why does TotalCommander start slowly on WindowsXP

[huub]

On any windowssystem since 1991 the Commander used to start in a flash, but it bothers me now that on (my DELL pentium 2600 with preinstalled) Windows XP (any service pack : now SP2) starts slowly (i count to 9 the first start).

I'm talking about versions 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03a

I just now tested a 5.51 installation and well, it started within 2 seconds.
I installed 6.03a (and 6.00 to check) again, and i count to 7 again.

So, what happended btween 5.51 and 6.00?

I like the new features (tabs) so. What could be the cause of this ? Would you be able to repair this.

Regards, Huub

[ghisler(Author)]

This is most probably caused by your virus scanner. Older versions of TC were packed with Aspack, while the newest is packed with UPX. Most scanners work better with UPX-packed EXE files because the source is available, but unfortunately some scanner writers aren't skilled enough to write an UPX unpacker...

You can safely exclude totalcmd.exe from the scan process, TC contains its own virus protection.

[huub]

Hmmm.

I can and did exclude the file totalcmd.exe from symantec antivirus.

But the program still starts up with the same 7-9 seconds

I allready read the message about the virusscanner and tried it by disabeling the scanner, but that didn't help, and now i tried it by excluding, but it wasn't it.

Is there something else i should try ?

Regards, Huub

[Clo]

2huub
Hello !
¤ I noticed that TC starts "a bit" slower since we installed a better Nvidia graphic-card 64 MB- Video-RAM, while it was faster before, with a simple cheap basic GC...
- The start-time is now in the same range than yours, 5....6 seconds, that's a bit irritating, with regard to the "Monster" PC we have
- Just my 0.03 €...

 Kind regards,
Claude
Clo

[huub]

i checked this, because i know that graphic boards can cause troubles in different circumstances

i have a 16Mb ATI 128 Ultra

maybe you should check TotalCommander version 5.51, whether it starts as slow as version 6+ or as fast as ever

btw. it only occurs on this fast XP machine, my pentium3 550 with windows2000 permits the totalcommander 6+ to start as the firedepartment, (in spite of the AVG virusscanner)



Regards,
Huub

[Clo]

2huub
I tested the start-speeds in my LAN workstations:
- Under XP-Pro (no SP), an old 5.51 I installed specially >> less than 1 sec.
- At the same moment, the 6.03a >>> 3 sec. till the panels be filled. At the first start after reboot, 5...7 sec.
- 2-CPU AMD™ Athlon2000+ MP @ 1.65 GHz - 1 GB- DD-RAM - Antivir© virus-scanner "on". The Nvidia card above...

- In my "oldies" :
- P1 - 166 MHz - 192 MB-SD-RAM - A similar graphic card than yours, 16 MB-Video RAM... Win 98 SE (Fr)
• TC 5.11 >>> 2 sec.
• TC 5.0 >>> 2 sec.

P2 350 - 320 MB - SD-RAM - cheap basic GC... Win 98 SE (Fr)
• TC 6.03a >>> less than 1 sec.
- Not any AV-scanner in the oldies...
¤ Hence, I think that the combination of XP-Pro (and its useless caboodle) + GC+ AV-Scanner + 6.03a + ??? = slow start...
- In anyway, it's a bit better than at your's, so the "???" item is to find still, I guess.

Kind regards,
Claude
Clo

[Hacker]

huub,
Maybe this helps: http://clubtotal.free.fr/index.php?dir=Releases/&file=tcmd603a_unpacked.exe.%2832bit%29.only.zip .

HTH
Roman

[huub]

Thank you for all the kind recommendations.

I just now tried the unpacked version.

It didn't help, i'm afraid.

I have a collegue here, who has a DELL a little older than mine(which is 2.4Ghz), same XP Pro and officeshabang configuration however, and he doesn't complain. It starts up without hesitation.

Will this remain a mystery ... ?

something else:
i also downloaded from http://clubtotal.free.fr the 16bit 6.03a version.
This starts up very fast, but there are no tabs. 32bit is fancier anyhow, of course, but still, its version 6+


Regards,

Huub

[Clo]

2huub
¤ Just some last thoughts for now :
* I've disabled all useless "Services" in my XP-Pro,
* DELL™ computers have some weird features which change following the patterns… Possible that the "???" troubling item be somewhere around these DELL features.
- You might compare this with your colleague's ones, I guess.
- Maybe too check and compare how is configured the virtual memory and cache using, that could be important.

K R
Claude
Clo

[ovm]

The slow start has something to do with the network connections.
Just disable the network ans TC will start in a "micro"second.

gr. mario

[huub]

ghe, i'm at home now , checking this with the remote desktop...
disabeling the network puts me in a deadlock.

but not really. anyway, there is no way that i can enable the net work again out there, so that ends the investigations for the weekend.

it's late here ...

Regards, Huub

[huub]

I found it.

With disconnected network the commander starts up OKAY
So then i disconnected all mapped drives

And then... i saw one of the locked tabs pointing to a mapped drive (no drive)

And then... i saw a locked tab pointing to a share on a different computer... that is not in our network anymore for several month now...

I removed the tab.
I made all the mapped drives again

TotalCommander starts up normally now, tits, Very Fast.


Thanks for all the tips

Regards, Huub