Running Startup Scripts - long delay

[Joe McArthur]

The "Running Startup Scripts" phase of logging in used to take only a few
seconds to complete, but now it's about 10 minutes. I recently installed
drivers for my Iomega Zip drive (Parallel port, 100MB), which I believe
coincides with the change in the running time of my startup scripts. I
have since removed the Zip drive's driver, but the problem remains. How
can I determine what is holding up the running of the startup scripts?
Thanks.

Joe

 

[Daniel Chang [MSFT]]

256320 Startup Scripts May Appear to Hang Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=256320

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Server Setup Team

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: The "Running Startup Scripts" phase of logging in used to take only a few
: seconds to complete, but now it's about 10 minutes. I recently installed
: drivers for my Iomega Zip drive (Parallel port, 100MB), which I believe
: coincides with the change in the running time of my startup scripts. I
: have since removed the Zip drive's driver, but the problem remains. How
: can I determine what is holding up the running of the startup scripts?
: Thanks.
:
: Joe

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

The "Running Startup Scripts" phase of logging in used to take only a few
seconds to complete, but now it's about 10 minutes. I recently installed
drivers for my Iomega Zip drive (Parallel port, 100MB), which I believe
coincides with the change in the running time of my startup scripts. I
have since removed the Zip drive's driver, but the problem remains. How
can I determine what is holding up the running of the startup scripts?
Thanks.

Joe

Modify your startup scripts:
- First instruction: @echo on
- Last instruction: pause

You will now see what's holding up the script.

 

[Joe McArthur]

256320 Startup Scripts May Appear to Hang Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=256320

That did the trick. Thanks Daniel.

Joe

 

[Joe McArthur]

Modify your startup scripts:
- First instruction: @echo on
- Last instruction: pause

You will now see what's holding up the script.

I followed your advice but I don't see what's holding up the script. I
see nothing on screen except the "Running Startup Scripts" dialog box.
"C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT" is the only file indicated under Computer
Configuration->Windows Settings->Scripts->Startup, so I assume that that
is the startup script to which you are referring.

Joe

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I followed your advice but I don't see what's holding up the script. I
see nothing on screen except the "Running Startup Scripts" dialog box.
"C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT" is the only file indicated under Computer
Configuration->Windows Settings->Scripts->Startup, so I assume that that
is the startup script to which you are referring.

Joe

Your post is confusing. At 11:35 in my time zone you reported
that your problem is fixed. At 11:47, 12 minutes later, you
followed up on my reply, as if the problem was not fixed. Is it
fixed or is it not fixed?

 

[Joe McArthur]

Your post is confusing. At 11:35 in my time zone you reported
that your problem is fixed. At 11:47, 12 minutes later, you
followed up on my reply, as if the problem was not fixed. Is it
fixed or is it not fixed?

Daniel Chang's post pointed me to KB article 256320, which provided me with
the information necessary to change the default time out value for scripts
to run. This solved my 10 minute wait time problem.

Your post provided instructions which you claimed would allow me to see
what is holding up the script. It seemed like a worthwhile thing for me to
follow up on, so I did. As I said, above, your instructions did not work
as advertised. Although I can certainly live with the "fix" that Dan
provided, it does not address the root cause of the problem, and I would
like to understand and solve that root cause, if possible.

Joe

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I followed your advice but I don't see what's holding up the script. I
see nothing on screen except the "Running Startup Scripts" dialog box.
"C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT" is the only file indicated under Computer
Configuration->Windows Settings->Scripts->Startup, so I assume that that
is the startup script to which you are referring.

Joe

It seems you may be looking at the wrong script. "Autoexec.bat"
is definitely not the correct script under WinNT.

As a first step, look at all the tasks that execute at startup time.
The tools available from these sites will identify them:

AutoRuns from http://www.sysinternals.com
StartupCPL: http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

Now you have to find out this:
- What batch files run at startup time?
- Where do they reside?
- Who placed them there?

When you have the answers to these questions, you can
start modifying them as I recommended in my first post.
You can also post them here for further examination.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I followed your advice but I don't see what's holding up the script. I
see nothing on screen except the "Running Startup Scripts" dialog box.
"C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT" is the only file indicated under Computer
Configuration->Windows Settings->Scripts->Startup, so I assume that that
is the startup script to which you are referring.

Joe

I forgot to add that if you log on to an NT domain then
your logon script may be located on the netlogon share
on one of your domain controllers. Talk to your network
administrator about it and how to identify the delays.

 

[Joe McArthur]

It seems you may be looking at the wrong script. "Autoexec.bat"
is definitely not the correct script under WinNT.

If Computer Configuration->Windows Settings->Scripts->Startup doesn't point
to the "real" startup script, then what does?

As a first step, look at all the tasks that execute at startup time.
The tools available from these sites will identify them:

AutoRuns from http://www.sysinternals.com
StartupCPL: http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

Ok, I installed the StartupCPL applet, and took a look at the various tasks
that auto start.

Now you have to find out this:
- What batch files run at startup time?

Did you mean to say "programs", as opposed to "batch files"? As I said
above, the only startup script I'm aware of is "c:\autoexec.bat", which you
say cannot be right. There is no Logon script either, according to the
Group Policy editor.

As far as the regular (.exe) programs that are auto run at startup, what
should I be looking for?

- Where do they reside?

various places. Again, what should I be looking for?

- Who placed them there?

Some were installed before I purchased the machine, and others were
installed by me.

When you have the answers to these questions, you can
start modifying them as I recommended in my first post.
You can also post them here for further examination.

I'm not sure what answers, if any, have been ascertained at this point. I
certainly cannot modify any of the startup programs such as you described,
so I'll assume you are once again referring to startup scripts. And once
again I'll state that I'm not aware of any startup scripts being run other
than what the policy editor is telling me (i.e. c:\autoexec.bat).

If one of the startup programs is actually the cause of the problem,
shouldn't there be some useful information available in the Event Viewer?

Joe

 

[Joe McArthur]

I forgot to add that if you log on to an NT domain then
your logon script may be located on the netlogon share
on one of your domain controllers. Talk to your network
administrator about it and how to identify the delays.

If I was (still) working in a corporation somewhere, which had a network
administrator and various other computer support people around, do you
think I'd need to come to Usenet for help? These days I'm just a simple
home user with one laptop.

Joe

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

See below.

If Computer Configuration->Windows Settings->Scripts->Startup doesn't point
to the "real" startup script, then what does?

I assume you're talking about Group Policy. Few people use it
to specify their startup scripts. If you pointed it to c:\autoexec.bat
then it ***should*** execute, even though I would recommend
different methods. And going by your report that "@echo off" and
"pause" had no effect, I suspect that c:\Autoexec.bat does not run.

Ok, I installed the StartupCPL applet, and took a look at the various tasks
that auto start.


Did you mean to say "programs", as opposed to "batch files"? As I said
above, the only startup script I'm aware of is "c:\autoexec.bat", which you
say cannot be right. There is no Logon script either, according to the
Group Policy editor.

When I said "batch files" I did mean "batch files".

As far as the regular (.exe) programs that are auto run at startup, what
should I be looking for?


various places. Again, what should I be looking for?


Some were installed before I purchased the machine, and others were
installed by me.


I'm not sure what answers, if any, have been ascertained at this point. I
certainly cannot modify any of the startup programs such as you described,
so I'll assume you are once again referring to startup scripts. And once
again I'll state that I'm not aware of any startup scripts being run other
than what the policy editor is telling me (i.e. c:\autoexec.bat).

If one of the startup programs is actually the cause of the problem,
shouldn't there be some useful information available in the Event Viewer?

Joe

In order to extract ourselves from this quagmire, I think we need
to cut things down, then build them up again. Here is what I would
to as a first set of steps:

- Knock out all the startup scripts from your Group Policy editor.
- Control Panel / Computer Management / Local Users and Groups /
Users. Right-click your account / Properties / Profile tab. Make
sure you have no script specified.
- Check "c:\documents and settings\all users\start menu\programs\startup".
Move anything here to some other place on the disk.
- Check "c:\documents and settings\Joe\start menu\programs\startup".
Move anything here to some other place on the disk.
- Make sure you logon to the local machine. Do NOT logon to
an NT domain.

What result do you get?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

If I was (still) working in a corporation somewhere, which had a network
administrator and various other computer support people around, do you
think I'd need to come to Usenet for help? These days I'm just a simple
home user with one laptop.

Joe

Answering queries in this NG has taught me never to take anything
for granted.

 

[Joe McArthur]

In order to extract ourselves from this quagmire, I think we need
to cut things down, then build them up again. Here is what I would
to as a first set of steps:

- Knock out all the startup scripts from your Group Policy editor.
Done.

- Control Panel / Computer Management / Local Users and Groups /
Users. Right-click your account / Properties / Profile tab. Make
sure you have no script specified.

Ok. There were none.

- Check "c:\documents and settings\all users\start
menu\programs\startup".
Move anything here to some other place on the disk.

Ok. Four .lnk files moved to new location.

- Check "c:\documents and settings\Joe\start menu\programs\startup".
Move anything here to some other place on the disk.

Ok. There were none.

- Make sure you logon to the local machine. Do NOT logon to
an NT domain.

I assume I am logging in to my local machine, but how would I know the
difference?

What result do you get?

The "Running Startup Scripts" box did not appear. It went right from
"MUP is initializing" to the login box. Guessing that your next
suggestion would be to start adding things back again, I went ahead and
added the four startup program links back to All Users, since (to me) the
problem clearly has to do with scripts and not programs (after all, the
stuck box specifically said "Running Startup Scripts", not "Running
Startup Programs"). Anyway, the second trial went the same way - no
"Running Startup Scripts" box at all. So I added the autoexec.bat file
back as my startup script and rebooted again. Of course this lead back
to my original state of having to wait for the timeout to get me past the
"Running Startup Scripts" box. At which point three things seem quite
clear to me ... (1) my autoexec.bat file is indeed being executed when it
is specified as my startup script, via Group Policy editor; (2) none of
the commands which are executed inside of the batch file are being shown
on screen, despite the @ECHO ON; (3) the "Pause" command inside of the
batch file was probably causing the hang.

Joe

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Ok. There were none.


Ok. Four .lnk files moved to new location.


Ok. There were none.


I assume I am logging in to my local machine, but how would I know the
difference?


The "Running Startup Scripts" box did not appear. It went right from
"MUP is initializing" to the login box. Guessing that your next
suggestion would be to start adding things back again, I went ahead and
added the four startup program links back to All Users, since (to me) the
problem clearly has to do with scripts and not programs (after all, the
stuck box specifically said "Running Startup Scripts", not "Running
Startup Programs"). Anyway, the second trial went the same way - no
"Running Startup Scripts" box at all. So I added the autoexec.bat file
back as my startup script and rebooted again. Of course this lead back
to my original state of having to wait for the timeout to get me past the
"Running Startup Scripts" box. At which point three things seem quite
clear to me ... (1) my autoexec.bat file is indeed being executed when it
is specified as my startup script, via Group Policy editor; (2) none of
the commands which are executed inside of the batch file are being shown
on screen, despite the @ECHO ON; (3) the "Pause" command inside of the
batch file was probably causing the hang.

Joe

Things are beginning to look up. Now instead of using Group Policy,
use standard means of invoking your startup script. Move autoexec.bat
into

c:\documents and settings\all users\start menu\programs\startup

then see what happens. I also recommend that you modify its
beginning like so:

@echo on
echo %date% %time% Start of logon script > c:\test.txt

Log on and examine c:\test.txt.

If you see two boxes at logon time (User name & password) then
your machine is not registered on any domain. If you see three
boxes then the machine is still registered to a domain. This
would be highly inappropriate in your case.