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[JaredH]

Anyone have any clue why starting up windows with a LAN cable plugged in causes the startup to LAG for about 30-60 seconds after the desktop appears before everything else loads up?

No matter what services I disable, whether its a fresh install of windows or not, or what startup processes I have running, it still lags.

When I unplug and reboot, Window's starts fine.

My wireless stays disabled unless I'm unplugged and mobile. So It's not a conflict there. I've almost all but given up and resigned myself to a slow startup when running on a wired connection.

I don't want to sound snobby or unappreciative of anyones help, but just to respond to any of the common answers, I've been through the gamut of drivers, conflicts, etc.

I'm looking for any suggestions that go beyond the normal things we all tend to check when problems arise.

[Robert Taylor]

I believe there is an option which causes your windows PC to check other network machines for scheduled jobs (sounds crazy I know...) during startup which I have heard causes slowdowns.

Try a tool like TweakXP to switch the option off and see if it helps your siuation...

[Uwe]

Last year i had the same situation. A broken port in my 5-port switch caused this problem. After a long booting time, the PC seemed to work quite normally.  After changing the port, the booting time was "short" again. But after a while this port also broke down and i changed the whole switch.
Uwe

[JimH]

I'm sure you've checked, but a drive or device that isn't there?

[JaredH]

Well, per Voom's advice, I did a MSDN search for the key that controls the check for "Scheduled Tasks" option and deleted the key from the cooresponding part of the registry.

That didn't help. Interestingly enough, that had helped back in 2004 when I had the same problem. This time, however, no dice.

As for the switch... God I hope not, cuz that would mean I need a new motherboard seeing as how the system I am referring to is a notebook. Especially after I recently sunk $300 into a new HDD and battery.

As for devices, nah, theres none present or detached that should be attached, or vice versa.

I guess I'll just have to deal with it. At least its only happening at boot, and only when I'm plugged into the network via cable.

[JimH]

One last thought.  I've seen situations where Windows was confused about which network interface shoudl be used.  The delay may just be a timeout while it tries to use a modem and can't find anything there.

Try removing any that aren't in use, including the modem.  Control Panel/Networks, etc.

[glynor]

As for the switch... God I hope not, cuz that would mean I need a new motherboard seeing as how the system I am referring to is a notebook. Especially after I recently sunk $300 into a new HDD and battery.

By the switch he meant the Router/Hub/Switch that you plug the network cable into on the other end, not the port on the laptop.

[Robert Taylor]

You don't have any mapped network shares / printers do you?

[JaredH]

You don't have any mapped network shares / printers do you?

Bingo!

I've got two of the university's printers added to my printer folder. Chances are its communicating with those everytime I boot with the cable plugged in. I'm not at uni to test this theory out, but it makes perfect sense.

I guess wireless doesnt check for stuff like that, it just assumes they are there.

[JaredH]

Bingo!

I've got two of the university's printers added to my printer folder. Chances are its communicating with those everytime I boot with the cable plugged in. I'm not at uni to test this theory out, but it makes perfect sense.

I guess wireless doesnt check for stuff like that, it just assumes they are there.

Well, no dice on that one either. When I got back today, I deleted those mapped printers and reset the system. Same hang.

Oh well, time to give up and deal with it.

[JimH]

Did you try my suggestion above?

One last thought.  I've seen situations where Windows was confused about which network interface shoudl be used.  The delay may just be a timeout while it tries to use a modem and can't find anything there.

Try removing any that aren't in use, including the modem.  Control Panel/Networks, etc.

[JaredH]

Did you try my suggestion above?

Sorry Jim, I must have missed that one earlier. I would try it, but I've got dial-up profiles that I don't want to lose. I may get bored this weekend and give it a shot.

I guess its not too much of an issue since I usually plug things in and go grab a cup of coffee and such while it boots anyway.

It's more of an annoyance than anything.

[glynor]

I now suspect that one of my laptops at work boots more slowly when I have the LAN cable plugged in and the wireless port enabled (actually, it's similar to your issue, its slow at the Logging into Windows phase).  Luckily the laptop has one of those Wireless Enable/Disable buttons right there, and I habitually just disable it at the same time I plug in the LAN.

I didn't even realize it until today when I went to use the machine.  I caught myself hitting the button as I grabbed the wire, and realized "eureka" that's probably why I've never seen that issue.  I rebooted it with the WLAN enabled and the ethernet cable plugged in and I think it was probably a bit slower (not a huge difference, but the machine is no slouch either -- 1GB RAM and a recent P4 Desktop CPU).  Another one of our machines (an older Dell Latitude) showed no appreciable difference between booting with both or with only one though, so it seems to be implementation specific.

So, the moral of the story is: a) buy more RAM if it's painfully slow (which will just help generally anyway), and b) use your button if you have one.

[JaredH]

I now suspect that one of my laptops at work boots more slowly when I have the LAN cable plugged in and the wireless port enabled (actually, it's similar to your issue, its slow at the Logging into Windows phase).  Luckily the laptop has one of those Wireless Enable/Disable buttons right there, and I habitually just disable it at the same time I plug in the LAN.

I didn't even realize it until today when I went to use the machine.  I caught myself hitting the button as I grabbed the wire, and realized "eureka" that's probably why I've never seen that issue.  I rebooted it with the WLAN enabled and the ethernet cable plugged in and I think it was probably a bit slower (not a huge difference, but the machine is no slouch either -- 1GB RAM and a recent P4 Desktop CPU).  Another one of our machines (an older Dell Latitude) showed no appreciable difference between booting with both or with only one though, so it seems to be implementation specific.

So, the moral of the story is: a) buy more RAM if it's painfully slow (which will just help generally anyway), and b) use your button if you have one.

I so wish that were the issue. I'm running 1.5GB of RAM in this machine so memory is not an issue. I've also tried the Wireless switch as well, still no luck.

Haha, it's apparently just beyond my reach whatever it is.

[GHammer]

Mine waits until it has booted then a service (unknown) eats 100% CPU for about 10 seconds.
No wireless, never has been.

I think I'll spend the afternoon nursing my terrible cold and tracking this down.