Attempt 1 at trying to fix it:

Motherboard integrated realtek audio chip '97 was available in audio device
selection pop-up menu. (Bios setting was "auto")

Rebooted, into bios, disabled this chip, reboot into windows 7.

Did notice faster boot time, no more 10 minute hang, could be a fluke of
luck or a solved hardware conflict between x-fi soundblaster and realtek
audio chip.

Effects of this attempt:

Faster boot time ?

Console launcher does show up, but it looks very weird, all usually controls
are missing from it, see link for screenshot:

To me this is starting to seem like a true software fok up of some kind:

http://www.skybuck.org/Windows7/XFiS...ows7Update.png

The following updates look suspicious to me:

At the top of the list is the evil looking one, which is supposedly to
prepare my system for an update to windows 10:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2952664

"This update helps Microsoft make improvements to the current operating
system in order to ease the upgrade experience to the latest version of
Windows."

^ This seems highly evil to me... I will try de-install this next, if it
doesn't help I will de-install all the mention updates.


Another update which looks suspicious is the one which affects stream.sys
drived based applications ?:

8:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3054476

Bye,
Skybuck.