Very slow Win 7 Initialization - 2 to 3 min

I'm having very slow startup times with my Win 7 64 bit system (it has been happening since before installing SP1). It takes 2 to 3 minutes to startup and I see the Ethernet link initialization taking up most of the this. The link icon will have the "circle" wait symbol on it for over 1 minute before the link comes active and while it's on "wait" nothing else appears to be initializing as Microsoft Security Essentials icon stays red and none (two) of the sidebar comes up (I have a weather and the "All CPU" meter).

I have a separate hard drive on this PC with Vista 32 bit and it does not have the excessing startup time with Vista - the Ethernet link activates almost immediately.

I'm using a Linksys router but it's not the router as I've connected the RJ45 directly to the cable modem and it acts the same.

Whether it's the link activation that is causing the delay or some other process?? I have a relatively vanilla system and not much is in the startup. I've disabled some start up items in msconfig and that didn't help anything. I've reinstalled the Intel NIC drivers and also let Windows install drivers for the NIC and that didn't help.

In the notification area, I have Volume Control, Network Connection, Microsoft Security Essentials, Win Patrol, Epson Event Manager, Malwarebytes and "safely remove hardware" icon (because of an iLock key). I've disabled Win Patrol, Epson Event Manager, Malwarebytes and MIcrosoft Security Essentials in startup and it didn't make any difference. Actually all of these items have been installed for quite a while - before I noticed the slow startup.

I don't want to do a complete reinstall unless absolutely needed. Too much of a hassle.

If I start in Safe Mode with networking, the network link takes the same amount of time to become active.

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

If Soluto doesn't make the problem apparent then use the tool which the Pro's use to trace boot hangs: Trace Windows 7 boot/shutdown/hibernate/standby/resume issues - MSFN Forum

Our own Cluberti who also runs MSFN can help you interpret the charts if the tutorial isn't enough. In one recent case I learned, for example, that a Dell laptop was hanging for 2 minutes due to heavy fragmentation of System Files, after which it remained a full minute startup due to old slow HD.

Thanks I'll give this a shot. Soluto didn't show me anything I didn't already know. I'm still seeing the long network connection time, that is on a separate PC with Vista 32 bit that is wire connected to the router and with this same PC hardware when booted with Vista 32 bit.

Try giving your network adapter a fixed network address, e.g. 192.168.0.2 via Device Manager>Network Adapters> Properties for your adapter. You can find out what your PC is currently automatically setting itself up as (perhaps slowly) by typing ipconfig into a DOS prompt - use that number.

I installed the SDK and ran a boot trace. Funny thing with the boot trace active the startup looked "normal". But, I rebooted and without the boot trace it was back to an extended boot time with the network on the 64 bit system, but not the Vista 32 bit systems.

I'll try the fixed address but I don't think that is the problem, since this same hardware works OK (normal startup and no real delay on network) on Vista 32 bit.

The fixed address made no difference. It has to be something related to the startup sequence and what is loaded when. As I noted when running the boot trace it started "normal" including the sidebar CPU Usuage monitor before the network. A "normal" startup it has to wait for the network before other items startup.

Fortunately I normally startup in the morning, at a set time before I get up, and it's left on all day

I'd next run through these troubleshooting tips to see if anything becomes apparent.

In particular see if any issues are cued at the top of the Advanced Tools page referenced in the list, and check the logs listed for clues.

I didn't see anything in the thread you referenced. Many of the items have either been previously checked or do not apply.