Computer Startup Problems

There are many causes for computer start-up problems, which can slow down your computer as well as warn of possible larger problems. If you are experiencing computer start-up problems or a long start-up process, you will need to investigate your system. The following tips will help you isolate your computer start-up issues.

Updates and Recently Installed Programs

If your start-up problems occurred immediately after, or even shortly after, installing new software or software updates, they could be the cause of the start-up problems.

Start-up Programs

Especially if your start-up problems involve slow start-up, you may have too many programs running at start-up. To prevent them from running at start-up, click the "Start" Menu and then click "Run." In the dialogue box that appears, type "msconfig." In the Msconfig menu click the "Startup" tab, and there you can enable or disable any start-up programs. Reverse the procedure to re-enable any start-up items.

Hardware Conflicts

Hardware issues are generally indicated by freezing on start-up and beeps. If these or other issues are occurring right after installing hardware, remove the newly installed hardware and retry the system.

Spyware and Viruses

Spyware and Viruses can affect not only your computer's start-up, but also its overall operation. If you don't currently have any Spyware and Virus protection, AVG Free is an excellent, free option.

Anti-Viral Software Conflicts

If you are running more than one anti-viral program, they can often conflict with one another. If you have more than one anti-viral program installed, try disabling or uninstalling one.