internal dust buildup can cause your computer to overheat a short while after turning on every time you use the computer. If you hear your computer fans consistently running at full blast, try unplugging the computer, opening the case and cleaning the dust out of fans. If your fans don't seem to run at all, check their connections and replace them if necessary.
Version Notice
Information in this article applies to Windows 8 and 8.1, as well as Windows 7 and Vista. It may vary slightly or significantly in other versions.