Slow startup

2-Bit-Geek · Jan 28, 2009

I'm not sure where to put this hardawre or software :confused

Anyway my problem is basically slow startup once I have logged into my user account, I can load a number of programs up just fine. I would class being connected to the internet (wireless) as my computer being ready or started. I have no idea why my computer is suddenly slow to startup, I mean I have recently upgraded. So far to combat this I have tryed clearing my startup list using CCleaner, I have also used smart defrag to defrag my HDD and CCleaner to clear registry & optimise my HDD. I am all out of ideas, anyone know if it may be a virus, malware or anything?

Specs:

OS: Windows XP Home SP3
CPU: AMD Phenom X4 9750 2.4 GHz
RAM: X2 1GB DDR2 1066MHz Kingston Hyper
Mobo: AUSUS M3A
HDD: 320GB Samsung SATA2 7200RPM, 160GB Samsung SATA2 7200RPM
GPU: ATI (Sappire) Radeon HD 4870 1024MB GDDR5
Media: Samsung DVD RW -/+ SATA, Samsung DVD ROM
PCI: Wireless card Buffalo I belive

:major2-Bit-Geek:major

plodr · Jan 28, 2009

What security programs are running?
Click ctrl+alt+del, how many processes are running? What seems to consume the most CPU?

2-Bit-Geek · Jan 29, 2009

The only security I have is AVG free 8.0, Spybot S&D & Windows firewall. This is whats running in task manager & it's usage (double figures only):

KServive.exe 19.268K
firefox.exe 56.592K
NMIndexStoreSvr 17,804K
TeaTimer.exe 54,552K
NMBgMoniter.exe 10,216K
svchost.exe 23,136K
RTHDCPL 22,224K
InCD.exe 15,048K
explorer.exe 34,548k
wmplayer.exe 32,168K
avgrsx.exe 18,256K

Obviously firefox won't be running on startup, neither will windows media player (though I do use it to listen to music while waiting for my internet to pop on). Tea Timer is part of Spybot S&D, I could save 34,548K if I ended explorer.exe though I would have probelms finding stuff on my pc lol :-D

Does that list look normal?

:major2-Bit-Geek:major

plodr · Jan 29, 2009

Turn off TeaTimer in SpyBot.
When you installed AVG 8, did you do a default install?

I'm not interested in the K values, I was interested in the % of CPU usage. If system idle is in the 90% you are good. If something else is eating away at the %, I want to know what it is.

Do You have anything set to scan at startup? It could be doing it and you might not realize that is what is happening and slowing down the desktop loading.

On the NMIndexStoreSvr, and NMBgMonitor.exe part of Nero doesn't need to be running.
Disable Nero Scout via its own interface. To do so, double-click on the My Computer icon. Right-click on the Nero Scout icon and choose Options. Then uncheck the option for Enable Nero Scout.

plodr · Jan 29, 2009

Do you have or did you have any of the following three: BBC iplayer, sky anytime or 4od ?
Kservice is part of that and can cause your computer to lag along.

Go into the control Panel, then Admin Tools and lastly Services. Scroll through the list until you find KServices. Right click it to bring up the properties, there select the drop menu where it says automatic and change it to disabled or manual. (If you have any of the above three, make it manual; otherwise you can disable it). If you discover later that something isn't working properly, perhaps because something that I'm not aware of uses KServices, you can go back in and change it to manual instead of disabled.

2-Bit-Geek · Jan 29, 2009

I have disbled Tea Timer in CCleaner startup because I could not find it in the Spybot interface, I have also disabled Nero Scout.

Oddly though I tryed to pressing the home key on my kyboard and before the taskbar icon told me I was connected to the internet my computer loaded up firefox & my homepage straight away, which is odd. After this I looked at my system Idle process and it was running between 95-99% is that normal?

I will now re-start my pc to see if anything is differant.

:major2-Bit-Geek:major

2-Bit-Geek · Jan 29, 2009

Thanks for all your help plodr. I have one last question, when I start up my firewall pops up saying that it's not turned on. When I click on the bubble to resolve problem & go to enable it I am infomed that I cannot, later it seems to turn itself back on strange don't you think?

:major2-Bit-Geek:major

plodr · Jan 30, 2009

system Idle process and it was running between 95-99% is that normal?
Click to expand...

Yes. If it is idle, that means a lot of things are not running so you have 95-99% for all your computing needs.

The fact that your FF loaded and you connected straight away has me a bit concerned. Also the fact that the firewall is not on when you turn on your computer - this is not something you want happening.

I can't begin to recommend a firewall for XP because I've newly installed it on Monday.
I did try Comodo v3 and XP would not load! I won't recommend that until I can figure out what I did wrong and telly anyone installing what not to do. Others have had problems with Online Armor so I can't recommend that.

What I might suggest as a workaround until I can figure out the problem with XP's firewall is before you turn off the computer, turn off your wireless. When you turn on the computer, check to see if your firewall is on. (Do a ctrl + alt + del) and note what is running when the firewall is off and compare it to what is running when the firewall is turned on. Maybe that will narrow down the search.
After the firewall is on, then enable your wireless and connect to the internet.

TimW · Jan 30, 2009

PCTools Firewall w/out Threatfire.

To Disable Spybot's TeaTimer

* Run Spybot and click Mode
* Select Advanced Mode.
* Then click Tools and select Resident.
* Now in the right window pane, uncheck TeaTimer.
* Also while this is open, in the left column now select IE Tweaks
* and then in the right pane make sure all the Miscellaneous locks are unchecked.
* Now quit Spybot!

2-Bit-Geek · Feb 1, 2009

I think I am going to try to solve all my problems at once

I will just update my backup HDD and format this one, that should fix everything. So I shouldn't suffer my current issues:

*Slow startup
*Buggy Firewall
*Questionable gaming performace (old drivers most likely)
* Programs crashing & sending error reports
*Media player 11's library has become corrupt

I think i'll do that tomorrow :cool

Thanks for all your suggestions guys :clap

:major2-Bit-Geek:major

2-Bit-Geek · Feb 3, 2009

All is fixed

I have formatted and re-installed my XP & downloaded all updates and drivers, all I need to do now is install all my games again. It has sorted out all my problems :-D all I wanna do now is test the game performace. I think i know why my CPU has been dissapointing aside from that fact that AMD Phenom's aren't that good, the wrong driver was still installed (K8 from my dualcore), now with the K10 driver & Dual core optimiser gone I should have no further issues.

B.T.W: If you take a lookat the AMD/ATI site now they have loads of new programs, AMD Overdrive, Fusion for gaming, ATI & AMD Drivers. Even though the CPU is a bit crap the website has been improved vastly :-D

I think I am the only person still buying AMD on this forum lol, I don't know why but I hate Intel as a company. But after this I may have to jump into the intel camp CPU wise

:major2-Bit-Geek:major

Log in or Sign up

Slow startup

2-Bit-Geek Sergeant

plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member

2-Bit-Geek Sergeant

plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member

plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member

2-Bit-Geek Sergeant

2-Bit-Geek Sergeant

plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

2-Bit-Geek Sergeant

2-Bit-Geek Sergeant