[Resolved] Startup, msconfig, and freezing

I need your help, my friends. I'm operating Win98 on an IBM Aptiva. It has begun taking forever (as in 10 - 15 minutes) to boot up, and freezes constantly when in use. The only way to unfreeze it once it boots up is ctrl-alt-del end task (which can take up to three minutes to do the job).

I have been told there may be a relationship between these problems and the number of programs loading at startup. I went into run> msconfig> startup and unchecked a number of programs that seemed inessential at startup, then clicked apply and okay.
Upon restarting the computer it took as long as ever to boot up and the programs were checked again (or still checked) in msconfig> startup.

The computer still locks up frequently. It may help to know that in the week to ten days before problems began I downloaded AdAware, AdSubtract, ZoneAlarm Pro (as an upgrade) and Opera6 (as an upgrade). In each instance I downloaded to my desktop and scanned with Norton Anti-V before installing. Norton, which I update frequently, continues to show no viruses.

My thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

yes ... too many items in startup will bog it down using all your resources causing freeze ups & blue screens of death.
What you have described could be a combination of things & ....
My advice is go to housecalls & run the free online virus scanner.
Click here to do so!

for a free virus scanner, if you need one , you can add to your system... go get AVG. Click here to download AVG

and to protect yourself from hackers etc... Get Zone Alarm
Click here the free version is fine

then there is spyware, which can cause many of the problems you spoke of ... go get Ad-Aware
Click here to download it


this should keep you in pretty good shape to see at least if there is still a problem

Savvy

should also empty your cache ... temps & cookies alike
cleanup http://www.piersontech.com/07-CleanHardDrive.htm

 

SavvyLady, I appreciate your suggestions, but must respond to them in sequence:

I tried to access the free online virus scanner you recommended, but was unable to get the free scan site to take any action.

I was running Norton Anti-Virus (with regularly updated definitions) at all times related in my prior note.

I was running ZoneAlarm at all times related in my earlier note, first the free version, then ZoneAlarm Pro.

Problems began at about the time I installed AdAware, which ran at all times threafter.

I have my system set to clear cache and cookies upon exit, and regularly check to see that it has done so. I clear out the temp file two to three times per week.

I remain open to suggestions.

 

When you initially ran Ad-Aware, what was removed, and did you create a backup?

Have you tried uninstalling or disabling ZA Pro? I''ve heard of some issues in the past where it resulted in excessive consuption of cpu time.

It might help also to have a look at what you currently have running at startup. To do this, go to start and run msinfo32

Click on "software environment" and "startup programs". Then click edit>select all>edit>copy. You can paste the copied text here for review.

To further troubleshoot startup problems, familiarize yourself with the use of msconfig and the techniques of "clean boot" troubleshooting to selectively disable startup groups and individual files.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q188867

 

Oh my... looks like I was almost asleep when I answered you post. Sorry I didn't seem to get you had the items I was trying to send you after.( stayed on here too late)

Do you have Ad-aware set to scan at bootup?
Also this might sound like a silly question but when you removed the checks from the items in msconfig/startup did you click APPLY before clicking OK?


However you're in good hands now that Rollin' Rog is here.



Savvy

 

Rollin Rog -- AdAware found and removed four spyware agents when it first ran. Alas, I noted nothing about them beyond their number, and created no backup.

I have tried uninstalling the following programs in hopes of resolving the problem: AdAware Plus 5.62, AdSubtract CE, MSN Messenger 3.0 (which I never used), Opera6 (which rolled back to Opera 5.12), and ZoneAlarm Pro. Despite attempts to uninstall ZoneAlarm Pro, it persists.

The list of programs running at startup is as follows:

HotSync Manager Startup Group C:\Palm\hotsync.exe
Start Desktop Effects Startup Group "C:\Program Files\IBM\Aptdesk\MVSLOADR.EXE"
ZoneAlarm Pro Common Startup Group "C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zapro.exe" -nopopup
run Win.ini C:\KXP6100\WSWPD.EXE
Washer Registry (Per-User Run) C:\Program Files\WindowWasher\washer.exe /0
Adaware Bootup Registry (Per-User Run) C:\PROGRAM FILES\LAVASOFT AD-AWARE PLUS\AD-AWARE.EXE /Auto /Log "C:\PROGRAM FILES\LAVASOFT AD-AWARE PLUS\"
NAV DefAlert Registry (Machine Run) C:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\DEFALERT.EXE
SystemTray Registry (Machine Run) SysTray.Exe
ScanRegistry Registry (Machine Run) C:\WINDOWS\scanregw.exe /autorun
TaskMonitor Registry (Machine Run) C:\WINDOWS\taskmon.exe
LoadPowerProfile Registry (Machine Run) Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
Norton Auto-Protect Registry (Machine Run) C:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\NAVAPW32.EXE /LOADQUIET
CriticalUpdate Registry (Machine Run) C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\wucrtupd.exe -startup
NoPops Registry (Machine Run) C:\PROGRAM FILES\NOPOPS\NOPOPS.EXE
K6CPU Registry (Machine Run) C:\ibmtools\k6cpu.exe
IBMCPU Registry (Machine Run) C:\ibmtools\ibmcpu.exe
LoadPowerProfile Registry (Machine Service) Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme

SavvyLady -- AdAware was set to scan at bootup. I clicked apply before okay upon exiting msconfig/startup.

 

How many fonts do you have in your Windows\fonts folder? If you have more than a couple of hundred try creating a font backup folder and moving some of them over to that.

Beware moving system fonts like Arial, Times New Roma etc, just take out the more exotic ones and see if that makes any difference. Windows has to read and register the fonts folder whenever it starts up.

 

Another thought. Have you run a registry scanner? If your registry is seriously bloated with lots of orphaned entries that can also cause the system to take a seriously long time to boot into Windows.

 

Nick Scott -- If you'll give me step-by-step instructions on runing a registry scanner I'll give it a shot. In giving the instructions yoiu may safely assume I am a neophyte and that I take no offense at
being guided by the hand as though I were a simple child (for such I am in this area).

 

Give me some time to look at the programs you listed... but you don't want Ad-Aware to run at bootup.... sorry. I was wondering if thats what the problem was coming from is why I asked.



Savvy

 

Take a look at the thread scanreg /fix freezes from the 12/12 (I think Tony Klein was the last contributor). That gives a lot of useful info, and should help

I have to log off My Boss has just come round so I have to look like I'm working, but I will log back on again this evening (UK time). Let me know how you have got on.

 

OK... I think you should go back to start/run/msconfig/startup & remove the check marks from

Ad-Aware & do you really need Critical updates to load .
and for right now can you uncheck
NoPops Registry (Machine Run) C:\PROGRAM FILES\NOPOPS\NOPOPS.EXE


DO NOT UNCHECK THE ONES BELOW!!
I am just wondering what/why are these listed in the startup & what are these below? They might are supposed to... but Im not that knowledgable
run win.ini C:\KXP6100\WSWPD.EXE
&
K6CPU Registry (Machine Run) C:\ibmtools\k6cpu.exe
&
IBMCPU Registry (Machine Run) C:\ibmtools\ibmcpu.exe
&
Washer Registry (Per-User Run)
C:\Program Files\WindowWasher\washer.exe /0

 

Following is the sequence of things that happen on a boot.
Can you indicate where the long elapsed time is occuring?

1. Background
2. Boot up Sound
3. Taskbar and clock appear
4. Quicklaunch icons appear
5. Desktop icons appear
6. Systray area appears
7. Systray icons appear

 

I don't think Ad-Aware would cause this, although you needn't have it start up as Windows starts.
You can run it manually after every few installs.Critical Update and TaskMon are also unnecessary, and can be unchecked in Msconfig/startup.

And Nick does have a point with the fonts issue.

You need quite a lot of fonts though to really make a difference at startup.

Do you defrag regularly?

And why not scan for viruses on line: <A HREF="http://housecall.antivirus.com/">Trend Micro HouseCall </A>

Also take a look at the following MS article:

How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98

Good luck,

 

The two principal suspects I would focus on for starters, would be Ad-aware loading at startup and the ZoneAlarm Pro installation.

As Tony said, there is no reason to have it there, I don't really know what that does other than run some kind of quick scan which is really unnecessary.

ZoneAlarm Pro may need manual uninstall. But if you haven't tried doing the automatic uninstall following ZoneLabs directions (you must not have true vector running during the removal) -- have a look at their directions below. Full manual uninstall directions are there as well.

http://www.zonelabs.com/services/support_install.htm

http://www.zonelabs.com/services/support_install_98.htm

Beyond that, I think you will just have to do some systematic "clean boot" troubleshooting. You can bypass the entire startup group for test purposes -- and the other groups on msconfig's "general page" as well -- then re-enable them one by one.