Windows 7 black screen before logon prompt

Question

I just clean-installed Windows 7, and all drivers and updates.

I've installed only Google Chrome, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Autodesk 3Ds Max, Microsoft Office, Sony Vegas, and Microsoft Security Essentials.

When I start Windows, after the animation, I get a black screen with only my cursor for about ten seconds before the logon prompt. When I enter my password, it sits at the welcome screen for another ten seconds before I get to the desktop.

Why is this happening? Before I re-installed, I got to the logon screen without seeing a black screen first, and after entering my password I'd only have to see the "Welcome" for a few seconds.

Answer 1

There are blogs talking about slow boot and slow logons,

Windows 7 Slow Boot / Slow Logon (Why I do what I do)

And Tools:

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/askpfeplat/2012/06/09/slow-boot-slow-logon-sbsl-a-tool-called-xperf-and-links-you-need-to-read/

Since you just performed a clean install, I suspect the most likely cause should be Windows Update.

Some updates would need to perform a restart to finish its install process.

Verify if there is any further updates need to install, then perform restart for another time, then see if the start time would stay as long as the last time. You may also Enable Verbose or Highly Detailed Status Messages

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/enable-verbose-status-message-windows

Thus you would be able to know what is happening during the startup.