Slow/dellayed startup of Win XP

I’m running Windows XP and my PC takes a long timo to start up. All goes OK and fast up until the Desktop opens and the additional drivers/app’s start loading (icons in the bottom right corner) the PC stops. I also notice that the HD also stops for some time, two to three minutes before it continues loading. only then can I start using my apps, even though the desktop is open with all icons.

This irritated me so much that I decided to format and reload everything. Everything was OK untill i reinstalled AVAST and/or ZONE ALARM PRO. Now I have barely any other programs on my PC but it still takes a LONG time to start up!

Thanx!
Cheers, Roberto,
Slovenia

The problem is zonealarm. It slowdown the startup. Uninstall Zonealarm and you will see the diference

Zone Alarm is consist of these two: Zone Client and TrueVector Internet Monitor

The TrueVector Internet Monitor will start when you turn on your computer this is the actually the firewall the block uninvited attempts. Zone Client is the program that will begin when you start up Windows.

Check out this thread as I have been investigating a similar issue and fro me it was the firewall accessing files and avast was obviously scanning files that the firewall accessed.

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=14062.0

Disable your firewall from starting at windows start up and ensure that you check if there is Zone Alarm service, if so this will need to be stopped and set to manual start. Then boot and see if there is a reduction in the scanned count total after you reboot.

I had the similar problem with ZA. Seems it sometimes conflicts with XP as I wasn’t using avast! at that time. Sometimes i had problems on system shutdown too. :frowning: That’s the reason I’m on KERIO. And avast. ;D

I’ve been using ZoneAlarm Pro with WinXP Home for couple of years now without problems. Of course, I have always had it set not to load at startup, since I am not always connected to the Internet anyway, and I have never bothered with Windows Firewall. I also shut down ZoneAlarm manually as soon as I go offline.
You might also go into msconfig, or use a tweaking utility (I like X-Setup free: http://www.tucows.com/preview/219636) to further control what loads at Windows startup.

You may find that when you manualy shut down ZA that you are only closing the GUI and not any zone alarm service (if it has one, check Task Manager after shutting it down).

It does in fact shut down the zlclient service.