Computer pauses for 40 mins before starting to load windows

I have an HP Computer (Pavilion A6433w) I am working on that pauses at boot up prior to loading windows, at the HP blue screen which has the F-key options. After about 40 mins., the system will start to load windows and then it takes another 10 mins. Even if I try to boot from a CD or into the bios it takes 40 mins to get going. I have tried everything I can think of and cannot figure it out. Below is a list of what I have done.

1. Switched out the harddrive
2. Replaced power supply
3. Replaced ram memory
4. Removed all devices connected on motherboard
5. Replaced cable
6. Replace CMOS battery
7. I tried CD boot to Spinrite CD and it started to boot from the CD (after 40 mins.) but then just gave me a bunch of strange charactors.

Would appreciate any help someone could give me, driving me nuts.

 

The operating system is Vista Home Premium, SP1.
I will work on updateing the chipset drivers and Bios.
Thanks for your reply

 

Well..... I updated the chipset, didn't work. I updated the bios and it seemed to boot as it should but then when I shutdown and re-started the computer it was back to it's old self....taking 40 mins before starting to load windows. Strange. Maybe something in the motherboard has gone bad?

 

Not much left to try, except re-loading Vista perhaps.

 

I unfortunately have the same thing... Gateway 3018GZ laptop with windows XP. I thought it was automatically doing a hard drive check at boot up (the hard drive light is constantly on). My BIOS does not have that option (I have three other computers that do).

Could it be the CMOS-BIOS battery? My time seems to be accurate...(?).

The strange thing is after 45 minutes to load, the computer works fine! But when I first turn the computer on, the BIOS screen appears, then the screen goes blank, followed by bars at the bottom of the screen 20 min later. The bars start to fill from left to right about a third of the way - then the Windows logon appears 45 min later then it loads just fine.

Tried to boot in safe/diagnostic mode; tried msconfig as well... No strange apps running through task manager.

Anyway, I thought our problem may be related... I have searched other threads as well and was about to make a new one when I saw yours.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Tom

 

Capacitors are fine. I don't think re-installing Vista would make a differance since I connected a new harddrive and it did the same thing. When I disconnect the harddrive from the motherboard and turn on the machine it boots to the HP blue screen. From my experience it should not even get to this screen without the harddrive connected. Correct?
Below are the specs....

HP Pavilian A6433W
Intel Pentium Dual CPU E2180, 2 GHZ
3 GB Ram
32 bit operating system.

 

Tom (cbal15)

It seems we have a similiar problem. I have changed the battery, did not work. I have been working on this for 3 days now and don't know what else to try. My guess it is something with the motherboard

 

Pete,
Any other thoughts on what might be the problem?
It seems the system is hanging up in the bios before it reads any devices.
Thanks for all your input.

 

What is the boot order in the BIOS?

If it is CDdrive first, Is there a CD in the drive?

Try changing the boot order to HDD first?

Try taking the BIOS back to default. Some computers by just removing the battery for a time. Some have a jumper to zero the CMOS Ram. Some is a combination of the two.

 

I have the CD first because I tried booting to a CD. No CD in drive now. Same outcome no matter the boot order.

 

I don't know if this helps or not...... But I have to hit F10 prior to turning the machine on or it does not recognize the keys being hit. So, if I turn the machine on and when the HP blue screen appears if I then select F10, nothing happens and in 40 mins. the machine boots. "F-keys have to be it before power turned on "

 

I am going to go take a break from this computer and cut some fire wood. maybe that will help clear the head

 

Have you looked at device manager to see if there are any conflicts with any of your hardware? Maybe your network card? Try taking out some of your cards and see if there is any difference.

I noticed there were several yellow triangle/exclamation point next to some of my devices. I already tried reloading all of my drivers.

It is just very odd to me that everything is working just fine after that 45 minutes. If it was your motherboard/capacitor, I don't think it would ever come up...

Please let me know what you find out. As if we have nothing better to do...!

 

There are no cards except for a modem card. The rest are all on-board motherboard.
I glanced at the device manager when I first started this nightmare. I will look again more closeley.

 

No problems in the device manager