slow start up

Sorry Pete....

OK, issue # 1:

I've been trying to figure out why my newest computer has been so slow at times. Sometimes start-up takes 3 to 4 minutes to get to the icons... and then I still have to wait. Many times I have to wait to get Word or Excel to finally start. Verry occasionally other programs start very slow.

It's been like this from day 1.

Gateway GM5076E, Intel "VIIV" Pentium D Processor 940 (dual-core @ 3.2 Ghz, 800 MHz FSB, 2x2 MB L2 cache), 500 GB SATA II HD, nVIDIA GeForce 6200, 2048 MB DDR2 Dual Channel Memory

Windows XP Media Center Edition

DVD-ROM, DVD R/RW, 9-in-1 Memory Card Reader, TV Tuner (not in use)

I am still using MS Office 97.......

I have updated & tweaked & stomped my foot but still haven't made any headway on this.....

 

Did it arrive with an antivirus program preinstalled? If so, was it a trial version? If so, has it expired? When trial versions expire, they can continue to try to update, can't get it done but spend a long time bogging everything else down before giving up.

If that's not the case, if you have an antivirus installed, is it set to scan on startup? If so, if you disable that, do things improve?

You say you've tweaked...does that include eliminating everything possible from loading on startup?

 

Hello deck,
You're correct; your computer should be ready to go in under a minute from power on. As miz suggested, you must have lots of stuff running in the background.

First get your security under control by going to the security forum and using the free programs suggested there and no others.

Use msconfig (at a run window) to stop all unnecessary programs starting at boot time.

Keep the machine clean with free ATFcleaner.

After doing all that, if you still have a problem, post again with some more detail.

 

ctfmon.exe

That is the only startup menu item that appears out of place. (Yeah, I do have lots of startup items but I know what the rest of them are for.)

A Google search tell me that EITHER it is an Office XP file that I can't get rid of OR an Windows XP file... that I can't get rid of.

Office XP was bundled onto the computer to let me "try it" before I buy it. I long ago removed it.

I use:

AVG
ZoneAlarm
Ad-Aware
CCleaner
X-Cleaner
X-Cleaner Micro
Spybot
a-Squared
Spyware Blaster
and just added ATF-Cleaner

If there was an anti-virus bundled on the computer. It too has been long since removed...

There is 1 program I should probably get rid of. Napster. Never used, came on the computer (Free Trial).

I installed and ran ATF-Cleaner and rebooted. 3 minute startup.

Rebooted again, "normal" startup time.

Yep, still confused...

 

Would (do) personlally use only avg and zonealarm and suggest you download winpatrol to replace spywareblaster. Nothing else needs to run at startup, IMHO. AGREE, GET RID OF Napster.

I run an athlon 3000+ with 1gb ddr ram (Dual Channel Memory) and my grandson timed booting from hitting the power button to opening mozilla = 37 seconds

 

Hello deck,

Read this thread on ctfmon.exe http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=58841&highlight=ctfmon.exe

Regards - Charles