start up computer

Question

Takes over 15 minutes to start after complete shut down.

Answer 1

To diagnose the trouble, re-start your computer in Safe Mode.

"Safe Mode" is a bare-bones version of Windows. It has just the essentials, with no third-party software at all and basic settings. If the computer takes 15 minutes to start in Safe Mode, that means your copy of Windows is in bad condition.

On the other hand, if Windows in Safe Mode starts relatively quickly, that means the slow down is caused by one or more third-party drivers or apps that start together with Windows.

Answer 2

It depends on what part of the startup process is causing the problem.

When you start your PC, you should see the PC manufacturers logo screen, then the spinning dots to indicate Windows is loading, then the login screen and you enter your login details.

At what point in that startup process does it freeze up on the screen.

Answer 3

On Windows systems, long startup times after shutdown can be caused by known issues in the OS or specific components.

From the available information, several documented causes of slow startup include:

1. Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) repository validation
   • On Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, startup or logon can take several minutes when WMI performs a full validation of the WMI repository, which is a time‑consuming operation.
   • In such cases, the Application event log shows WMI events like:
     • Event ID 65: WMI Service is starting to restore the WMI repository
     • Event ID 43: ADAP failed to connect to namespace \.\root\cimv2 with error 0x80080008
     • Event ID 5614: WMI service unable to locate repository files; a new repository is created.
2. Firmware/CPU‑related delays during early boot
   • On UEFI‑based systems with Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, an error in Ntoskrnl.exe and Ntkrnlpa.exe can cause Windows to take about 13 seconds longer than usual to start because phase 0 of the memory manager initializes more slowly.
   • On systems with Intel Nehalem‑EX CPUs (4 or more sockets), Windows 7/Server 2008 R2 can take a long time to start because Windows does not use a broadcast method for interprocessor interrupts during startup, leaving some cores in deep C‑states and delaying resume.
3. Full shutdown vs. hybrid/fast startup behavior
   • On Windows 8.1 systems with fast startup enabled, using certain shutdown paths can change how the next boot behaves:
     • Shutting down via the Start hint context menu (right‑click → Shut down) forces a complete shutdown, which lengthens both shutdown and the next startup.
     • Shutting down via the new Windows UI uses a hybrid sleep state, which is faster for both shutdown and startup.

Although the documented articles focus on Windows 7/8.1 and specific server/CPU scenarios, the general patterns that can also apply to newer Windows versions include:

• System components (like WMI) doing heavy validation or repair work during boot.
• Firmware/driver interactions that delay early boot.
• The difference between a full shutdown and a fast/hybrid startup path.

For a system that takes over 15 minutes to start after a complete shutdown, the following checks are typically relevant based on these patterns:

1. Review the Application and System event logs around boot time for WMI‑related warnings or errors, or other services that report long initialization.
2. Check whether the system is performing a full shutdown instead of using fast startup, and compare boot time after a restart vs. a full shutdown.
3. If using specialized hardware (certain CPUs, complex firmware), verify whether any known firmware/driver updates are available that address slow boot behavior.

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References:

• Unexpectedly slow startup or logon process in Windows Server 2008 R2 or in Windows 7
• Startup takes about 13 seconds longer than usual on a UEFI-based computer that has Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 installed
• Startup takes a long time on a Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2-based computer that has an Intel Nehalem-EX CPU installed
• Shutdown time is longer when shutting down from the Start hint context menu in Windows 8.1