I had a similar problem once. I had to update network card drivers and make sure one of them (I had 2) was given a static ip.

These three articles might help since you're using a Scsi hard drive:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q242518 which deals with boot.ini
http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q157910 deals with disabling synchronous negotiation in your Bios
and http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q316243 which will allow you to see verbose messages as to what all those pregnant pauses mean that you are having to waiting for.
Finally, your registry can get fragmented like a hard disk. Especially, if you've added a lot of software or patches, the hives should be defragged. There is a freeware program called Pagedefrg.exe that will do this.
 
You didn't mention if this machine is networked. There are ways of speeding up domain accesses.

HAd smae problem, it was the network card as well, I removed it and put it in another slot and that helped me

Yes it is Networked (just workgroup no domain)
 
But Up[censored] the network card driver didnt help. Also there is just one network card in my computer and this one got a fix IP (needs fix IP for ICS)
 
Well still hanging around trying all your tips above...

I investigated it futher an come to the conclusion the the service "network connections" is the thing that needs ages to start (the service that manages network and dial-up folder things)
 
In special the "NETMAN" part of this service is what fails to start for 10 times or so (it has a timeout of 30 seconds and it needs 5 min to start so you can figure out how ofte it needs to try to get started..)
 
When i disable this service I have no network or dial-up items.. (also no internet) so I need it..
 
What can I do to get "netman" back to the state of starting allmost instantly?
 
Like I said before it worked all the time and someday it just stopped working and began to sleep at startup (btw. the startup sleep is allready disabled so I can work just right after startup but I have to wait for about 5 mins to get my Dial-Up Networking and LAN access
 
thx in advance once more... please help me out..

Visceroid,
 
You could try setting the Network Connections service to Manual, click Start, Settings, Control Panel, then open Administrative Tools, then open Services. Scroll thru the list, right-click, then select Properties and change the Startup Type.
 
By setting it to Manual, it will only start when necessary, but in your case, it will not interfere with the startup of the computer. You may still get a "pregnant pause", but it shouldn't be 5-10 minutes.
 

Nemesis: It is allready set to manual.. and also I didn't change any of this settings before the StartUp Delay happend first time.
 
The strange thing is that only one part of this Service seems to fail (part name "netman") Thats what my event log says and also when I try to start this service manual it says that "netman" failed to respond through timley matter (or something else..) anyway it works after 5 mins..

Visceroid,
 
Sorry, I don't have any other ideas as to why you get this dealy, hopefully someone else will jump in.
 

I know what it is.. Its ZoneAlarm Pro blocking the starting SVCHOSTS.EXE (which also starts the "netman" service)
 
So does anyone know of this or is anyone else here who got the same problem and knows how to fix it? (I think I have to enable some Port for some Protocol so that netman can talk with the network? --> anyone knows which protocol and which port netman needs?) I have granted svchosts.exe full rights in ZAP and it doesnt help....
 
please keep helping me.. (I think its just a little step left before everything works again!)