Vista Black Screen for Long Time Before Desktop Appears

I started getting a black screen after log in but before the desktop loads. I timed a restart of my computer and the duration before the desktop loads is about 6 minutes! How to fix? Have made no changes except did the Thinkpad update of everything to the latest version.

 

I had the same problem a while ago. It happens when the UAC appears and when I press Ctrl+alt+delete too. I found out that it was the Nvidia driver that I was installing. The newer driver had this problem while the old one didn't. Did you update your Nvidia driver lately?

 

Also, go through this guide - http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=166532

It made my lappy a hell lot faster!!

I'm sure it'll drastically reduce your load/bootup/login times

 

The OP said the only change he made prior to this happening were Thinkpad updates. Six minutes is abnormally long from sign on to desktop and I don't think the Vista tweaks you linked are going to bring that time down to a few seconds. Most likely the problem lies in one of the updates he did right before this started happening. Perhaps he can do a system restore to a point prior to the updates to see if that returns the computer to its previous state.

 

How long has this been going on, or is this the first time you noticed it?

 

Have a look in control panel > administrative tools > event viewer, see if anything stands out in any of the logs. That might give you a clue as to what is falling over because it sounds like something definitely is.

 

Can some one show me how to save the logs in text format so i can post. its all really beyond my mental bandwith!

 

Actually I see that Google Updater is causing some problem. So just deleted it.

The one that concerns me based on time stamps seem to be related to Windows Search Actually I see that Google Updater is causing some problem. So just deleted it.

The one that concerns me based on time stamps seem to be related to Windows Search is Log Name: Application
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Search
Date: 7/24/2009 2:33:38 AM
Event ID: 3013
Task Category: Gatherer
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: CONFIDENTIAL-PC
Description:
The entry <C:\USERS\CONFIDENTIAL\APPDATA\ROAMING\MICROSOFT\CLR SECURITY CONFIG\V2.0.50727.312\SECURITY.CONFIG.CCH.NEW> in the hash map cannot be updated.

Context: Application, SystemIndex Catalog

Details:
A device attached to the system is not functioning. (0x8007001f)

Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Search" Guid='{CA4E628D-8567-4896-AB6B-835B221F373F}' EventSourceName="Windows Search Service" />
<EventID Qualifiers="49152">3013</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>3</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-07-23T18:33:38.000Z" />
<EventRecordID>133800</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution Processid='0' Threadid='0' />
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>CONFIDENTIAL-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data Name="ExtraInfo">

Context: Application, SystemIndex Catalog

Details:
A device attached to the system is not functioning. (0x8007001f)
</Data>
<Data Name="Entry">C:\USERS\CONFIDENTIAL\APPDATA\ROAMING\MICROSOFT\CLR SECURITY CONFIG\V2.0.50727.312\SECURITY.CONFIG.CCH.NEW</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

 

Log Name: Application
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Search
Date: 5/7/2009 1:23:55 AM
Event ID: 3013
Task Category: Gatherer
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: CONFIDENTIAL-PC
Description:
The entry <C:\USERS\CONFIDENTIAL\APPDATA\ROAMING\MACROMEDIA\FLASH PLAYER\MACROMEDIA.COM\SUPPORT\FLASHPLAYER\SYS\#UDN.SPECIFICCLICK.NET\SETTINGS.SOL> in the hash map cannot be updated.

Context: Application, SystemIndex Catalog

Details:
A device attached to the system is not functioning. (0x8007001f)

Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Search" Guid='{CA4E628D-8567-4896-AB6B-835B221F373F}' EventSourceName="Windows Search Service" />
<EventID Qualifiers="49152">3013</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>3</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-05-06T17:23:55.000Z" />
<EventRecordID>117114</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution Processid='0' Threadid='0' />
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>William-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data Name="ExtraInfo">

Context: Application, SystemIndex Catalog

Details:
A device attached to the system is not functioning. (0x8007001f)
</Data>
<Data Name="Entry">C:\USERS\CONFIDENTIAL\APPDATA\ROAMING\MACROMEDIA\FLASH PLAYER\MACROMEDIA.COM\SUPPORT\FLASHPLAYER\SYS\#UDN.SPECIFICCLICK.NET\SETTINGS.SOL</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

 

Might be a old driver or maybe a virus(trojan,malware,adware..etc)

 

Disable windows search indexing

 

Agreed with flipfire. Disable the search indexing, even if only temporarily just to find out if that fixes the problem.

Glad my suggestion has yielded some results at least - lets hope you find a solution!

 

Actually, what does the Windows Search Indexing do?
Mind explain its functions(when we use it?) and its benefits as well as disadvantages clearly? Thanks.

 

It indexes files to speed up searches. The benefit is that it speeds up file searches, whereas the downside is that it can slow down your computer whilst it performs this indexing.

 

Did you mean when I open some files/folder, windows indexes is used?
Anyway, did you disable this option?

 

well it will speed up when you actually search for things. Opening files and folders don't typically use the indexes, because not all files are indexed.

I did not disable it on my machine completely. I disabled it on one partition which contains my OS and programs, and enabled it on the partition that holds my data files.

 

to DarkSilver

no. indexing happens only if a file in an indexed folder gets created/changed/deleted.
and you access that very index the moment you type something in the startmenu textbox at the bottom, or in an explorer window into the search textbox on the top right.

if configured right, indexing does not harm your system at all, but allows for great search experience (instant + full text search really is awesome once you get used to it).

one thing is, on vista at least, indexing is enabled on too much folders imho. one thing is the appdata. as it gets file changes and updates all the time (all app settings and tempfiles are there), the indexing has to reindex all that all the time. this can be feelable.

so what i do is, removing all folders (it has c:\users added by default) from the indexing, and then only add my folders (documents, music, videos, pictures..) to it. and then i do a rebuild and wait till it's done.

the result has two gains: one, it's faster. second, it provides no search results that i don't want (stuff in my temporary internet folders f.e.), resulting in a more precise search.


but

i don't think the black screen has anything to do with it.



to the op

during the black screen, is the hdd active, or not? if it is not, it's a buggy driver idling around. if the hdd is active, maybe some defrag is needed? some one online here has a nice batch for all idle jobs hanging on vista + bootfile defragmentation. helps much to get vista quick again.

 

Thanks for everyone here who explain to me.
I guess I know what is Indexing Searches means.

 

Hey guys and gals, thanks for all your responses. I started disabling a lot of start up items i thiought i didnt need and even deleting unused programs out of frustation. that didnt help beause was not a problem before. i did discover that it has to do with some Roxio software used to sync Windows to my mobile phone. Deleted the software and the desktop loads fine with a tiny delay but appears to be same as before.

On another threa, I discussed a java script issue with some sites. If you have an interest in another intriguing problem, take a look. Thanks all again.

 

and we've learned something new. bad roxio, bad roxio

 

Blackberry Desktop Manager 5.0 has the option to add the Roxio add on. With the add on installed it () up your computer. W/o it no problem. It really is junk. I think its coded as crap because the problem seems to be its looking for hardware when the desktop loads when in most cases people will not hook up their BB everytime if at all to transfer music. Shame on Roxio and BB.