Computer has extremely slow boot, unresponsive after booting.

Hello,

My computer has recently started experiencing extremely slow boots (about 20-30 minutes), and after I have managed to log in, programs are unresponsive when I try to open them. It will end up just freezing completely on me. I believe I was trying to open my internet browser (Google Chrome) when I noticed it first.

I have managed to boot the computer in Safe Mode with Networking, however, and I've tried disk defrag, disk cleanup, and a system restore, but all have been ineffective.

My computer is a Sony Vaio, Model #PCG-61611L. I have Windows 7 Home Premium OS. It has a AMD Athlon II P340 Dual-Core Processor 2.19 GHz. RAM is 3.00 GB. It's a 64bit OS.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've never had to try solving a problem like this before, so detailed descriptions or good tutorials would be very helpful to me. Thank you.

Work through the Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7 first establishing a Clean Boot to reboot and check difference, then hardware tests, then check the logs for repeat errors and in Performance log for errors at boot, utilitize System Resources to check for Problems and Generate a System Health Report, and the rest of the steps.

If these steps don't resolve the slow boot then you'll be able to determine with certainty the cause by Gathering a Startup, Shutdown, Sleep, Hibernate, or Reboot Trace - Windows 7 Forums

Thank you, ThrashZone, the tutorials you recommended were very helpful, but unfortunately they didn't resolve my issues. I performed the Clean Boot, which had no effect at all. I then performed the virus scan with Malwarebytes, which took 10 hours. The program removed 40 malicious files from my computer, and after I restarted it the boot did appear to be faster. After I had logged in, the screen remained black with only the cursor. I left it for an hour, and when I went back to it the screen was still black, but wherever I moved the cursor the black disappeared and revealed my desktop screen.

Right now the computer is moving faster than it was, but it is still far to slow to be manageable. I can open the Start menu quickly, but I cannot open any programs in the Start menu. I tried opening my internet browser, which did not respond until two hours later when I returned from class. I then tested to see if I could minimize the browser, which took a minute and a half to respond. I also tried to access the control panel before I left for my class, and that popped up after the two hours, but it doesn't show any icons, just a white screen. It seems that I can only open the Start menu normally.

I have not been able to try the last method you recommended as of yet, gregrocker. I will attempt that next.

With that level of infection you can test System Files to see if they need repair, but what I would do is wipe the HD with Diskpart Clean Command to Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. If that's the original factory Preinstalled WIn7 its one of the worst installs one can have, which most tech enthusiasts wouldn't run to begin with due to the bloatware and duplicate utilties which interfere with better versions built into WIn7.

Any data which needs rescue should be quarantined until it is scanned with AV, Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware.

Ok, I will try these methods. It might take a day or two for me to reply, as I'll have to find the time to perform these! Thank you!

I seem to have made a terrible mistake.
In an attempt to rid my computer of any and all malicious files one last time be, I used software called WipeDrive. I used a feature of the program that was supposed to leave my operating system intact while targeting viruses and eliminating them. Something went wrong, or I made a mistake, however, and it ended up wiping my operating system as well.

I'm not too terribly sad about it, I suppose, since it probably would have come down to that anyway, but now I'm wondering if there is an affordable way to restore the operating system? The computer is 3 years old and wasn't expensive in the first place, so taking it in for repairs or buying recovery disks just would not be lucrative to me, especially if I find out afterwards that it was something wrong in the hardware.

Is there a way to save my computer, or will I just just need to plan a funeral for it?

Did you even read my advice, which was to wipe the HD to get the superior Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7? If so you'd already know from the blue link that you can reinstall Win7 yourself to get a vastly superior install to the bloated factory pre-install which no tech enthusiast would even run in the first place.

Most of the steps are preparatory so nothing is forgotten, which aren't needed now that you ignored the help you came here to get and blundered into it. Now you'd use the installer provided in Steps 1 and 2 to do a Custom Install, then make sure all partitions are deleted, create and Format New as you desire or just click Next to let the installer create and format your install partition, using the Drive Options in Steps 7 and 8 of Clean Install Windows 7.

If you'll stick with the tools and methods given in the installer then you'll get and keep a perfect install for as long as you do. These steps are based on what's worked best helping with tens of thousands of installs here since before Win7 was released.

Oh, I'm sorry, gregrocker! I didn't mean to make it seem like I'm disregarding your advice! I read your post, but I have not had time to read the links you have provided me with. I guess I misread your post. I hope you'll forgive me, I'm unfamiliar with much of this technical terminology, and my mind has just become more muddled with midterms and having a malfunctioning computer! I'm also sorry for taking so long to respond. I'm currently sharing a computer with my fiance, and he has need of it, too.

I will attempt these solutions soon.

Thanks!