Thanks for the input.  The slow start happens before any apps are 
loaded.  I hadn't yet loaded any apps beyond the usual MS stuff, 
Explorer etc. It would wait for a minute or more, then it would take 
less than a minute to load the  OS and any apps.  In any event, I got 
the NIC to work and downloaded all the updates to ME.  Now the computer 
starts in a normal time, less than 90 seconds total. Still not sure what 
caused the slow start.

E B Lund wrote:
> The most common cause of slow startup are excessive programs loading 
> up at startup. You said there appears to be no harddrive activity, so 
> this might not be it, but it is worth considering. How many icons are 
> in your tray after startup? What does the three finger salute show 
> running?
>
> Here is a link that addresses the phenonom: 
> http://msn.pcworld.com/article/124577-1/article.html
>
> William Closure
>
> ----Original Message Follows----
>
> Date:    Sat, 29 Jul 2006 08:59:30 -0500
> From:    Russ Cox <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Compaq connundrum
>
> I have a Compaq Presario 5050, 333MHz Celeron, 164MB RAM running Windows
> ME.  Two perplexing issues:
> It spends a full minute or more showing the Compaq splash screen with no
> apparent hard disk activity.  Then it proceeds to boot up into ME.
> Takes more than 2 minutes to fully boot, quite a bit longer than other
> computers using the same connection. What's causing that long startup
> delay?
>
>        The NOSPIN Group has added a new feature on our website,
>           web based bulletinboard for questions and answers:
>              Visit our sister website at http://nospin.com
>

        The NOSPIN Group has added a new feature on our website,
           web based bulletinboard for questions and answers:
              Visit our sister website at http://nospin.com