Why does my computer take so long to boot up?

[acefsj]

i have a compaq presario sr1300nx with windows 7 for some reason when i boot the computer or restart it it sits on the red compaq sign for literaly like 3 minutes before booting any ideas

 

[acefsj]

I acctually also have another computer that is doing the same thing but just stays on a black screen for 3 min then slowly starts up even gets to desk top and icons take another min or 2 too start im thinking it is something i am doing 2 comps coincedence probably not

 

[red1776]

that can be a multitude of things acefsj , but to start, how many programs do you have (or let) start when you boot up? (how many pop up in the notification area when it does start?) you should look in task manager as well and see how many processes you have running after start-up as well. it appears that your machine came with only 256mb of DDR installed, what do you have for installed ram now?

 

[acefsj]

i just reformated the computer 2 days ago so i shouldn't have to many things starting and i upgraded the ram too 1 gig

 

[red1776]

are you getting any code beeps when you start up? and when you say reformatted, i assume that's a clean install and not an upgrade? I would still check task manager for a process count and run disk check for errors.

 

[acefsj]

Ya i get one single beep and ya it's a clean install completly wiped everything i have reformated a few times in the last year and had the same problem with xp aswell

 

[acefsj]

and how exactly do i do the check disk

 

[acefsj]

K i figured out the check disk thing but am burning a movie right now so cant do it i will do it when i am done is thier anything else i can try after that and not much in task manager

 

[red1776]

hit your windows start button-click on "run" and in the dialog box enter chkdsk and hit okay. the single beep is nothing, it means that it passed the P.O.S.T.

 

[acefsj]

I figured it out it was the power supply in both the units switched them out and starts up normally

 

[red1776]

Do I understand that correctly? , you had two PSU's develop problems at the same time?

 

[acefsj]

Ya i work on computers it wasn't actually the same time i had a case and power supply i was using and it was slow than i sold a computer to a guy and he gave me his mother board processor case and power supply as part payment and i had the same problem with that one

 

[acefsj]

I thought hard drives at first so replaced them and worked for about a day then it happened again and the only thing i had transferred from the stuff i got from the guy was the power supply and case so i knew it had to be either a grounding issue with the case or the power supply so i started with the power supply everything worked good so i switched the ps in the other comp and everything has been good in both comps

 

[jasonbernal]

you need a new hard drive