Start menu/taskbar freezes (7)

[Armin Zingler]

[attempt #7]


Hi,

the following problem is driving me nuts for 1.5 years now (***argh***), so
I'd really appreciate any help.

Facts first
-----------
- WinXP Prof./SP1, all necessary security updates installed
- Some applications show icons in the taskbar, left to the system clock (AKA
"system tray")
- Links in the start menu or on the desktop may contain shortcuts (like
Ctrl+Shift+N to start Notepad).

Problem
-------
Sometimes, when pressing the shortcut, the application is not started.
Instead, the start menu and taskbar freezes. After waiting 10-30 seconds
(AKA "freeze time"), it unfreezes and the application to be started
is started. This behavior depends on the icons visible in the system tray.

Details
-------
"Freeze" means: The taskbar does not respond. One symptom is that, during
the freeze time, when pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and Esc afterwards, all
applications repaint themselves, but not the taskbar (the desktop color
stays at the place of the taskbar). After the freeze time, the taskbar
repaints itself.

- It does not freeze always, only about every 10-50th time when a shortcut
is pressed. The freeze probability depends on the visible icon(s) in
the system tray.
- It is independent from the used shortcut and the started application. It
happens with any shortcut and any application.
- When killing the "problematic" app (see below) in the task manager, the
taskbar unfreezes.
- During the freeze time, the cpu occupation stays ~0%. This includes
explorer.exe (responsible for the taskbar). HD is also not occupied.
- *No* other application, including the desktop, freezes.


The following apps/icons are problematic (examples):
- MBM (motherboard monitor)
- CoolerXP (tool to "power off" the CPU when system is idle (necessary for
AMD CPUs))
- Icon showing the established internet connection

Following apps/icons are not problematic (examples):
- Hamster (mail/news client)
- Intellipoint (mouse software)
- own application


"Problematic" means that the described problem occurs when the corresponding
icon is visible. The test scenario was:
- Msconfig has been used to turn off all autostart apps and all none-MSFT
services.
- Each app/icon has been tested individually, i.e. no other app ran
meanwhile.
- Any combination of multiple "not problematic" icons was also not
problematic.

Well, I don't want to do without the "problematic" apps. At least the
internet connection icon shouldn't cause a problem. The established
connection itself is not the problem, only it's icon. If I turn the icon off
in the connection properties, the problem disappears.


More facts
----------
- one graphics card, one screen, one desktop, one taskbar
- taskbar: at the bottom (2 rows), fixed, always on top, not hide
automatically
- visual styles disabled
- nvidia nview not active
- no desktop background image set
- "classical" start menu used
- no virus found but currently no virus scanner active
- tried minimzing the hardware acceleration for the graphics card (without
success)
- newest graphics drivers
- the problem occurs on different machines (with different hardware)
- problem also occurs in safe mode
- the machine has been reinstalled meanwhile (so don't dare to suggest it
;-) (I'd like to find the real cause anyway)

 

[Sharon F]

[attempt #7]


Hi,

the following problem is driving me nuts for 1.5 years now (***argh***), so
I'd really appreciate any help.

Facts first
-----------
- WinXP Prof./SP1, all necessary security updates installed
- Some applications show icons in the taskbar, left to the system clock (AKA
"system tray")
- Links in the start menu or on the desktop may contain shortcuts (like
Ctrl+Shift+N to start Notepad).

Problem
-------
Sometimes, when pressing the shortcut, the application is not started.
Instead, the start menu and taskbar freezes. After waiting 10-30 seconds
(AKA "freeze time"), it unfreezes and the application to be started
is started. This behavior depends on the icons visible in the system tray.

Details
-------
"Freeze" means: The taskbar does not respond. One symptom is that, during
the freeze time, when pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and Esc afterwards, all
applications repaint themselves, but not the taskbar (the desktop color
stays at the place of the taskbar). After the freeze time, the taskbar
repaints itself.

- It does not freeze always, only about every 10-50th time when a shortcut
is pressed. The freeze probability depends on the visible icon(s) in
the system tray.
- It is independent from the used shortcut and the started application. It
happens with any shortcut and any application.
- When killing the "problematic" app (see below) in the task manager, the
taskbar unfreezes.
- During the freeze time, the cpu occupation stays ~0%. This includes
explorer.exe (responsible for the taskbar). HD is also not occupied.
- *No* other application, including the desktop, freezes.


The following apps/icons are problematic (examples):
- MBM (motherboard monitor)
- CoolerXP (tool to "power off" the CPU when system is idle (necessary for
AMD CPUs))
- Icon showing the established internet connection

Following apps/icons are not problematic (examples):
- Hamster (mail/news client)
- Intellipoint (mouse software)
- own application


"Problematic" means that the described problem occurs when the corresponding
icon is visible. The test scenario was:
- Msconfig has been used to turn off all autostart apps and all none-MSFT
services.
- Each app/icon has been tested individually, i.e. no other app ran
meanwhile.
- Any combination of multiple "not problematic" icons was also not
problematic.

Well, I don't want to do without the "problematic" apps. At least the
internet connection icon shouldn't cause a problem. The established
connection itself is not the problem, only it's icon. If I turn the icon off
in the connection properties, the problem disappears.


More facts
----------
- one graphics card, one screen, one desktop, one taskbar
- taskbar: at the bottom (2 rows), fixed, always on top, not hide
automatically
- visual styles disabled
- nvidia nview not active
- no desktop background image set
- "classical" start menu used
- no virus found but currently no virus scanner active
- tried minimzing the hardware acceleration for the graphics card (without
success)
- newest graphics drivers
- the problem occurs on different machines (with different hardware)
- problem also occurs in safe mode
- the machine has been reinstalled meanwhile (so don't dare to suggest it
;-) (I'd like to find the real cause anyway)

Armin, there is no solution only workarounds.

If automatically logging on, try changing that to manually logging on. I
haven't run into that but Kelly Theriot has with many of the users that she
helps. Some folks have had more stable tray icons when they've disabled
UPNP and SSDP. Another one that I haven't run into firsthand but I don't
argue with success. If it works for some, it may work for a few more.

I had missing tray icons when using a particular display adapter/driver
combination. Switched to another brand of adapter and haven't seen the
problem since.

I also noticed (when I was having this problem) that if I left just the
icons supplied by Windows and its components in the tray, they behaved
pretty consistently and appeared on a regular basis. When I added *some*
third party icons, things started disappearing. I made an effort to find a
combination that worked well together and that's what I used. Since
changing my display adapter, I haven't lost a single icon. I've disabled a
lot that I just don't want hanging around but haven't lost any. I use a
passworded account. I don't load the sound volume icon as I use the
keyboard controls for this.

There is some underlying error level handling in any operating system. If
an error causes Explorer to stumble, it will attempt to reload some but not
all Windows icons. Some icons show up again and some are lost. Most
programs do not have a provision for reloading their icons after an error
and they will be lost. It is more obvious in other versions of Windows that
this has happened because a restart was usually needed after such an event.
Because of the need to restart, the issue of missing tray icons became a
non-issue.

Also at startup, XP gets you to the desktop before everything is entirely
loaded. During this busy "crunch" time, some tray icons may wait patiently
for their turn and then they appear. Or the wait registers as a failed load
and they give up. This event would be a program by program thing and the
outcome depends on the allowances made (or not made) by the programmer.

 

[Armin Zingler]

see inline

[attempt #7]


Hi,

the following problem is driving me nuts for 1.5 years now
(***argh***), so I'd really appreciate any help.

Facts first
-----------
- WinXP Prof./SP1, all necessary security updates installed
- Some applications show icons in the taskbar, left to the system
clock (AKA "system tray")
- Links in the start menu or on the desktop may contain shortcuts
(like Ctrl+Shift+N to start Notepad).

Problem
-------
Sometimes, when pressing the shortcut, the application is not
started. Instead, the start menu and taskbar freezes. After waiting
10-30 seconds (AKA "freeze time"), it unfreezes and the application
to be started is started. This behavior depends on the icons
visible in the system tray.

Details
-------
"Freeze" means: The taskbar does not respond. One symptom is that,
during the freeze time, when pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and Esc
afterwards, all applications repaint themselves, but not the
taskbar (the desktop color stays at the place of the taskbar).
After the freeze time, the taskbar repaints itself.

- It does not freeze always, only about every 10-50th time when a
shortcut is pressed. The freeze probability depends on the visible
icon(s) in the system tray.
- It is independent from the used shortcut and the started
application. It happens with any shortcut and any application.
- When killing the "problematic" app (see below) in the task
manager, the taskbar unfreezes.
- During the freeze time, the cpu occupation stays ~0%. This
includes explorer.exe (responsible for the taskbar). HD is also not
occupied. - *No* other application, including the desktop,
freezes.


The following apps/icons are problematic (examples):
- MBM (motherboard monitor)
- CoolerXP (tool to "power off" the CPU when system is idle
(necessary for AMD CPUs))
- Icon showing the established internet connection

Following apps/icons are not problematic (examples):
- Hamster (mail/news client)
- Intellipoint (mouse software)
- own application


"Problematic" means that the described problem occurs when the
corresponding icon is visible. The test scenario was:
- Msconfig has been used to turn off all autostart apps and all
none-MSFT services.
- Each app/icon has been tested individually, i.e. no other app
ran meanwhile.
- Any combination of multiple "not problematic" icons was also
not problematic.

Well, I don't want to do without the "problematic" apps. At least
the internet connection icon shouldn't cause a problem. The
established connection itself is not the problem, only it's icon.
If I turn the icon off in the connection properties, the problem
disappears.


More facts
----------
- one graphics card, one screen, one desktop, one taskbar
- taskbar: at the bottom (2 rows), fixed, always on top, not
hide automatically
- visual styles disabled
- nvidia nview not active
- no desktop background image set
- "classical" start menu used
- no virus found but currently no virus scanner active
- tried minimzing the hardware acceleration for the graphics card
(without success)
- newest graphics drivers
- the problem occurs on different machines (with different
hardware) - problem also occurs in safe mode
- the machine has been reinstalled meanwhile (so don't dare to
suggest it ;-) (I'd like to find the real cause anyway)

Thx for your reply. After so many attempts, I didn't think there was an
answer, so I'm a little late.

Armin, there is no solution only workarounds.

If automatically logging on, try changing that to manually logging
on. I haven't run into that but Kelly Theriot has with many of the
users that she helps.

I always log on manually.

Some folks have had more stable tray icons when
they've disabled UPNP and SSDP.

Didn't help.

Another one that I haven't run into
firsthand but I don't argue with success. If it works for some, it
may work for a few more.

I had missing tray icons when using a particular display
adapter/driver combination. Switched to another brand of adapter and
haven't seen the problem since.

Mine are not missing.

I also noticed (when I was having this problem) that if I left just
the icons supplied by Windows and its components in the tray, they
behaved pretty consistently and appeared on a regular basis. When I
added *some* third party icons, things started disappearing. I made
an effort to find a combination that worked well together and that's
what I used. Since changing my display adapter, I haven't lost a
single icon. I've disabled a lot that I just don't want hanging
around but haven't lost any. I use a passworded account. I don't load
the sound volume icon as I use the keyboard controls for this.

There is some underlying error level handling in any operating
system. If an error causes Explorer to stumble, it will attempt to
reload some but not all Windows icons. Some icons show up again and
some are lost. Most programs do not have a provision for reloading
their icons after an error and they will be lost. It is more obvious
in other versions of Windows that this has happened because a restart
was usually needed after such an event. Because of the need to
restart, the issue of missing tray icons became a non-issue.
Yes

Also at startup, XP gets you to the desktop before everything is
entirely loaded. During this busy "crunch" time, some tray icons may
wait patiently for their turn and then they appear. Or the wait
registers as a failed load and they give up. This event would be a
program by program thing and the outcome depends on the allowances
made (or not made) by the programmer.

ok


In the past days, I did a reinstall of another machine (at home). What I've
currently installed is

1. XP Prof.
2. Chipset drivers
3. VGA driver
4. Mouse driver (Intellipoint)
5. XP SP1
6. Security updates

Currently the problem is not reproducable there. If I'm gonna install more
and more, I'll have a look if the problem occurs after each installation.
And I'll make more use of system recovery. I hope I'll be able to narrow
the problem down.

Thanks again, I'll let you know if I find the reason - but I think I'll
never find it...


--
Armin

How to quote and why:
http://www.plig.net/nnq/nquote.html
http://www.netmeister.org/news/learn2quote.html

 

[Sharon F]

Currently the problem is not reproducable there. If I'm gonna install more
and more, I'll have a look if the problem occurs after each installation.
And I'll make more use of system recovery. I hope I'll be able to narrow
the problem down.

Thanks again, I'll let you know if I find the reason - but I think I'll
never find it...

You're welcome, Armin. This tray situation is a common problem but a
permanent solution seems to be elusive. Hopefully we'll see this situation
improve with future updates.