Author Topic: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9  (Read 13270 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

cooby

  • Guest
Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« on: March 18, 2014, 07:55:54 PM »
I have nothing that needs internet connection, other than Avast, as I boot. Once booted, 34 processes run of which 3 are Acronis, 3 for Snagit, no auto Win or anything updates.

Before v9, it took 10 sec to get to the login screen. Then 40sec till everything got quiet, i.e. my usual 7 taskbar icons displayed (firewall, power, volume, 1-2 network, snagit, avast).

With v9, the same 10sec to the login screen. Then it takes a 1min30sec till the taskbar appears. Add to that additional 2min30sec till all is settled. 4 minutes! Unacceptable and diappointing.

Is there a way to speed all this up other than reverting to v8?

cooby

  • Guest
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2014, 06:47:48 PM »
Bump? :)
I did try the load avast after other services trick - tiny advantage, perhaps 1 less minute. Not good.

Offline Para-Noid

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Starting Graphoman
  • ***
  • Posts: 6700
  • Trust only what you test yourself!
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2014, 07:51:01 PM »
Try updating to the latest release v2014.9.0.2016
                                         
More info here http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=147778.msg1073217#msg1073217
Dell Inspiron, Win10x64--HP Envy Win10x64--Both systems Avast Free v17.9.2322, Comodo Firewall v8.2 w/D+, MalwareBytes v3.0, OpenDNS, Super Anti-Spyware, Spyware Blaster, MCShield, Unchecky, Vivaldi Browser and, various browser security tools.

"Look before you leap!" Use online scanners before you click on any link.

Offline Chim

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Advanced Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 1151
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2014, 11:30:33 PM »
Hmmm???  Interesting.
In my case, before avast 9.0.2013 and when my Windows XP was only SP2, my computer would be completely booted up in about 1 minute and a half.

Then I installed SP3 yesterday so that I could install avast 9.0.2013.  Well, now my Windows XP takes those very same 4 minutes to boot up that you mention.

However, in MY case, the longer boot up appears to NOT be due to avast 9.0.2013.  It appears to be related to my having installed SP3.

Why do I think that?  Because I then uninstalled avast 9.0.2013 and without it or any Anti-Virus, Windows XP still took 4 minutes to boot up.  Then I reinstalled avast 8.0.1497 and Windows XP still takes 3½ to 4 minutes to boot up.
Dell Optiplex 780 / Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00 GHz / 4 Gig RAM / Windows XP Pro 32-Bit SP3 / Panda Dome  Free 18.07.00 / MBAM / SAS / NetZero Dial Up / Maxthon MX5 5.2.5.4000

Offline Eddy

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Maybe Bot
  • ***
  • Posts: 31080
  • Watching (over?) you
    • Malware removal, Biljart and other things.
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2014, 11:44:51 PM »
Did you also installed ALL (security) updates released after SP3?
If not, you really should do so.

Please attach a HijackThis log to your next post.
Perhaps we can find something that is causing the delay.

cooby

  • Guest
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2014, 12:51:43 AM »
@Para-Noid,
Imight try that,thanks. On the other hand I'm so upset about all those Avast ads instead of a normal notifications of updates, that I'm considering not using Avast anymore, much as I think it's the smallest and the bestest out there.
Also, I see nothing about a better boot time in the notes shown in that thread.

@eddy,
HJT addressed to whom? me? chim?

@chim,
After installing SP3 the drive is fragmented badly. After several hundred updates, even more so. And after all this, take a look at ProcessExplorer or Task Manager - how many processes run at startup? That, IMO, can be an enormous strain on boot time.
Especially if they want to get out to the internet. HJT display will tell Eddy what you got there that might not be needed.

Offline Chim

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Advanced Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 1151
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2014, 01:29:10 AM »
Eddy, I just finished turning the Automatic Updates back on.  More Updates ARE being downloaded and installed.  The reason I turned them off the other day after the SP3 install is because after1 Update got downloaded and installed, nothing more seemed to be happening.  So, I turned them off.  This, because I thought Windows XP support was now officially over.

Cooby, after I download all the rest of the Updates, I'll take your suggestion and perform a Defrag.  Hopefully that helps some.

And hopefully sometime later this week I'll be adding 1 more Gig of RAM to max it out at 2 Gig.  Hopefully this will also help.  I'm just waiting for this guy who works at BestBuy to get them for me.
Dell Optiplex 780 / Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00 GHz / 4 Gig RAM / Windows XP Pro 32-Bit SP3 / Panda Dome  Free 18.07.00 / MBAM / SAS / NetZero Dial Up / Maxthon MX5 5.2.5.4000

Undead-Divine-Assassin

  • Guest
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2014, 01:45:19 AM »
I've just checked what CPU your Toshiba Satellite A25 laptop uses and it a Pentium 4 probably 2.66Hz with 512MB RAM in base configuration. That's the CPU my Dell Inspiron 5100 uses but I've upgraded the RAM over the years to 2GB even though no BIOS for this model state support for more than 1GB. That definitely improved the speed.

Upgrading your RAM to at least 1GB and up to the 32bit OS maximum <4GB using 2x2GB if possible (check the laptop's specs for maximum RAM support) may boost boot time a bit. If you've been using just 512MB RAM the speed increase will be very obvious in general use just going up to 1GB. You won't ever want to go back to 512MB even if the effect on boot time is comparatively small.   

I'm still on a v.8 version of Avast as I'm scared that upgrading it to v.9 is going crash the thing. Anyway my point is that 4 mins is almost exactly the time it takes from cold boot WinXP SP3 to useable desktop condition ie. HDD start up activity is reduced to the point I boot my browser or another program. This has been typical going back as far as Avast v.6 so I think you can be sure that Avast is not a particular culprit although I suspect it hasn't helped.

It does depend if Avast updates itself during boot too. It's the only thing I have on auto-update now and, whilst the laptop is booting,  it slows it down very noticeably. As others have just suggested Windows auto-updates are also a very significant drain on the CPU when installing too.

I should add that my boot time includes Spybot's TeaTimer, the last thing to that seems to load at start up. This takes around 30 secs after the Avast taskbar icon appears.

Over the years I have made it my business reduce to a minimum everything running at start up, using CCleaner (or msconfig) so it is as lean as I know how to make it. 

 

thekochs

  • Guest
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2014, 02:01:14 AM »
Posted above......but I'll re-state......I'd run a DEFRAG within Windows.
I am 100% on W7 now but I recall vividly that any mass security updates.....especially a SP update, defrags the disk....at least for boot.
I'd run the defragger a couple times back-back too.....I know W7 does multiple passes......think I recall XP does not.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2014, 02:39:39 AM by thekochs »

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88900
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2014, 02:15:47 AM »
@ cooby
Given the limited resources that you have, you don't want anything heavy going on close to boot, so you might want to try this, delaying the auto update check (virus definitions) as this kicks of fairly soon after boot and will more load on a system that is perhaps under resourced.

Two ways that you may be able to achieve this:
1. In the avastUI > Settings > Update - scroll down to Details and you could try setting the option to 'I only connect to the internet using a dial up modem.' This hopefully will prevent it from trying to connect so close to the system start.

2. The other is manually editing the avast5.ini file, this is a more complex (read hassle) options, so I would go for option 1. as a start.

####
I have not seen any appreciable difference in my XP boot times going back as far as avast 6/7 on this XP Pro system. So I'm at a bit of a loss as to why this is happening on some other XP systems.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Offline Eddy

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Maybe Bot
  • ***
  • Posts: 31080
  • Watching (over?) you
    • Malware removal, Biljart and other things.
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2014, 02:57:35 AM »
Defrag:
It will not speed up things noticeable unless the drive is formatted as FAT and not as NTFS.
If the drive is FAT (as I doubt), convert it to NTFS.

HijackThis:
For Chim and Cooby.
I'm not saying I will find things, but at least it is a start.

Windows XP support:
Stopping? It is kind of a hoax.
Yes, support stops at april 8 2014 as MS is saying.
But at the same time companies, governments etc can buy a support extension and MS will release patches/updates for them if needed.
I bet private users will be able to get those patches/updates also, one way or another.

thekochs

  • Guest
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2014, 03:02:59 AM »
Defrag: It will not speed up things noticeable unless the drive is formatted as FAT and not as NTFS.

I know that is the theory of NTFS but I sure saw differences in XP after large updates and service pack.
Anyway, couldn't hurt ? :)

cooby

  • Guest
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2014, 03:05:27 AM »
@DavidR,
v6,7,8 of avast - ready to work in 1min45sec, v9-4minutes.
I tried the I'm on DSL trick and load avast after all services trick - minor advantage, perhaps a minute.
Yes, avast loading up front is in the way.
Mind you, I have really few processes running at startup and nothing other than avast needs internet. So my theory still is that it's something in v9 that's so different and annoying.

@thekochs,
I defrag and do chkdsk day after M$ patches because I know they make a mess. Just did it last week, and it's 4% fragmented and 1/3rd of the system partition is free (11/30)

@Cluster-Lizard,
- Firebreathing-hyperthreading 3.06 Mhz to be exact - A75-S226 Satelite. Had 512meg, updated to 1g in 2007 (Crucial says max allowed is 1.5g). Only one slot, so I'd have to ditch 512 and buy 1g, and the little thingie which holds that extra memory is, for me, very difficult to get at (unlike in Compaq) - it's deep and I'm scared.
- Don't worry about the stability of v9 - it's rock stable, just a tad slower on opening apps, and huge-slower on booting for me.
- 4 min booting in your situation is too long, IMO, in v8. But I don't know what services you allow and what processes you run at start.

Guys, you're all fantastic, thank you!
« Last Edit: March 20, 2014, 03:43:01 AM by cooby »

cooby

  • Guest
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2014, 03:27:49 AM »
HijackThis:
For Chim and Cooby.
I'm not saying I will find things, but at least it is a start.
I can't run HJT today because earlier on I uninstalled v9, installed SSM to be safe and contemplating my next move. HJT from 2 days back - attached - let me know what you see bad 'cause I see nothing.

Just FYI: from login to ready with everything 40-45 seconds :) with no Avast, so, Cluster-Lizard, your 4min is too long.
SSM=old System safety monitor, classic HIPS.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2014, 03:40:45 AM by cooby »

Offline Eddy

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Maybe Bot
  • ***
  • Posts: 31080
  • Watching (over?) you
    • Malware removal, Biljart and other things.
Re: Bootup time on XP got worse with v9
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2014, 04:04:27 AM »
Ok, nothing strange or unwanted to see in the HJT log.

My bet is that since XP has been on the system quiet a while, it is "polluted" with all kinds of obsolete files and remnants of things.
Best thing to do is perform a clean install of everything:

- Disconnect from the Internet (pull out the cable)
- Install windows (format the drive ofcourse)
- Install ALL drivers for your system
- Install avast
- Connect to the Internet
- Install all updates security/drivers (especially the security updates/service pack)
- Install the applications you are normally using
- Make settings/configurations changes is you want/need
- Create a image of that drive

That last one will safe you a lot of time in case you need to/want to reinstall windows again.