Slow Boot Up After Windows 7 Clean Install

[katana]

Hi, guys!

A cousin let me tinker with her laptop, it is a Samsung R439 model. Here are some of it's specifications:

Intel Core i3
320 gb HDD
2gb DDR3 RAM

Yesterday, I did a clean install using Chief's Windows 7 installer and I noticed that it booted up really slow. There was nothing else installed in there yet except for the OS & drivers, still it took at least 3 minutes to boot up. So, I continued installing other add-on softwares like antivirus, MS Office, Encarta, etc. Changed the boot priority to HDD since it seems like it's default is to read first the DVD-ROM. Also, updated some of the drivers. When I restarted it, it still took almost the same amount of time to boot up.

Afterwards, I used ASC to clean the registry & defrag it. Then, uninstalled it. Did an AV scan. It still takes at least 3 minutes to boot up. Is this maybe hardware related?

Thank you in advance for your help!!! 

P.S.
I hope I'm posting this in the right place, haven't been here for almost a year.

[scarface]

run an error scan with hd tune.

[rodtsuka]

I agreed with scarface, but try to get hiren´s boot cd (original) or ubcd and run a short test with the manufacturer program of your hard disk if it
shows an error get into the manufacturer website and check warranty, you may get another one for "free". If your hard disk is out of warranty get
a new one, don´t try to use a bad hard disk it´s not worth the risk to lose your time and data.

[humbert]

@Katana - on top of what the guys are suggesting, I'm seeing that the laptop has only 2GB RAM. Even for 32-bit Windows 7 this is cutting it a little close. Buy more RAM if possible and use a free program like Ccleaner, not just to take out the trash, but to see what programs start themselves. Many could probably be removed from the list.

I'd also have a pretty big swap file, preferably one with a fixed size not controlled by Windows.