Vista freezes for few minutes after booting

[edmond419]

Hello, I got a vista computer that everytime when I logon, it will work for a few minutes, then it will completely freeze except for the mouse for 2-3 minutes before going normally again. If I logoff and log back on it won't happen again. Also, if I turn the laptop on and leave it there on the logon screen, it will freeze completely for a few minutes before it begins to load my profile. Right before, during and after the freeze there is no disk activity. When a program freezes while working, usually the computer will heat up, but during this kind of freeze it doesn't heat up

Please help ASAP on preventing it

Specs:
Brand: Toshiba Satellite A300
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 2.26GHz
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 (internal DAC-400MHz; total approx memory 1787MB, according to dxdiag)
RAM: 4GB
Hard Drive: 2x 186GB = about 320GB total
Hard Drive Controller: Intel ICH9M-E/M SATA AHCI Controller

 

[Gandalf]

Boot into the Safe mode (F8).
Do you get the same symptoms?

 

[digitalprospecter]

If this is a recent problem, I would try a system restore back to a date just prior to the appearance of the problem. It seems to present itself as a startup issue, which is usually caused by a device driver loading or a startup process. Restoring the system registry would you a long way towards solving a settings issue. Then you may have to look at disabling startup programs one by one until you find the culprit. You can use msconfig at the Run command to do so.

Cheers!

 

[edmond419]

No, it doesn't appear in safe mode.

Plus its been like this probaly since 2 weeks since I got the computer. Its about 1 1/2 years old now, so I'm sure I've cleared off the restore points many times since

Also, anything such as a video will continue to run until it ends, and other programs like word and task manager will just freeze. But for videos, if I click the program, it will freeze the video, and if I try to type something, it will show up the first character that I type and just freeze until the end of the freezing period.

I once loaded XP on to this machine, and when I logon at the time when it had no additional programs or drivers installed, it also freezes the way vista did

 

[digitalprospecter]

If the freeze doesn't appear in Safe mode, then that points to an application or driver beyond the basic drivers and settings that Windows uses for Safe Mode.

You state that a fresh XP install exhibited the same problems with no extra programs added, so I think that this narrows the problem down to a misbehaving device driver. I would go to the manufacturer's website for your computer, and download all the most recent device driver updates for your make and model. Most importantly get the latest video driver.

 

[Gandalf]

Boot into the Safe mode and look at your Device Manager.
Does any of the devices look like they were badly installed?

digitalprospecter has the right idea. However, it is best to be in the Safe mode when updating drivers, because in the Safe mode you are not using the drivers that will most likely need to be replaced. Drivers can't be replaced when being used and not all driver writers seem to understand this.

I could not isolate your Toshiba driver webpage, because the model is not complete.
The number is A300-ST _ _ _
If you want help in identifying the Toshiba web page, please identify the three missing numbers.

To get your video driver, go here...
http://support.amd.com/us/psearch/Pages/psearch.aspx?type=2.4.1&product=2.4.1.3.14&contentType=GPU+Download+Detail&ostype=&keywords=&items=20
Enter your Vista version. 32bit or 64bit.

For Intel drivers, go here... http://www.intel.com/support/detect.htm?iid=dc_iduu

 

[edmond419]

My model not on list for some reason. I'm thinking it has to do with something about the hard drive host controller....plus my video driver is up to date, I've very recently had it updated.

The bottom link you gave me told me it couldn't identify the graphics and sound drivers, and wants me to update my wireless and ethernet drivers

And there are no errors in device manager

 

[digitalprospecter]

Many times, certain models can't be found on a support website if the computer is from outside that region. For instance, here in Canada for Toshiba I have to go to www.toshiba.ca whereas if the notebook original came from the states I have to go to www.toshiba.com, or I won't find the model listed.
I have run into this for many brands.

Just a thought.

 

[edmond419]

hm...quite right

I tried disabling some features in the BIOS but it didn't help, it only made the computer slower

 

[digitalprospecter]

This is a little off topic, but the network admin from my local municipality was just visiting last week and told me about 11 Toshiba A300's that they have. Last Wednesday they did Windows Updates on all the notebooks and 6 of them restarted asking for a Startup Password before they would boot into windows. As they never set a BIOS startup password, they called Toshiba and Toshiba informed them that they would have to send the notebooks back to Toshiba for repair. Just thought I'd mention that since I just noticed your notebook is an A300.

Back to your current problem: Try this... go into Device Manager and locate your sound card and disable it for now. Then reboot and see if their are any pauses in use.

 

[digitalprospecter]

Also, I am finding reference to a Toshiba program called Tempro which is suppose to help you optimize your system, but has been claimed to do the opposite. If you have this loaded, you might want to try unistalling it.

 

[edmond419]

Sorry for inactivity...

1. I don't have tempro pre-installed...

2. I disabled my sound card and the problem didn't come back. Yay! But I needed sound so how do I have a quick command of disabling and enabling it?