Vaio XP Start Up Problem

[stormdrain]

Looking for some help with a Windows XP problem. I have a VGN-N11H running XP Media SP 2, that I have had since Christmas. For the last 2-3 months, when I try to start the PC it gets about 99% started, but I dont get any desktop icons or a start bar (it just sits there with my background up). I can force it to start programs up through "new task" in task manager, but it usually takes a few minutes to get its act together. If I put it into "hibernate" it restarts fine, but otehrwise, I have this problem everytime I boot up or restart.

I have used the Vaio recovery tool to reformat, which helped for a week or so but now its back to its old tricks. Everything is very stock, but I have removed Works and installed MS office student / teacher edition.

Any ideas on how to solve this?
Thanks
Chris

[ArvindJuneja]

try this:

1) Click on [Start] - > run
2) type msconfig
3) go to Start UP and check everything what is in there. You can first Disable ALL and then restart and for each restart enable +1. and when you'll get to the appz which is causing the problem TADA!~:)

[Blencogo]

Hi Chris, welcome to Club Vaio.

It sounds like explorer.exe is crashing when loading. Does Task Manager show explorer.exe as a running process? If so click on it and choose 'End Task'. Try running explorer.exe from Task Manager.

Probably the best thing to try first is to run :

sfc /scannow

by typing it in at the Command Prompt. This will scan all your Windows System files and replace any missing or corrupt files. It will take about 30 minutes to run (you will keep your data).

[stormdrain]

Thanks for the responses. I have made some progress.

Ran the system check, didn't appear to make any changes, but the systems now starts very slowly. It will load my background, then sit totally idle for a 60-120 seconds before loading the desktop. Explorer.exe is running, and trying to propmpt it to restart doesn't seem to help.

I have tried changing the start menu programs, and it doesn't seem to make much, if any difference.

Any more ieas?

Thanks
Chris

[kee-lo_]

You could always try Tune-Up Utilities to clear out the registry, because it sounds to me like it's waiting for an instruction that never arrives.

[stormdrain]

Thanks, will give it a whirl