Author Topic: Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications  (Read 11801 times)

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jmrc94

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Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« on: December 21, 2004, 10:54:54 AM »
Hi all

I have the following problem, which I believe started with recent update to Avast Home v4.5.xxx (version 4.5.549 included). Well I've never experienced this with v4.1.xxx

When Windows XP starts, after the desktop is displayed, a number of applications will be started, including Avast 4.5.549, ZoneAlarm 5.1.033, taskman (minimized to show CPU usage), soundcard stuff, WiFi stuff, etc..

From one reboot to another, these don't always fire in the same order, and some applications may be started/up and running before others.

The problem is that often when I get Avast icone showing up before others, Windows XP will then fail to start the remaining programs and the task-bar becomes busy.

This will then prevent any application from being started, and I cannot even gracefully initiate a reboot. Even ctrl-alt-del fails to start the taskman of Windows... must press the reset button..

However, when Avast is a bit slower to start, say after ZoneAlarm or so, everything is ok... Sounds like a timing issue..

Configuration:
Windows XP Home / SP2 (freshly re-installed from scratch)
Athlon 1800+ / 512MB of RAM

Any help would be appreciated  ;)

Note: I plan to work-around this issue, using some startup delayer tool to serialize the starting of application in the mean time..
« Last Edit: December 21, 2004, 10:56:37 AM by jmrc94 »

Offline Eddy

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Re:Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2004, 10:58:13 AM »
Use Startup Delayer. It solved the problem for many people. Link to it is somewhere on this board. Use the search option to find it.

darkparrot

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Re:Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2004, 12:00:13 PM »
Programs starting in different orders is normal. Here is a link to the program Eddy recommended Startup Delayer.

jmrc94

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Re:Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2004, 12:40:08 PM »
Thanks for your replies.

This thread was to report the problem I am running into.

It is of course normal to see programs starting various order at boot time, but it would be nice to solve the root cause of the race condition that causes startup to hang.

I did not experienced it with previous version of Avast.. perhaps I was lucky.. is this a v4.5 issue only ???

Anyway, as I said, I already plan to work-around this issue by means of serializing the starting of startup applications..

Offline Eddy

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Re:Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2004, 12:41:55 PM »
It's more likely something MS has to solve. It doesn't only happen with Avast but with other applications as well.

jmrc94

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Re:Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2004, 12:48:59 PM »
hmm. interesting.. the reason I was thinking of Avast 4.5 is the introduction of the new network/internet service..

Since I could not see the problem before this new version, and since the symptom I have is when I get Avast icon first other application cannot start, I was thinking of some sort of interaction with the firewall tool or something of this kind..
may be I was jumping to conclusion..

Ok.. will do some more home work, play around with startup delayer and see which guy should be started last to avoid the hang to happen..

Offline Eddy

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Re:Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2004, 12:51:20 PM »
If it really is Avast (or another application) than Startup Delayer wouldn't be able to solve it. Therfor you can conclude that it is not the application. So what is left? Either hardware (not very likely) or the OS ;)

jmrc94

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Re:Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #7 on: December 21, 2004, 01:01:37 PM »
Unless it is related to a timing issue..

What puzzles me is why do I see this only now, after upgrading to 4.5.xxx, on the same system ?

However I do agree that the root cause could very well be an OS problem.. just looking for the "smoking gun"..  timing issue can fire for various reasons ;)

Offline Lisandro

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Re:Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #8 on: December 21, 2004, 01:36:13 PM »
I was thinking of some sort of interaction with the firewall tool or something of this kind...

Most probably...
avast could be the 'bad guy' here. Version 4.5 has some changes and the startup was, in fact, changed by it. Lots of users complain about that.
Startup Delayer (which I recommend myself here a lot of times) is only a workaround.

MS must correct the startup problems, specially under SP2. For security, a lot of subrotines were tighted and startup was slower. They should recognize this either.

So, my experience, the slow startup is due to a combination of XP SP2 + antivirus (in this case, specially the version 4.5) + firewall.
Sometimes, the same occurs on shutdown  :-\
The best things in life are free.

jmrc94

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Re:Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #9 on: December 25, 2004, 01:10:51 PM »
Hi

Just to confirm that since I have added a 5 sec delay to Avast scanner using above mentionned utility, I did not experience further lockup at boot time..

 :)

Offline Lisandro

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Re:Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #10 on: December 27, 2004, 01:53:05 AM »
See, jmrc94, we can always be happy with a little help from friends  ;)
The best things in life are free.

saoir

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Startup Delays
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2006, 03:48:44 PM »
Hi guys - sorry to come in late on this - but I though it would be better to post to this thread than start another one... ok ?

I acquired a Sony Vaio laptop in April and experienced XP for the first time, having used AvastHome for about 2 years on Win2000.
All was fine at first - but then one day in July (2006) or so Avast updated itself and I started to get this 30 second delay in startups.

Several programs would startup, but none could make copntact with the web until approx a 30 second delay ocurred, and then suddenly Avast proceeded to load the web shield etc and the startup process completed.

Can someone knowledgable tell me if this is the same delay problem described above ? Can the delay tool really fix this ?

Much obliged

Saoir
[Avast Home ; Sygate Personal Firewall]

Offline Eddy

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Re: Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #12 on: October 13, 2006, 02:59:07 PM »
If it is a (almost) identical situation, which it seems to be...
Yes, give startup delayer a try and see if the problem is solved.

saoir

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Re: Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #13 on: October 15, 2006, 01:20:22 AM »
If it is a (almost) identical situation, which it seems to be...
Yes, give startup delayer a try and see if the problem is solved.
Thanks Eddy - I will give it a go.

saoir

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Re: Windows XP gets stuck starting 'startup' applications
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2006, 09:43:20 PM »
If it is a (almost) identical situation, which it seems to be...
Yes, give startup delayer a try and see if the problem is solved.
Thanks Eddy - I will give it a go.

Eddie, I have been trying it and the delayer program is operating fine. However it does not seem to be having any affect. Can you offer any advice on settings ?

I decided to take applications that are not very important atthe start and delay them 30-40 seconds. I then delayed Avast 15 seconds. I delayed SunJava 10 seconds.

However the problem delay seems to happen in the middle of Avast. It launches three providers straight away (Internet Mail, P2P and Standard Shield) however the rest hold everything on the PC up for anotyher 20 seocnds for no obvious reason - and the culprit 'looks' like Web Shield.

Does this make sense ? I have settings for Web Shield set to normal, but I wonder if there are any settings that I should apply to speed it up ?

Tks

Saoir