My laptop takes 20 minutes to load, even in safe mode

My laptop takes over 20 minutes to load, even in safe mode.
What can be done about that?
The general performance of the computer is slow, and it wasn't like that when I brought it.
I've tried defragmenting it, but it didn't do anything.

Look in Task Manager and tell us how many processes are running.

Type "msconfig" in the start menu search box; go to msconfig and tell us how many things you have checkmarked in the startup tab.

Have you recently:

run disk cleanup

run any anti-virus or anti-malware programs

Hello!

Theres a couple things that could be slowing you down. Could be physical or the OS. To test and see if Windows is the cause, you could get a bootable OS (either CD or USB) and see if that takes forever. I use Hirens or Ubuntu for testing purpose.

Hirens would also have a test at startup that can test your physical hardware. I would run that and see if the HD has some bad sectors on it.

Keep us updated please

Follow these steps(They are commonly used to speed up your system) :-
1 - Run a reputable antivirus program. The best way to combat viruses is to prevent them. There are several free and trusted antivirus programs available online. Your antivirus program should be running whenever your computer is connected to the internet.

2 - Perform a malware scan. Spyware and malware are programs that are installed behind the scenes, and can eat up valuable system resources running in the background. Windows Defender comes installed with a malware scanner, and many more are available online for free or for purchase.

3 - Remove unnecessary programs from startup. Many programs will install extensions that start up with your computer. They are designed to provide quick access to that program, but too many can significantly increase your startup time.

4 - Look in the notification area in the bottom-right corner of the desktop. The icons here are programs that have started up with your computer. Click the arrow on the left to expand and see all the icons.

5 - Remove unseen programs. Some programs will not appear in the notification area, but still start when the system does. To remove unseen programs, go to the Start menu and type "msconfig".
Select programs you don’t want to start and click Disable. This will prevent them from starting with Windows. Be sure that you know what you are disabling; you can disable critical Windows services in this screen that can keep Windows from functioning properly.

6 - Uninstall unused programs. Besides taking up hard disk space, old programs may still be running processes in the back, even if you never use them. This is especially true of old antivirus programs or other utilities.
New computers often come with programs preinstalled. Many of these are trials that need to be purchased in order to be used. If you don’t intend to use these programs, remove them to free up space.

7 - Open the Start menu. Select Control Panel, and then click “Uninstall a program” under the Programs section. If you are using Classic View, open Programs and Features. This will open a list of the programs installed on your computer. Depending on how many programs you have installed, it could take several minutes for the list to fully populate.

8 - Select the program you wish to uninstall. In the menu bar, an Uninstall/Change button will appear. Click it to begin the uninstall process. Each program has a slightly different uninstall method, but most are automated.

9 - (you do not need to do this step, this is just a advice) Install more RAM. Windows 7 requires at least 1GB of RAM, but performs best with 2GB or more. If you have a 32-bit installation of Windows 7, then no more than 4GB of RAM will be utilized. If you have more RAM than 4GB, consider upgrading to a 64-bit version of Windows.
If you have two sticks of 512MB of RAM, consider switching to two sticks of 1GB or 2GB to give your computer a significant speed boost for a low cost.

10 - Disable the Aero theme. The Aero theme is what gives Windows its unique visual flair. On lower-end machines, it can take up a significant amount of valuable system resources.
10.1 ) Right-click on the desktop and choose Personalize.
10.2 ) Choose any of the "Basic and High Contrast Themes". This will strip the Windows UI down to the bare bones, potentially giving your system a significant performance boost.
11) Reinstall Windows. Formatting and reinstalling Windows can restore your computer to some of its original performance, and is not as complicated as it sounds. Check out our guide on Reinstalling Windows 7 for an in-depth guide. (do a backup if you are doing step 11).
Thanks