Here is something you may try before replacing any physical hardware . I am curious though , how long has this been happening , & , have you installed any Windows updates prior to experiencing this problem ? Go to Start , All Programs , Windows Update , View Update History (third one down) , & look for the following updates : Update KB2607712, Update KB976098 and Update KB915597 . These particular updates have been rather well known , despite claims from MS to the contrary ,to cause the issue you are experiencing . If you find these updates , uninstall them , then reboot , see what happens . Also , you can speed up your boot time by going to msconfig , click the "boot" tab , then click on "advanced options" . From there , you check "number of processors" , then you can select the max number from the drop-down menu (example : if you have a quad core cpu , select "4") . Click ok , the apply , then ok again , & reboot . That little fix may take a time or two , to take effect . On a side note , there is ZERO harm in running a check on your psu , as has been suggested. Other than a local facility , a decent psu checking tool should cost about $20-$30 from Newegg , Tiger Direct , or a local store , such as Microcenter . When using a psu checker , pay closer attention to the +5 volt rail , as that rail is the main rail used to power your hdd during startup .