cannot open anything for a few minutes at start

Hi,

1.       Since when are you facing this issue?

2.       Have you made any changes prior to this issue?

I suggest you to try the following steps and check if it helps.

Step 1: Try to boot to safe mode and try to go to power option and check if it helps.

How to boot to safe mode in Windows 7: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Start-your-computer-in-safe-mode

Step 2: Try a clean boot and check if it helps.

How to troubleshoot problems using clean boot in Windows 7: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135                                                                                                                         

Note: Ensure that the computer is reset as usual using the step 7 in the above article.

Hope it helps!

I haven't made many changes recently, besides installing and uninstalling games and adding more desktop backgrounds.

Using safe mode didn't work, and I'm not sure if the clean boot is a good idea.

Yes, the computer is networked.

Would programs that start automatically at start up make a difference? When I started to notice the problem I had recently installed the EA download manager (which is uninstalled now).

Is the computer networked?

Anti-virus programmes run scans towards the end of the boot process.

Check whether the Windows update process has completed all outstanding updates. Select Start, All Programmes, Windows Update, View Update History.

Event Viewer Reports

1. Normally when an error occurs on your computer looking in Event Viewer should be your starting point for finding a solution. Most system related errors are logged and getting an exact copy of the relevant report is important. Unfortunately understanding the reports is not easy and most computer users need help with their interpretation. I have more to say later on interpretation.
2. Event Viewer comprises three main Windows logs. These are Application, Security and System. For troubleshooting purposes System is by far the most important.
3. To access the System log select Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer, from the list in the left side of the window select Windows Logs and System. Place the cursor on System, right click and select Filter Current Log. Check the box before Error and click on OK and you see only Error reports. Click on the Date and Time Column Header to sort. You may need to click a second time to see the latest Report at the top.
4. A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double click on the error you want to copy. Click on the Copy button to place a copy on your Clipboard and close Event Viewer. Now start your message and paste into the body of the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from Event Viewer.
5. There are three types of Report, being Information, Warning and Error reports. In most situations it is Error Reports that offer the best information but occasionally Warning Reports provide useful clues.
6. All reports have date and time stamps and when troubleshooting it is important to concentrate on more recent reports. Study reports since the point when the computer was last booted and then check whether a similar report appeared in the previous session. If errors do not repeat investigation as to why they occurred is wasted effort.
7. Within individual reports the more important information is Event ID and Source as these help when looking for help on the internet. The description is equally important and copying the exact text for use as the search criteria greatly helps getting better results when using Google. Do not paraphrase descriptions when asking others for help.