CobaltWolf,
Welcome to the HP Forum.
It looks like you have done some homework.
You can run the system in SafeMode with Network and see if that solves the problem. There may be a program that is running -- one that you missed or a program that should not be in the Startup sequence -- that is causing the issue. Some programs do perfectly fine if they are started manually when needed, but do not do well at all if they are in the "start up" sequence at boot time.
If you find a program that fits this description, you can remove it from the Startup list in msconfig.
Entering Safe Mode in Windows 7
Using System Configuration (msconfig)
On-the-Fly -- What is the System Doing?
How to use the Resource Monitor in Windows 7
The Resource Monitor can help you track what the system is doing while you are working on it.
There is a bit of "cost" to running the monitor, of course. That means, the tool itself uses a certain amount of resource from the computer that might be noticable under certain circumstances. That said, the monitor does not tend to "dip and pull" at the system so you may be able to see what other programs may be causing the little freezes.
You can check, and if so desired, Right-Click and "end" or kill a process that you wish to eliminate. If you do something silly and kill an important process that hangs the computer and you get stuck, you can Press the power button and hard-crash the system to stop it. This is not recommended, of course, but it should not hurt a healthy system -- as long as you don't make a habit of it -- and the computer should recover and let you boot it back up without a problem. Just don't do "that" again. Smiling.
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