Musky, Mentor Me! PC Start Up is slow slow SLOW!

[CMWYW]

I did as you suggested just to test it out. Nod32 and the uninstallation of avast added 30 seconds to my startup time ie:- when the last gadget and internet connection is up.

I went back to yesterdays restore point with system restore and now 20 seconds faster but up to 1m 43seconds (+10 seconds from my previous time) for startup

Think I shall leave it all alone as I am pretty happy with my computer and I am prone to head in hands why did i change that moments with it.

Do you know what may of increased the startup time by 10 seconds?

Just going to do some defragging and cleaning up of files and keys and see if that gets me back to my previous time.

[Musky]

I did as you suggested just to test it out. Nod32 and the uninstallation of avast added 30 seconds to my startup time ie:- when the last gadget and internet connection is up.

I went back to yesterdays restore point with system restore and now 20 seconds faster but up to 1m 43seconds (+10 seconds from my previous time) for startup

Think I shall leave it all alone as I am pretty happy with my computer and I am prone to head in hands why did i change that moments with it.

Do you know what may of increased the startup time by 10 seconds?

Just going to do some defragging and cleaning up of files and keys and see if that gets me back to my previous time.

Which version of Windows do you have?

Also, most anti-viruses don't uninstall completely and so parts of Avast could still be starting and slowing you down some, Companies know this, so they all make a "removal tool" for their anti-viruses. Here is a link to Avast's:

Avast uninstall tool

try running that and rebooting and then see if it makes a difference.

[CMWYW]

I did as you suggested just to test it out. Nod32 and the uninstallation of avast added 30 seconds to my startup time ie:- when the last gadget and internet connection is up.

I went back to yesterdays restore point with system restore and now 20 seconds faster but up to 1m 43seconds (+10 seconds from my previous time) for startup

Think I shall leave it all alone as I am pretty happy with my computer and I am prone to head in hands why did i change that moments with it.

Do you know what may of increased the startup time by 10 seconds?

Just going to do some defragging and cleaning up of files and keys and see if that gets me back to my previous time.

Which version of Windows do you have?

Also, most anti-viruses don't uninstall completely and so parts of Avast could still be starting and slowing you down some, Companies know this, so they all make a "removal tool" for their anti-viruses. Here is a link to Avast's:

Avast uninstall tool

try running that and rebooting and then see if it makes a difference.

Windows 7 Ultimate. Will use the uninstall tool.

[CMWYW]

Did everything as you said and now it takes 1m 55sec

[Musky]

Did everything as you said and now it takes 1m 55sec

I'm not good at math, is that an improvement? LOL

I wouldn't be concerned with ten seconds or so, look what poor Bob has to deal with. One thing that I do, but it's up to you. Nod32 is set to scan some files every time the computer starts up,and I think it's unnecessary, I mean, what "new" files have been loaded since the system was shut down? None, right?

So I go into Nod32 "advanced settings tree" and disable (un-check) the start-up scans.

[CMWYW]

Did everything as you said and now it takes 1m 55sec

I'm not good at math, is that an improvement? LOL

I wouldn't be concerned with ten seconds or so, look what poor Bob has to deal with. One thing that I do, but it's up to you. Nod32 is set to scan some files every time the computer starts up,and I think it's unnecessary, I mean, what "new" files have been loaded since the system was shut down? None, right?

So I go into Nod32 "advanced settings tree" and disable (un-check) the start-up scans.

Here is everything in an overview.

Before I started experimenting,

with avast, start up time was 1m 32sec this was with steam,world community grid and some gadgets that i like on my screen.

With a clean uninstall and nod32 1m 55sec

With steam off and both antivirus software on 1m 50sec

With steam off and nod32 1m 35sec

With steam off and avast 1m 25sec

I am undecided what I am going to do. Seeing as my computer is ok and pretty safe due to having seperate drives for files and windows I may keep it like it is. Free and well, Free!

Your right we should help Bob out. I was wandering what Services are starting up on his laptop. You know the box next to the Startup box if he could send us a similar picture of the services list as he did at the bottom of page 1 of this thread with the Startup list and If he was to check the box hide all microsoft services there might be some processes going on there in that list we could get rid of too.

[Musky]

In Windows XP disabling unnecessary services made a huge difference, but Windows 7 handles the services so much better that it usually doesn't make much difference disabling them. 7 usually only runs them as needed. But we might take a look at them and see if anything stands out. I want to wait until he runs "cleanup" first and see if it makes a difference.

[Brother_Bliss]

Well I cleaned up a whopping 3.9 GB of "stuff" and gained 10 seconds, clocking in at 3 minutes and 5 seconds from power button to widget appearance on my screen. I did not remove the cookies though. I like cookies and cannot imagine them making that much of a difference.

[Musky]

Well I cleaned up a whopping 3.9 GB of "stuff" and gained 10 seconds, clocking in at 3 minutes and 5 seconds from power button to widget appearance on my screen. I did not remove the cookies though. I like cookies and cannot imagine them making that much of a difference.

Yes, you're probably right about that. But if you have a LOT of cookies, it can take time for Windows to index them at start up. But I don't think you'd gain that much cleaning them either.

I'd like to see us shave at least another minute off of your start up time. It's hard to do it "long distance", but something is causing the delayed start up. Try un-checking Kaspersky and then restarting and see if it's much faster. If it is, then maybe you'll need to switch A/Vs. Some of them interfere with some systems and not others.

[CMWYW]

It's hard to do it "long distance",

Have you got a program like teamviewer? I noticed one of your services involved that you seem to assume control of peoples computers when fixing them. Although turning computers on and off interrupts the use of them unfortunately.

@ dismal bliss, was all the Toshiba programs on your laptop already or on a disk that you loaded onto it after it came out of the box? I think you said that they were already on it but just wanted to check. I am tempted to suggest un-checking everything except things you absolutely need Just once to see where your Laptops at. Only after you have seen how much quicker you are without Kaspersky.

@ Musky, I noticed yesterday that in my services list I had half a dozen needless ones running and i am using W7.

[CMWYW]

I use Advanced System Care with the Turbo Boost turned on. It turns off the stuff you don't need running all the time. It also will clean the registry and a few other things but you have to buy it every year. My XP takes less than a minute to start up.

I use the free version advanced system care 4

http://www.iobit.com/advancedsystemcareper.html?Str=download

This i would also recommend for Bob to use but with the warning that his history including favourite bookmarks will disappear if he is not careful.

It just saved me a few seconds on startup time and kept all my processes running that i had before.

Warning though to everyone. If you don't know what your doing then you will lose that long list of favourite bookmarks which could if you have a lot make you cry!!

[Musky]

I wasn't saying that there are not services running that can be turned off. I said that Windows 7 handles these services so well, that it isn't worth the five or ten seconds you might shave off the start-up time to mess with them.

But Bob, if you want to post a screen shot of your services list (it will take several pictures to get it all in) I'll be glad to take a look and see if some rogue service is slowing you down.

The best way to see the full services screen is to go to the run command and type "services.msc" then hit enter. The services window will then open. Once you have your screen shots, post them here.

[CMWYW]

I wasn't saying that there are not services running that can be turned off. I said that Windows 7 handles these services so well, that it isn't worth the five or ten seconds you might shave off the start-up time to mess with them.

Oh ok! See how much I don't know. I am a NOOB

[Musky]

I wasn't saying that there are not services running that can be turned off. I said that Windows 7 handles these services so well, that it isn't worth the five or ten seconds you might shave off the start-up time to mess with them.

Oh ok! See how much I don't know. I am a NOOB

No worries, you sound like you're doing fine!

Just don't be afraid to experiment!

[CMWYW]

I wasn't saying that there are not services running that can be turned off. I said that Windows 7 handles these services so well, that it isn't worth the five or ten seconds you might shave off the start-up time to mess with them.

Oh ok! See how much I don't know. I am a NOOB

No worries, you sound like you're doing fine!

Just don't be afraid to experiment!

Thanks,

I just did a lot of your suggestions ie:- unchecking startup processes, even the Toshiba ones, and smartface watcher, as well as using advanced system care 4 free version to get my mothers (really slow) laptop from about 3 minutes down to a little over 1 minute startup.)'>

I don't know if it will work for Bob as well but i was surprised and pretty chuffed with the results.>< I can still use all the toshiba stuff like you said and as long as you go into settings for privacy sweep in ASC4 and make sure you dont delete your history in IE/Mozilla/ or whatever internet browser you use you wont wipe your favourites and bookmarks.

Don't know if this will help but it worked for my mums laptop.

Thanks for your advice though Musky!!

[GrumpysWife]

I wasn't saying that there are not services running that can be turned off. I said that Windows 7 handles these services so well, that it isn't worth the five or ten seconds you might shave off the start-up time to mess with them.

Oh ok! See how much I don't know. I am a NOOB

No worries, you sound like you're doing fine!

Just don't be afraid to experiment!

Thanks,

I just did a lot of your suggestions ie:- unchecking startup processes, even the Toshiba ones, and smartface watcher, as well as using advanced system care 4 free version to get my mothers (really slow) laptop from about 3 minutes down to a little over 1 minute startup.)'>

I don't know if it will work for Bob as well but i was surprised and pretty chuffed with the results.>< I can still use all the toshiba stuff like you said and as long as you go into settings for privacy sweep in ASC4 and make sure you dont delete your history in IE/Mozilla/ or whatever internet browser you use you wont wipe your favourites and bookmarks.

Don't know if this will help but it worked for my mums laptop.

Thanks for your advice though Musky!!

I never lost my favorites. I use Google Chrome.

[CMWYW]

I never lost my favorites. I use Google Chrome.

The first time I used it i did. I was using Mozilla firefox. I am glad you didn't though. I just didn't want anyone to be upset with me for getting any of there treasured favourite bookmarks deleted.

[retroHelen]

My old Dad knew nothing about PC's. We gave him our old windows 95 PC+printer+scanner to learn on with Windows 95 for Dummys and Phil Harrison tutorials for Works and Word. He also got all our interactive Dorling Kindersley encyclopaedias History, Science, Earthquest Castle and Ship explorer, etc. He loved it. However, the PC has develloped a problem. He can still automatically run all his CD disks, but can't access Works or Word or anything else on the hard-drive because as soon as you click on any program, after start up, he gets this message and we don't know what he has, or the machine has done wrong:

Explorer caused an invalid page fault in module COMCTL32.DLL at 0137:bfbblf2b

EAX=00000000 CS=137 EIP=bfbb2084

EBX=00001014 SS=0134 ESP=008afb2c EBP=008afb34

ECX=00000000 DS=013f ESI=00144a84f EFLGS=0001046

EDX=00000060 ES=013f EDI=000000003 GS=0000

Bytes at:

8e d6 56 00 00 85 c0 a9

56 68 cd Sa 2b dl 03 ca

Stack dump:

00000364 0044a8f4 008afc9c bfb9136c 0044a8f4

00000000 00000000 00448b8 004402a4 00440288

00000000 00000000 0000006 bfb90c21 00000364

00000000

It then says it will close down because of this error, so we get no further than the desktop.

We have asked around the folk we know and they haven't a clue and say throw away all the equipment, but Dad enjoys his Dorling Kindersley CD's and we can't get them to work on our Windows Vista laptop. We tried putting Windows 95 on the PC again, but someone said the error is part of the 'registry files' that are under or before windows, so that would not solve it any way. Can anyone help??

[Musky]

Most of that is RAM errors. One of his memory modules may have gone bad or at least have become unseated. Try opening the case (computer off) unplug the memory modules one at a time (if there are more then one) and clean the contacts with a pencil eraser and then reinsert them.

Try and blow the dust out of the RAM slots while you have them out. Then try rebooting. If it still doesn't work, try replacing the RAM sticks.

Sometimes that error can be caused by a corrupt MSN address book file. Does he use MSN for his email? If so, post back and I'll tell you what he needs to do. But I doubt that's the issue since it was pretty rare.

[rocket]

I have problem with Internet Explorer 8. Google tool bar is on top and every time I try to google a search, Explorer 8 crashes. Anybody else have this problem?

Pop up Blocker is set to most.

Smart Screen Filter is on.

InPrivate Filter is off.

[Musky]

I am not a big fan of tool bars. Go to add/remove programs in the control panel and uninstall the Google toolbar Then just choose Google as your default search provider in tools/Internet options/programs. That way you can type your search parameters into the address bar and it will do a Google search from there. Internet Explorer doesn't handle add-ons very well, especially IE8. If yo don't want to do that, then see if you can upgrade to IE9, but you need Vista or Windows 7 to use that.

[rocket]

I have windows 7 but every time (3 times) I tried to upgrade to Explorer 9 the computer locked up tighter than a drum. I have to hit the power button to turn it off.

I have the same problem with FireFox and google so I thought it might be something strange going on.

I will try your suggestion of "uninstall the Google toolbar. Then just choose Google as your default search provider in tools/Internet options/programs."

Thanks for the tips.

[Musky]

If Google isn't one of your choices under "search providers" then click on "find more search providers" at the bottom of the window (in blue) and then pick Google out of the results you get, and then close IE and re-open it and go back in and choose Google as your search provider and make it the default.

[GrumpysWife]

Every time I try to use IE 8 I have all kinds of stuff going wrong so now I just use Google Chrome. The only problem I have with it is I have to clean the browsing data frequently. But I use C Cleaner or Clean up to do it because for some reason doing it with Google options doesn't really clean the stuff out. Sometimes its a pain because of my passwords getting removed too.

[Musky]

Every time I try to use IE 8 I have all kinds of stuff going wrong so now I just use Google Chrome. The only problem I have with it is I have to clean the browsing data frequently. But I use C Cleaner or Clean up to do it because for some reason doing it with Google options doesn't really clean the stuff out. Sometimes its a pain because of my passwords getting removed too.

Clean up has the option of not deleting stored passwords. At least "cleanup452" does. I use that and have it clean everything except cookies that contain my logins.