System freeze because of msconfig

[Guest]

Hi,

I have installed Vista Home Premium then I installed some programs that are
compatible with Vista. But some of that programs I installed had some startup
helper which I don't need. So I deactivated them with the help of msconfig.
And didn't restart but kept working with the new system. When I was finished
with my session I restarted.
Now the problem: When I restart and log in with my user account, I see a
unknown icon in the system tray, that tells my that some software was
prevented from starting. And the system freezes. I could only turn the
Computer off by pressing the power button for some time.
I restarted a couple of times till I was fast enough to see what process was
blocked. It is the "System Configuration Utility" (msconfig - I think,
right?). I started the save mode and activated everything I had deactivated
with msconfig. The only difference is that the system starts freezing earlier.

Is there a possibility to disallow Vista to block any startup software (or
at least msconfig)? Or could I deactivate this service till the msconfig has
started? Had anyone the same problem?

Thanks so far, hope you can help me. The system is unusable only the safe
mode is working fine.
Greetings danu

 

[Chad Harris]

Hi danu 3422--

I don't think that msconfig which is a long time Windows utility itself is
causing this freeze. While it is true that you can stop some apps you don't
want to start by unchecking them from the MSCONFIG start tab, this reflex
that some people are quick to mention doesn't work for a number of programs
because some programs can have as many as a literal dozen points of origin
(as outlined well by Ed Bott in XP or Vista Inside Out's chapters on
startup.

I would love to see a picture of this icon, and it's message if you want to
capture it using MSPAINT, but I strongly suspect spyware and I'd run Adaware
and Windows Defender to try to remove it.

I said it at the end and I'll say it now: Using a good defragger is one of
the best bangs for your bucks you can have. I have a lot of respect for
what the members of the team that control defrag in Vista have done, and
what Jill Zoeller has helped to explain they have done on her blog. I MSFT
was trying to provide a better solution than the XP defrag with more
features for Vista users that would ship with Vista and they have done that.

I tested the Vista defrag for a couple months, than compared Perfect Disc by
Raxco to it, and I honestly think that Perfect Disk cleans the Vista
Defrag's clock and has significantly more impact on speeding Vista. I didn't
change the files significantly in comparing the two on any drive nor the
free space and did this on the same box. One significant difference is that
Perfect Disk requires 5% of free space. The article below from MSFT says
that

"Are there any other improvements over Windows XP?
Unlike Windows XP, Windows Vista does not require 15% free space (unless you
use the –w parameter from the command line). If there is any free space at
all, Defrag will make an attempt to defragment the volume."

In other words, with little free space it will do what it can. This article
explains Vista defrag. I'd use Perfect Disk and consider it a very
worthwhile investment, but do be sure to make defragging a frequent habit.
It's a couple mouse clicks and very necessary to do to contribute to a
faster pc. This is a crude analogy, but it's like organizing closets, files
or rooms in your home to a degree.


Don’t judge a book by its cover – why Windows Vista Defrag is cool
http://blogs.technet.com/filecab/ar...s-cover-why-windows-vista-defrag-is-cool.aspx

Perfect Disk
www.raxco.com

Below is a general outline for cleaning and speeding your PC:

******Speed PC and Control CPU Tips/Steps******

SPEED AND CPU:

_______________

1) Trim processes you don't need in TM. Google them or "search engine of

your choice them" if you have to.

2) Go to

services.msc in run box and turn off services not needed and there are some.

SERVICE CONFIGURATION REFERENCES*

*Vista Services*

Part One

http://www.tweakvista.com/article38662.aspx

Part Two

http://www.tweakvista.com/article38664.aspx

Windows Vista Services Tweak Guide v1.0

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=87443


3) Run System File Checker.

SFC: http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html

In Vista run it from an elevated command prompt. Right click command on

start and run as administrator.

4) Run 3 or so spyware scans Windows Defender, , Adaware, and Spybot

5) Probably the most important for speed consistently and efficient resource

use DEFRAG with www.raxco.com or www.diskeeeper.com with 15% free space on

drive if DK and or >5% if Raxco's Perfect Disk.

http://groups.msn.com/windowsxpcentral/spyware.msnw

Download Adaware and

Spybot from here.

GOOD Overall Review for Defending Your PC:

http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

MSFT Defense Site MSFT Security:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx

Protect Your PC from MSFT Security:

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.mspx

MSFT Windows Defender

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

MSFT MSRT: (Malicious Software Removal Tool)

http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx



MSFT "Windows One Care" in Wings (AV and Spyware Scans)

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2005/may05/05-13WindowsOneCarePR.mspx

6) Unck items from msconfig start tab you don't need starting and some

won't start--peoiple who think just uncking for many are naive because there

are 12 places things can be started including several reg keys like Run Once

keys and there are serveral.

7) Turn off Messaging service--it's a security vulnerability and it slows

you

8) Defrag very often every other day actually.

9) Turn off indexing.

10) Clear TIF and %temp% files (delete) and go to safe mode to get as many

as u can.

10) Do troubleshooting with msconfig.

11) Do Clean boot with msconfig utility and search for the directions here:





Vista RTM Tweak Guide (Tweaks to Improve Performances)

http://www.google.com/search?source...,GGLJ:2006-47,GGLJ:en&q=vista+rtm+tweak+guide



1) Task Manager lists the services on the services tab in Vista.

2) Type services.msc in run box and using the list of services, click the

service and you'll get a description of services.

3) There is a list here of the default services and a description>>click

"default settings for services" in the left pane.

http://technet2.microsoft.com/Windo...afb8-43ce-b39d-50e6d5b89bf81033.mspx?mfr=true



4) To view service dependencies

1.

Open Services.

2.

In the details pane, right-click the service that you want to view

dependencies for, and then click Properties.

3.

Click the Dependencies tab.

4.

To view services that are associated dependencies of the selected service,

in the list on the Dependencies tab, click the plus sign next to the

service.

Many of the services but not all in Vista are the same as in XP, so in that

context:

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/services.htm


Also see the extremely helpful site:

Black Viper's Service List

http://www.dead-eye.net/WinXP Services.htm


Black Viper's Site (Many of the same services in Vista)

http://www.dead-eye.net/WinXP Services.htm


http://www.z123.org/techsupport/xpservices.htm


http://www.geocities.com/ziyadhosein/xpserv1.htm


http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php

This will be helpful

http://web.archive.org/web/20041128084144/www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

______________________________________________________________________________________________

How to troubleshoot by using the System Configuration utility in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310560/

Resources for troubleshooting startup problems in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308041/

How to perform advanced clean-boot troubleshooting in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316434

How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353/

How to Disable a Service or Device that Prevents Windows from Starting

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310602/



Also ck out these references:

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,5155,00.asp



http://www.speedupyourcomputer.windowsreinstall.com/index.htm

and

http://www.extremetech.com/search_r...=how+to+speed+windows+xp&filterapp=&site=4P.S.



Defragging with a decent defrag every day will make a huge dent inefficient

resource/CPU use.

Perfect Disk has a 5 month full functionality trial on now for Windows

Vista.

Good luck,

CH

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your detailed replay.

I would love to see a picture of this icon, and it's message if you want to
capture it using MSPAINT,

No chance because: I have about 30 sec. from login to freeze. The icon I see
is from the tool
that prevents the startup of msconfig, I can right click on it (when I'm
fast enough) and choose:
- Show the program that is blocked
- Unblock the Program -> System Configuration Utility
- Help
- Exit

Don't matter what I choose the freeze comes anyway.

Spyware? Maybe I check on that in Safemode, but the System is only 6 hours
'old'

I have another idea, could it be my S56 modem driver? Because I had a lot of
problems
till the recommended update was installed.

I going to test your your suggestions. You will hear from me when it is
finished.

Greetings danu

 

[Guest]

Yes, I found it. It was the "Motorola SM56 Data Fax Modem"
I deactived it in the Device Manager. And unloaded the sm56helper.exe with
msconfig.
Now everything running fine again (I writing this on Vista)

Sorry for blaming msconfig.
The icon I have seen was the "Blocked startup programs icon".

Thanks anyway, greeting danu

 

[Chad Harris]

Danu--

Nice going. But many of the speed suggestions are good Vista habits,
particularly defragging, so look them over.

CH

 

[Rock]

Hi,

I have installed Vista Home Premium then I installed some programs that
are
compatible with Vista. But some of that programs I installed had some
startup
helper which I don't need. So I deactivated them with the help of
msconfig.
And didn't restart but kept working with the new system. When I was
finished
with my session I restarted.
Now the problem: When I restart and log in with my user account, I see a
unknown icon in the system tray, that tells my that some software was
prevented from starting. And the system freezes. I could only turn the
Computer off by pressing the power button for some time.
I restarted a couple of times till I was fast enough to see what process
was
blocked. It is the "System Configuration Utility" (msconfig - I think,
right?). I started the save mode and activated everything I had
deactivated
with msconfig. The only difference is that the system starts freezing
earlier.

Is there a possibility to disallow Vista to block any startup software (or
at least msconfig)? Or could I deactivate this service till the msconfig
has
started? Had anyone the same problem?

Thanks so far, hope you can help me. The system is unusable only the safe
mode is working fine.
Greetings danu

I see you have fixed the problem, so let me give you some info on the
notification icon that appears after a restart when changes were made using
msconfig. Any program that runs at startup that requests admin privileges
will be blocked until you give it permission to run. When changes are made
with msconfig, on the next restart, msconfig tries to run to notify you that
changes were made (just as in XP). But msconfig needs admin privileges to
run so it is blocked until you give permission for it. You cannot prevent
this from happening. It will occur for any program that runs at startup and
requests admin privileges.

For msconfig, when the icon appears click on it, and hold the mouse over run
blocked programs. It will display a list of the blocked programs. Click on
System Configuration Utility which will run msconfig. When it pops up it's
dialog box stating it's in diagnostic mode just put a check mark in the box
to not alert you again. The dialog box will disappear and the alert will
not reappear on next restart until you make additional changes with
msconfig.

 

[Guest]

So thanks again for for your help.
I optimized my running services, and must say that my processor fan isn't
running on full power anymore.
The defrag tool is set on a schedule and this is fine for me.