[SOLVED] Taskbar Freeze @ Startup (.507)

I saw this this morning. I’m not sure what is causing it…

BUT selecting “Load avast! services only after loading other system services” seems to have cleared up the problem (Settings–> Troubleshooting). I’ll keep looking to see what I see.

The taskbar freeze seems to have started after APC PowerChute & HP Digital Imaging Monitor (+ other HP Printer related programs) added themselves to system startup. Spybot’s TeaTimer is there, but I had no problems when only it & AIS were set to load.

Edit: I encountered the error again a while ago while reformatting the desktop (to get to the source of these registry keys I don’t like). Okay. The taskbar froze after a reboot of the system, where both AIS + Teatimer were updated in 1 session. The only things that were starting up at the time were something for Intel hotkey commands + an Intel graphics quick options program. A folder from the USB HDD I had attach would’ve opened had the taskbar not frozen. (I have the explorer windows set to open in a separate process & also to restore at startup.)

APC + the HP printer software weren’t on the computer this time. As usual, the “Load avast! services only after loading other system services” options cleared up the freeze.

Edit 2: Well, I’ll be… The taskbar did, indeed freeze again! APC + the HP printer software are on the desktop now… I just installed them in one session, APC 1st then HP. I am puzzled now because I already have the option enabled & STILL saw the freeze! I thought it was solved… ~sigh~ I will disable HP Software Update & HP Component Manager from starting up & see… It did install some version of .NET Framework… I had a folder from the USB HDD open again before the reboot…

(I wonder if it’s that setting of launching folder windows in a separate process that is causing the problem…)

Avast doesn’t seem to be the cause… It appears the problem has something to do with Spybot. Having said that, it’s not that the 2 programs conflict per se… They get along quite nicely in the notification area… xD

I have seen the taskbar freeze at the next reboot if TeaTimer is set to startup with the computer when you install AIS. I have no idea what conflicts.

Other freezes: I’ve found that if I update Spybot (Immunize, for example, or update with the offline definitions file, etc), leave a windows explorer open (My Computer) & reboot, the taskbar will hang. (I have the Restore previous folder windows at logon & the Launch folder windows in a separate process options ticked.) I took off the separate process option & just left the restore folder windows option on, & the taskbar hung as well.

It’s an interesting bug… I know how to avoid the taskbar hang now… I tested it way more than I care to elaborate… It was tiring… xD

Okay… Now, I’m really not sure what is going on because the taskbar froze again!

Now here’s the rub: TeaTimer is NOT set to run at startup! I think I had a folder window open again before I rebooted… I’ll probably try this again later with the desktop… I’ll just chalk this one up to being tired because I honestly don’t remember what happened or what I was doing… I installed Office 2003 + SP3… rebooted… hang… I believe that’s what I did…

~sigh~ I’m just trying to figure out what is causing the hang, so I can avoid it… (I am actually hungry right now, but it’s too early in the morning to eat food when I am about to go to bed…) xD

there have been some reports earlier about avast and Spybot tea timer

but why use spybot when you have Malwarebytes and superantispyware, much better and they dont conflict

Well, if you insist on using that app, reinstall w/o TeaTimer, and make sure it’s been deleted as well on reinstall. Disabling is usually not enough for this junky thing.

Drop Spybot…!!! Problem solved. :wink:
asyn

I actually found TeaTimer to be helpful with seeing what was going on with my system recently. I hadn’t used it in years, but after a recent malware infection, I decided to go old school… XD MBAM was great (& I do have the paid version), but I had to use A2 Free to get rid of the remnants of the malware. Also, I put Spybot on the system because I was having a problem with strange registry keys appearing on the computer & wanted to see if it would help.

If you know of any programs that can help with identifying registry keys & all associated files, please share!! (Please!)

Um… okay… How do I do that? (I will look it up also to see what I find.)

Maybe so… I guess I’ll have to try that as a test (install everything else I use but Spybot, don’t use Shellexview, install AIS, & see if the taskbar/explorer.exe still hangs…) Thanks for the idea. :slight_smile:

No problem… Please post back your results here. :slight_smile:
asyn

Hello everyone! Asyn, I did that test on the 600M, everything else BUT Spybot… & guess what (which I think you already knew): NO SPYBOT = NO TASKBAR/EXPLORER.EXE HANG… ~shrugs~ I’m not sure what it was… but it’s gone! :slight_smile:

Ah… but I did like the detailed look at the startup entries that Spybot allowed me to see… ~shrugs~ Oh well… I will look for another program that details the startup entries in a similar way.

Hi Kei,
ad 1. Yes, i knew - or better i expected it… :wink:
ad 2. Talking about the autostart entries? Use Ccleaner: http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
asyn

Heya Asyn! ^^ Yes, I have used CCleaner, but it doesn’t show the winlogon notifiers, as far as I saw. When I was trying to figure out whether a program & Spybot were conflicting, I was able to use Spybot to disable (uncheck) the SAS winlogon notifier to test.

I even found out that the ATI hotkey poller function for the 600M would startup, even though I had the service set to manual & the startup entry for the ATI control panel unchecked. (The ATI hotkey poller entry was in the winlogon notifiers section, which Spybot allowed me to uncheck.)

I found the section of the registry that deals with the winlogon notifiers, but I have to do more research about how to disable what I want safely. (I don’t know if it’s as easy as a 0 or 1…) XD

So you need something special…?? :wink:
There are some very powerful advanced tools, but you should be sure what you do before using these.
Damaging your system is not what you would want, i guess.
asyn

Autoruns for Windows is definitely better than CCleaner when it comes to autostart entries management. 8)

WinPatrol is good for Auto start application information especially if you have the PLUS version.

WinPatrol Free vs PLUS
Detect and Review New Auto-Startup Programs
Add/Remove and Review Auto-Startup Programs
Automatically Disable Reoccuring Startup Programs
Delay Auto-Startup programs for quick bootup <== this is good for XP systems
http://www.winpatrol.com/compare.html

I have not used Spybot S&D for years since using MBAM though.

Hi everyone! ~waves~ Thanks for all of your feedback! I will look into everything you’ve said! :smiley: Thanks so much again! :slight_smile: