Speed up log in

First, if there are any other users on your computer see if they have a similarly long log-in. If they don't the problem might be your roaming profile, which is a folder where XP stores your settings you can access them from anywhere in the network. Since these profiles can get really bloated and are not really necessary unless you log-in from different computers in a large network, you should disable it. Here's how:

1. Right click on My Computer, select the Manage option.

2. From the Management Console, select the Local Users and Groups option.

3. Double-Click on the Users folder that appears on the right panel.

4. Right click on the account with the slow log-in and select Properties.

5. Click on the Profile tab of the Properties Window.

6. Erase(but keep note a not of this) whatever path appears for Profile Path under User Profile and Local Path under Home Folder: LEAVE THESE LINES BLANK.

7. Reboot. Try to log-in into the problematic account, you should see a significant speed-boost, the computer might warn you once or twice that your Roaming Profile is not available, ignore it and it will go away, good luck!

Note: You also will not have your settings and files that a roaming profile provides across a network.