A
Armin Zingler
[This is a repost because a 1 day old message seems to be too old for this
group. Or is this the wrong group?]
Hi,
the following problem is driving me nuts for 1.5 years now (***argh***), so
I'd really appreciate any help. Before bothering everyone with a very long
description, here's the short one.
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 scan active
- newest graphics drivers
- the problem occurs on different machines (with different hardware)
- the machine has been reinstalled meanwhile (so don't dare to suggest it
;-) (I'd like to find the real cause anyway)
I'll provide any further information I can if required. Thanks in advance
for any help!
group. Or is this the wrong group?]
Hi,
the following problem is driving me nuts for 1.5 years now (***argh***), so
I'd really appreciate any help. Before bothering everyone with a very long
description, here's the short one.
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 scan active
- newest graphics drivers
- the problem occurs on different machines (with different hardware)
- the machine has been reinstalled meanwhile (so don't dare to suggest it
;-) (I'd like to find the real cause anyway)
I'll provide any further information I can if required. Thanks in advance
for any help!