Startup

[Sophy]

Just recently my computer has been really weird as far as start up times and I was wondering if anyone knows what might cause this.

One time it will start super fast, and the next time be slower than heck. There are no new programs or anything. I have a Dell XPS410 with 2GB of RAM running Vista Home Premium. I have my startup programs pared down. I only have 3 programs running at startup: BitDefender, Win Patrol and RoboForm.

When you get to the black screen with the Microsoft words and logo and the little bar with colored lines running across --- sometimes those lines will run across that bar just a few times and then my login screen opens. And then there are times like tonight, when the lines ran across the bar 34 times, and then there was quite a pause before my login screen appeared. I feel like there must be something wrong but don't have a clue to what.

[weEvil]

there are 2 types of startup, fresh and from hibernate.

fresh should be the same speed every time

hibernate will vary in speed since it saves the last thing you did. when it starts up you don't see the vista boot screen. you see a bluish aurora screen that says "resuming....." the more applications you had open before hibernate shutdown, the slower it will be.

[Sophy]

I don't use hibernate. I use a fresh restart every time. After I posted this I did a restart just to check things out and the lines ran across the bar about 4 times, compared to 34 when I first started.

[weEvil]

You sure?

Pressing the shutdown button may put it in hibernate. Use the shutdown menu option. Third button on the menu after Shutdown, Lock, its the arrow pointing to the right.

Did you do any software installs prior? Defragging after which will speed up the boot as well as everything else?

[Sophy]

I don't use the shutdown button. I always go to start and click on the shutdown option from there. I have Diskeeper which is supposed to keep my computer defragged all the time.

Would you care to tell me how I get it to show that I am running Vista? It seems my sig shows that I have Windows XP and I do not.

Thanks

[submix8c]

I don't use the shutdown button. I always go to start and click on the shutdown option from there. I have Diskeeper which is supposed to keep my computer defragged all the time.

Would you care to tell me how I get it to show that I am running Vista? It seems my sig shows that I have Windows XP and I do not.

Thanks

1 - Haven't used Diskeeper, but perhaps it's running when you startup (e.g. an option to Defrag at Startup). Just a thought.

2 - Change your OS by going to the top of any MSFN screen, click on My Controlsm then on left side click on Edit Profile Information. At the top is where you select what OS you are using via a pull-down. Note in mine that I set "none specified" since I have several that I use at any given time. Please fix this so noone will be confused. And no I don't have Vista, but can (sometimes) assist if it's not Vista-specific.

Sounds like you have been having multiple problems based on the topics you have started. Try resolving them one at a time. Trying to resolve all of them at once just confuses the troubleshooting that folks have been trying to do for you. And please browse through the list of forums on the main page so you'll have an idea where your topic(s) might really go. Just a suggestion...

edit - Urgghh (to not make another post) - mara- may be right (see below)...

Edited December 6, 2008 by submix8c

[mara-]

BitDefender could be the problem. I read it really sucks, especially on Vista.

Cheers

[Sophy]

Thank you so much for the info on changing OS.

I also think Mara might be right. I have been having various problems off and on with BitDefender and I can seem to get any help from their tech support. I've tried to hang in there because it hasn't been that long since I purchased it and also, everywhere I go, including Consumer Reports, it is the top rated security system out there right now, with MacAfee being second.

Edited December 6, 2008 by Sophy

[mara-]

Thank you so much for the info on changing OS.

I also think Mara might be right. I have been having various problems off and on with BitDefender and I can seem to get any help from their tech support. I've tried to hang in there because it hasn't been that long since I purchased it and also, everywhere I go, including Consumer Reports, it is the top rated security system out there right now, with MacAfee being second.

I doubt that BitDefender is top rated security system (I know it was, maybe 2 years ago, but not now). I would suggest that you uninstall it and try with other protection software. My recommendation is NOD32 v 3.0. I use it for a long time and it is really good. Effective and low on resources. I also heard that Kaspersky is now pretty much good, but I never used it.

Cheers

[CoffeeFiend]

I doubt that BitDefender is top rated security system

I've never actually seen it rated at the top.

But every AV needs 3 main things:

1. Good detection rates
   
2. Low false positives
   
3. Low enough resource usage (RAM usage, CPU cycles, low added latency, ...)
   

#1 is very easy to get if you disregard #2 (or you can aim for a low #2, and manage that, at the expense of #1). And it's hard to get 1 and 2 right without compromising on 3 (see Kaspersky...) Most have one big flaw. Be it bad detection rates making it useless, or too high false positives (half your apps are viruses all of a sudden), or it makes your PC crawl -- sometimes all 3 (*cough*Norton*cough*).

NOD32 has a pretty good detection rate (right behind Kaspersky), very low false positives (better than Kaspersky), and is very lightweight (far better than Kaspersky -- at least v2.7, haven't tried v3). NOD32 is definitely top notch. It's the only AV that managed to score "advanced+" in last month's av-comparative's tests.

Of course there's a lot more to it, like not introducing bugs, how the interface is, how often the definition are updated, extra features, pricing, etc... But even just considering those 3 basic things, most already fail.

Either ways, I don't use one.

[mara-]

I doubt that BitDefender is top rated security system

I've never actually seen it rated at the top.

Look at this page. BitDefender is on the first places but it has same score as second Kaspersky and NOD32 is on the fourth place . WebRoot Antivirus is on the third place. WTF , I even never heard for this one. This site is so bad, it is like someone is paying them to put BitDefender on first place, or they don't know how to test the software. It seems that they just look what features they got and maybe the price, but not how that software and its features are really good and effective. I know that BitDefender got very bloated, it uses to many resources and it barely works on Vista. BTW, NOD32 3.0 is very good, maybe even lighter on resources then version 2.7. And the interface is much, much better and easier to use.

Cheers

Edited December 7, 2008 by mara-

[CoffeeFiend]

Look at this page.

That's hardly what I'd call a review... It mostly judges them on points like ease of use and such things, and a mostly pointless checklist with "works on OS xyz" or "certified by whatever company". Not actually checking how many viruses it gets, and how many false positives it gets and all that. NOD32 ends up being 4th indeed, not because it detects less or has more false positives or uses more resources (it's clearly the winner when you combine all 3), but because it lost points on "Ease of use" LOL. What a useless page...

This site is so bad, it is like someone is paying them to put BitDefender on first place, or they don't know how to test the software. It seems that they just look what features they got and maybe the price, but not how that software and its features are really good and effective.

Precisely.

[weEvil]

Thank you so much for the info on changing OS.

I also think Mara might be right. I have been having various problems off and on with BitDefender and I can seem to get any help from their tech support. I've tried to hang in there because it hasn't been that long since I purchased it and also, everywhere I go, including Consumer Reports, it is the top rated security system out there right now, with MacAfee being second.

How often does BitDefender actually do something? Like intercepting viruses, trojans... etc.?

If you don't use it, disable the realtime scan and your computer won't be so slow, and it will boot faster. Use it only when you need to, or schedule a weekly scan of your computer.

You can also further increase security by using the regular user profile, and not as an administrator. When you run as administrator, you give all software the possibility to make changes to your system including viruses.

Edited December 8, 2008 by weEvil

[Sophy]

Actually, I did another in depth search on ratings for security suites and this time in every instance Trend Micro was first, MacAfee 2nd and in most cases Kaspersky was 3rd. Also, on the Consumer Reports site I was mistaken. BitDefender came in first only in one individual area. When you take the suites as a whole, Trend Micro was first. But the bottom line is that when you research them individually, there are as many bad reviews as good for all of them.

I've tried setting up a regular user account before (rather than using the administrator account I have) and my desktop is practically empty. It's like all the programs I've downloaded are lost. How do I remedy this? And then, if I want to do an update or download something, do I have to switch back to administrator's account? And does not using the administrator's account affect the Windows Updates?

BitDefender has stopped several viruses from attacking my computer. I'm sorry folks. I know I'm a dummy but I guess the only way I'm going to learn is to ask my dumb questions.

[weEvil]

I've tried setting up a regular user account before (rather than using the administrator account I have) and my desktop is practically empty. It's like all the programs I've downloaded are lost. How do I remedy this? And then, if I want to do an update or download something, do I have to switch back to administrator's account? And does not using the administrator's account affect the Windows Updates?

You can always "Run as Administrator" for programs.

Is your start menu empty as well? Can you see C:\ProgramFiles folder as regular user?