VAIO - VGNA517S Start up problems

[tranwell]

Can anybody help ?Of late my start up has become rather delayed.From switching on it takes a good ten seconds for the windows xp screen to clear to the login page.Once logged on the screen seems to go through several shades of black till i get to the main screen.Once again at the icon screen it will suddenly change to black before resuming normal functions.Running only 3 items for start up.I have also disabled as many 'add-ons' as i dare.Unsure as to whether Norton is a possible cause!Checked via msconfif & services.Could this be a possible HD failure ?Any advice gratefully appreciated.Using student/home 2007 though doubt this is a problem.Advice - would it perhaps start up any better if i were to get Vista installed ??Please help.Once running the Vaio is perfection in itself,just the start up is becoming not at all amusing.Cheers,Patrick.

[Blencogo]

Hi Patrick,

Norton and Microsoft Office used to be a problem. I think there is a switch in Norton to turn off the checking of all changed office files. Try booting with Norton disabled to see if this cures the problem.

For the delays during boot-up, have a look in your System Event Viewer Log to see if any particular service or driver is failing to load smoothly.

Try reinstalling your Video driver and check your display is using the default colour profile - trying to load another colour profile would give the symptoms of black screens during the Windows load.

I take it you have already given your system a clear out along the lines described in this thread: -

http://club.vaio.sony.co.uk/clubvaio/GB/en/forum/viewthread?thread=38056