Try running Firefox in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode. If it functions properly in that configuration, then one of your add-ons is the culprit.

Thanks for the advice. Safe Mode started instantly and showed that it had disabled the two items under Extensions and Appearances . I have uninstalled these two { dotNET framework and Default} and disabled all plugins; I have also done all the resets on the SafeMode start dialogue. However, normal mode start is still 60 seconds !!

Try creating a new Profile. This article explains the procedure: Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data.

If that works, you can retrieve data such as passwords, bookmarks etc., from the old (current) one and move them to the new one. See Profile Manager - Create, remove or switch Firefox profiles

I tried creating a new profile, but must have got something adrift; at one point even safe mode took 60 secs to start :-((( . I have now uninstalled FF4 and re-installed, but the problem remains .

Could you please download the free version of Malwarebytes from http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free and run a full system scan to eliminate malware as the culprit as is often the case.

Malwarebytes, Spybot, Microsoft security essentials all in regular use.

What do you have set as your home page?

http://secure.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/reports.do?type=TAF&list=01

I think it's likely because that site requires a user log in. So it will perform a credentials check before allowing you to proceed.

See the warning notice @ http://secure.metoffice.gov.uk/logon.jsp

You can test it by doing the following:

1. In the location bar, type about:blank and hit Enter to display a blank page.
   
   
2. Click the Firefox button, go to Options | Options | General.
   
   
3. Go to Tools | Options | General
   
   
4. Make sure it says "Show My Homepage" in the first dropdown menu.
   
   
5. Click the button called "Use Current Pages" to set the homepage to the one you have on the screen.
   
   
6. Close Firefox and then restart it again.

If it still takes 60 seconds to load, then post again, but I doubt it.

Opening to blank still takes 60 seconds .

Please perform a cold boot i.e. close all programs and then shutdown the PC (or laptop). Wait a full two minutes before you boot up again. This will flush the system memory.

Done. No change.

Thanks for your input so far; I'm going to be offline now for most of the weekend. Rgds

Please go to http://www.videolan.org/ and download the latest VLC player. The one you have installed at the moment dates from 1996 and poses a security risk. See VLC Media Player 1.1.9 closes security holes

Having said that, v1.1.9 is also vulnerable to certain exploits such as described here: VLC Media Player vulnerable to buffer overflow exploits. However, you'll be better off with this version than the one you have now. Just have to keep an eye on their site for future updates. Either that, or install this free Secunia tool which runs weekly scans for outdated apps: http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal/

Do you have a rootkit detector installed which you can perform scans with? Rootkits are a type of malware which uses stealth tactics to hide from AV scanners. If you haven't got one, please download this one from Sophos and then run a scan: http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-anti-rootkit.aspx

Could you also please go to the Plugins Check page and update where necessary. There may be others you have installed which is causing the slowdown.

Thanks, I have uninstalled VLC player; sophos reports no problems; and no updates were available for plugins. Start still takes 60 seconds.

Adobe released a new version of Flash today namely 10.3.181.22

Videolan also released VLC player 1.1.10.

However, it doesn't sound like either of these will effect the current issue.

You mentioned that running Firefox in Safe Mode resolves the problem, so presumably one of your add-ons is the culprit.

Did you install any 'free' programs that might have introduced bundled software into your system? There's a list here which might help you identify some of them (if you did install something that is): Unwanted bundled apps

Also, do you have any of the add-ons listed here installed: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Problematic_extensions ?

Do you use Skype? If so, do you have the latest version? See 7th one from the top here: https://www.mozilla.com/en-US/blocklist/

Still plodding on ! Nothing found, and the pre-installed Skype was uninstalled without being used . Startup still the same even with everything in the addons disabled ??

I would be inclined to suggest using the option in start in Safe Mode and then checkmark "Reset all user preferences to Firefox defaults".

You'll lose your customizations, but it might save you a lot of time troubleshooting.

I did this about four steps back

Did you have any success creating a new Profile? You seem to indicate earlier that something went pear-shaped somewhere.

Could you try again?

Also, I'll be on vacation from tomorrow for a month, so I won't be able to respond again until mid-July. But I'm sure one of the other guys will be able to take over shortly.