Microsoft KnowledgeBase article says waiting three minutes for locked-up computer during boot due to wireless networking issues is "expected": This troubleshooting page, updated on Feb. 10 of this year, states that Windows XP could lock you out of your computer for up to three minutes if a Wi-Fi card fails to respond properly when you boot your machine. It's "expected," so there's nothing you can do about it. [link via LockerGnome]