Network occasionally fails to be activated on bootup

[BruceUK]

In an effort to get some more clues about the cause of this problem, I've listed below all the applications that remain enabled in the startup menu (the Wireless Assistant is the only one that I've disabled so far). They are listed in the following sequence:

Synaptics Pointing Device Driver (Synaptics)
HP MediaSmart Smartmenu (Unknown)
Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U14 (Sun)
RAID Event Monitor (Intel)
IDT PC Audio (IDT)
LightScribe (HP)
Calalyst Control Center (Advanced Micro Devices)
MUI StartMenu Application (Cyberlink)
HP Quick Launch Buttons (HP)
Norton Online Backup (Symantec)
MUI StartMenu Application (Cyberlink)
Adobe Acrobat (Adobe)
Easybits Recovery (Easybits Software)
hpwuSchd Application (HP)
Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U17 (Sun)
PHOTOfunSTUDIO version 2.00 (Panasonic)

The last entry (PHOTOfunSTUDIO) is the software for my digital camera. I assume I must have inadvertently told the installation program to add an entry to the startup menu when I installed it, so I can presumably disable that one. I think it launches automatically when I connect the camera via a USB port, but I have a desktop shortcut for it anyway if I need it.

The Norton Online Backup is presumably the application that has been prompting me to undertake a trial of their data backup facility. I've told it not to ask me again, so I assume I can safely disable that one?

I know Kari mentioned that the HP Quick Launch Buttons application is a waste of time, so I'll disable that one.

I'm wondering why the MUI StartMenu Application is listed twice. Any thoughts on that?

I'm not sure why Adobe Acrobat is in the list - does that need to be always active?

Regarding the other entries, are there any that you definitely consider unnecessary to have running at startup?

Again, many thanks for your continuing help on this - it's much appreciated!

Hello Bruce.


Black, if you don't need them to start when the PC starts you should be able to disable using "Option One" RED I would remove using "Option Two" in the tutorial.

Hello again,

Thanks for such a quick response. Just one point - I notice you haven't annotated either of the entries for MUI StartMenu Application. Is it necessary for this item to be listed twice (especially as the two entries will be consecutive, once I've disabled/removed the two intervening entries)?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

I would recommend that you experiment with disabling them one at a time to see if there will be any adverse affects by disabling either of them at startup; I don't have enough knowledge of these 2 to advise you.

 

[BruceUK]

I would recommend that you experiment with disabling them one at a time to see if there will be any adverse affects by disabling either of them at startup; I don't have enough knowledge of these 2 to advise you.

OK thanks. I'll report on progress!

 

[Kari]

Bruce, those two MUI Cyberlink services are only to allow DVD Suite and Power2Go (part of HP 'bloatware') to start faster.

DVD Suite is used to watch BD's / DVD's, Power2Go to burn disks. Both belong to Cyberlink DVD Suite (Start Menu > All Programs > Cyberlink DVD Suite). I have removed those entries from my dv7's startup as unnecessary; if I need these apps I can wait an extra second or two.

Kari

 

[BruceUK]

Bruce, those two MUI Cyberlink services are only to allow DVD Suite and Power2Go (part of HP 'bloatware') to start faster.

DVD Suite is used to watch BD's / DVD's, Power2Go to burn disks. Both belong to Cyberlink DVD Suite (Start Menu > All Programs > Cyberlink DVD Suite). I have removed those entries from my dv7's startup as unnecessary; if I need these apps I can wait an extra second or two.

Kari

Thanks for that, Kari. I never watch DVDs or BDs on the computer and I don't expect to need the Power2Go application either, so I'll disable both entries as you suggest. Thanks again.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Thanks Kari for helping out!

 

[BruceUK]

Just a progress report on this bootup problem. The problem has not recurred since I last posted here. I haven't disabled all of those startup items that were suggested but I've disabled the following so far:

Lightscribe
PhotoFunStudio
Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U14
Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U17
Adobe Acrobat

I will probably disable more of them gradually to monitor the effect.

Although the problem hasn't happened recently, I'm still finding that there is a surprising variation in the times that it takes to enable the network connection and perform the other "visible" functions, such as populating the icons on the desktop and those for applications that are pinned to the taskbar. Sometimes it all happens extremely quickly but sometimes I'm waiting for anything up to a couple of minutes. In particular I've noticed that the icons are initially "populated" when they are displayed but are then blanked out and subsequently repopulated. This seems a strangely inefficient way of doing it - is it because Windows is checking to see if the icons have been updated with new "pictures" since the previous session?

Anyway, I'm not sure why there should be such a big variation in the bootup times - can anyone suggest the reason for this?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello again Bruce.



Just off the top of my head, it could be that some of the startup progs/apps may be waiting for an internet connection to check for updates availability.

 

[CarlTR6]

Just a progress report on this bootup problem. The problem has not recurred since I last posted here. I haven't disabled all of those startup items that were suggested but I've disabled the following so far:

Lightscribe
PhotoFunStudio
Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U14
Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U17
Adobe Acrobat

I will probably disable more of them gradually to monitor the effect.

Although the problem hasn't happened recently, I'm still finding that there is a surprising variation in the times that it takes to enable the network connection and perform the other "visible" functions, such as populating the icons on the desktop and those for applications that are pinned to the taskbar. Sometimes it all happens extremely quickly but sometimes I'm waiting for anything up to a couple of minutes. In particular I've noticed that the icons are initially "populated" when they are displayed but are then blanked out and subsequently repopulated. This seems a strangely inefficient way of doing it - is it because Windows is checking to see if the icons have been updated with new "pictures" since the previous session?

Anyway, I'm not sure why there should be such a big variation in the bootup times - can anyone suggest the reason for this?

The less you have loading at boot up, the better off you are. In addition to your programs loading at boot up, Windows starts services and processes. Windows will shut down the services that are not needed; but some do load initially.

The flickering of your icons and the repopulation is not unusual. It happens to me when running certain themes. It happens routinely on my XP computer.

 

[atomicwedgie]

I have this same problem on my wife's machine even with a fresh install. My machine, which sits right next to hers has never had this problem. Neither of us have WiFi in our main machines.

Like the OP, a reboot usually fixes it. I would have to guess it has more with a network card driver than anything else.

I haven't had time to sit down and really troubleshoot yet though.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello atomicwedgie, welcome to Seven Forums!




Have you tried some of the ideas put forth here to see if there's a solution for you too?

 

[BruceUK]

After giving an encouraging progress report just a couple of days ago, the problem has happened again today. On a restart, everything was fine.

So I'm now going to disable three more startup items:

HP MediaSmart SmartMenu (smartmenu.exe)
MUI StartMenu Application (MUIStartMenu.exe) (occurs twice in the list)

That will leave just the following items enabled in the startup list:

Synaptics Pointing Device Driver
RAID Event Monitor
IDT PC Audio
Catalyst Control Center
HP Quick Launch Buttons (I do use the audio buttons above the keyboard)
Norton Online Backup
Easybits Recovery
hpwuSchd Application

I don't intend to use the Norton Online Backup facility, so that could probably be disabled, although the advice was to actually remove it by editing the Registry, and I'd rather leave that alone for now unless it does seem to be causing the problem. Would just disabling it in the Startup list be advisable if that's all I want to do for the moment?

Anyway I'll see how it goes for the next couple of weeks!

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Just disabling Norton would be ok for now, just keep an eye on it; don't disable too many at one time (more than one?) as that will make it hard to understand which one is the offender.

Just to show you what I have in my startup file.