Windows 8 boot is very slow

Question

I have a two-year-old HP Notebook 15 with Windows 8.1

With Winpatrol (like a mini HijackThis) I've tried to minimize what loads on startup, yet my system seems to be booting and restarting much more slowly. It is slow to get to the login prompt, the noticeably slow afterwards before I get the desktop.

I can't put my finger on why this is so. I know my hard drive is not full. About half.

Any suggestions or software recommendations?

Answer 1

You should try turning on "fast startup" in the power options. http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6320-fast-startup-turn-off-windows-8-a.html Using the command “sfc /scannow” to repair system files. Updating the drivers to the latest version. I used the WPT tool to check the performance before. You could check the link below and download the tool from Microsoft to check. http://www.pallareviews.com/3361/fix-windows-8-8-1-slow-boot-startup-performance-32-64-bit/

Answer 2

It doesn't matter how much stuff you have on your hard drive, it can be completely empty but physical wear or damage can cause mechanical failures which ultimately result in slow performance or even a faulty drive, specially on stuff that you tend to move around a lot, like a laptop. My suggestion is that you backup and perform a clean install, if that doesn't get you anywhere or worse, it fails, then get a new drive, also get an SSD if performance is a concern or you tend to move that laptop around a lot.