Are there any error messages in the Error Log? What are the specifications of the server? What are the sizes of the databases?
Check out the following topics in Books Online to see if they provide any clarity on what the server is doing, "Transaction Recovery" and "Help with Startup"
Hope this helps
Phill Carter
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Colt 45 - the original point and click interface
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Colt 45 - the original point and click interface