System Reload question. please help!

Ok so I reformatted and reloaded my Dell Insp 9100.

I keep running into a problem. I get Windows installed, then the drivers.
Everything is great. The only other things Ive installed is Norton IS and SW and Ghost and then MS Office and gotten all the updates for Win, Norton, and Office online. I have now done the whole thing over 2 times doing the software in different order, also uninstalling the last thing I installed before it happens. But nothing helps.

Suddenly out of knowhere, when I reboot, it starts consistently pausing when its booting up around the time it shows me the page with my name on it to click (before the little Windows song starts). It pauses for about a minute or so where it appears the computer is doing nothing, then it kicks up again and continues to boot. Sometimes if I click on my name quickly, it goes to the next wallpaper screen and hangs there, or if I wait to click on my name, it hangs there - so its like its something its doing regardless of if I click on my name or not.

Stranger is I feel like long ago I had this problem and solved it but have no idea if Im correct or how.

any ideas from anyone would be very welcome.

 

So do you run into this problem Only when you install the software, specifically the Norton IS/SW. It could be that Norton is doing some background scanning. Though, it should work fine after it's done. Check your Norton IS/SW settings if there's any background scanning being done during every bootup/login. Note that Norton software eats up quite a lot of resources... Since you stated that you don't run into problems before installing new software i assume this is only software related problem. I don't think MS Office could cause this kind of issue.

 

Its wierd cause Norton was the first install after drivers, and then Id do Windows, MS Office, and all the updates for those - tons of reboots involved with no problem. Only after that would this start. But I have uninstalled Norton SW, still did it, then uninstalled NIS and then it stopped.

Ok so it SEEMS to be tied to NIS but I had this installed before for a year and didnt have the problem.

When it happens, its like all hard drive activity stops (I can still move mouse but nothing else happens) for about 1 or 2 minutes then it just start up with the Windows song and finish booting.

Still puzzled at what this is. Ill look on the Norton support site but never have much luck there in past.

Any other ideas welcome if this seems familiar to anyone.....

 

Have you defragmented your harddrive after installing all the latest drivers and updating windows+directx? It should be always the first thing to do before installing any other software? And never install any other software before you have done all system/windows updates first... What is your current page file size?

Still, I think there's propably not much to be done with the system if you plan to continue using NIS. It's huge resource hog and you just have to try tweaking it's settings for best performance-security balance.

 

Well I only installed NIS before getting all the tons of Windows updates cause of paranoia of being online with no protection. And as far as drivers, I have always been told to update a driver only if theres a problem, not just cause theres a new version. What do you think about those points, please let me know your opinion.....

And as far as my problem, where Im at right now is it went away after uninstalling all Norton stuff (Office being the only other thing installed). I have reinstalled all the Norton stuff (NIS, SW (parts of it not all) and Ghost). Same as it was before the last 2 restores and the problem hasnt come back yet. Frustrating cause I want to pin it down, not have it start only after I install 5 more programs. So I just keep rebooting hoping it will start happening again, cause when it did, it was consistently there every reboot.


frustrated,
Dave


PS, for the record, I disable a lot of auto stuff with the Norton Programs. I just use the firewall, antivirus and a couple of the tools with SW (dont install GoBack). I also have the LiveUpdate disabled so I do it on my own.