Computer Browser Error in Event Logs

[CarolW]

My Windows Event logs, System, have periodic entries like this, that I can't remember ever seeing before my current re-installation of Windows (XP, SP2, fully if painfully updated):

Acronis; is this you? I think it is! True Image Home, v. 11, paid.

From the System Event Log, Properties:

Window header:

Date: 12/25/2007
Time: 11:29:19
Type: Error
User: N/A
Computer: DOGDEN

Source: Service Control Manager
Category: None
Event ID: 7023

In its message window:

The Computer Browser service terminated with the following error:
This operation returned because the timeout period expired.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp

[End Properties message]

I've been getting these repeatedly for days; not having any idea where they're coming from.

Now, with a process of elimination, though not a tightly controlled one, I'm quite sure it's Acronis True Image Home (v. 11, single-user workstation, no network) that's having this trouble. I don't see any problems with the program operations.

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 14:10:05

[sparkymachine]

Hi Carol, the Computer Browser Service doesn't need to run on a standalone PC (it isn't running on mine). Basically all it does is provide computer names available on a LAN and adds yours to the list.

[CarolW]

-{ Quote: "Hi Carol, the Computer Browser Service doesn't need to run on a standalone PC (it isn't running on mine). Basically all it does is provide computer names available on a LAN and adds yours to the list." }-

Oh, so it DOES seem to be Acronis TI running it. That also explains the error message. I have a network CARD installed (Ethernet), but it's disabled.

So how would I stop True Image from running the Computer Browser Service?

I think there are a couple of others running, too, that I might not need; let's see if my WinPatrol.exe will identify them; hang on.

AHA; I can disable StartUp programs using WinPatrol! Should I try that?

These load at Startup:

TrueImageMonitor exe
TimounterMonitor.exe
Scheduler2Service.exe

This service is listed in addition:

schedul2.exe (I think I have that name right).

As I look at these, I think I probably need them all!

But here's a service I don't need:

Try and Decide service - however, WnPatrol does't offer to disable any services. I don't think I want to go killing processes (for example, using the Windows Task Manager).

Does it matter if the Computer Browser times out all the time? The error messages are only annoying if I look at them. Haha!

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 16:10:38

[sparkymachine]

Well, TI doesn't seem to be running the computer browser service on my pc, may be someone else knows why that is doing what it is.

TI does need those programs and service running if you want to use all the features. Acronis recommend you leave them alone and so do I because contrary to what some say, they do not take up many resources and you may find you need one of them one day and something won't work. There is info in other threads about all that you mention so I won't repeat it all - let you do some leg work lol.

I thought I would not use the Try&Decide either but found I use it quite a lot. Is very useful for trying things out without actually affecting your pc unless you want them to. Its safe enough to stop that service and change it to manual.

- I just checked and I have the computer browser service disabled. I remember somewhere that XP has another service which does the same job but I forgot the details. So unless you have networked pc's it should be safe to disable the service altogether. Worst can happen is you have to enable it again!

[CarolW]

-{ Quote: "Well, TI doesn't seem to be running the computer browser service on my pc, may be someone else knows why that is doing what it is." }-

Maybe it's not Acronis, but some other general service. I'm not sure how to find out!

-{ Quote: " TI does need those programs and service running if you want to use all the features. Acronis recommend you leave them alone and so do I because contrary to what some say, they do not take up many resources and you may find you need one of them one day and something won't work. There is info in other threads about all that you mention so I won't repeat it all - let you do some leg work lol." }-

Hehe; that's fine with me! It's a useful tip; thanks! Good to know those don't use much in the way of resources.

-{ Quote: " I thought I would not use the Try&Decide either but found I use it quite a lot. Is very useful for trying things out without actually affecting your pc unless you want them to. Its safe enough to stop that service and change it to manual." }-

Interesting! I'm inclined to leave things unchanged altogether till I get to know the program better.

-{ Quote: " - I just checked and I have the computer browser service disabled. I remember somewhere that XP has another service which does the same job but I forgot the details." }-

I'm disoriented here. How do I find out how to disable the service? I don't dare use WinPatrol to do it, as I had mixed results last time I tried something like that!

Maybe msconfig? But which service - what's it called? Does it have an identifiable, single process name?

-{ Quote: " So unless you have networked pc's it should be safe to disable the service altogether. Worst can happen is you have to enable it again!" }-

Right! I really might as well disable it, but need to know how! (And to do it safely - ha!) My knowledge is very scattered and unpredictable; therefore can bring unpredictable results! haha!

Thanks!
Tue, 25 Dec 2007 17:36:55

[Ed Y]

I run XP SP2 in a stand alone mode. Computer Browser Service on my machine is set to manual and I've never noticed it started.

Use Start, All Programs, Administrative Tools, Services to look at all your services and tweak them.

[sparkymachine]

-{ Quote: "Right! I really might as well disable it, but need to know how! (And to do it safely - ha!)" }-

Yes, well never use msconfig unless from someone who knows because you can end up doing all sorts of things you never wanted to!

Because I alter my start menu i'll tell you another way to show and alter services more safely. Right click on My Computer and select Manage. In the pop up window, bottom left, expand Services and Applications and there you will see Services, so click on that. Maximize the window.

You will see the list of services on your pc, their status and startup type, description, and other stuff. About 15th down the list you should see Computer Browser. Double click on that and another pop up appears. You will see a button which says Stop, so click that and it will stop the service. Just above there you will see Startup Type: which has a list box in which you can select either Automatic, Manual, or Disabled. I'll leave it up to you, but its safer to choose Manual for now. You can always disable it later.

If you disable it then no process can start it if it wants to, manual means t won't start at system startup but can be started if needed - fairly obvious.

Click ok and thats it, close all the windows and forget it hopefully lol.

Good luck and your welcome

[CarolW]

-{ Quote: "I run XP SP2 in a stand alone mode. Computer Browser Service on my machine is set to manual and I've never noticed it started.

Use Start, All Programs, Administrative Tools, Services to look at all your services and tweak them." }-

Oh; Thanks! I'll try that! Right now I'm hassling myself about Microsoft Office - I HATE that stuff, but it was given to me with the computer - version 2000. Can a person exchanging a lot of info with others AVOID Microsoft Word? The MS Reader seems to load WordPad, which apparently doesn't do graphics; haha! Even in local community work I often have to load somebody's document in Word, though I don't need it to edit nor write with.

Not too long ago, I got Open Office, but I think you have to convert docs to use that. Part of what I hate about Office 2000 is that it has all the typical defects (read: BUGS) - of the astounding Buggy Word programs (though 2003 wasn't so bad). I think I will POSTPONE re-installing Office and doing its massive updates on dial-up. so I'm off to install Open Office instead, which adds Java - I should note disk space before and after, so as to plan my backups in tight disk space! Given my 'druthers, I wouldn't install any of this, but I need charting capabilities for my dog's blood glucose curves. And True Image is going to serve me well all along.

Related to that, i DO have Office (updated) backed up in my very first image ever made with the TI11 Home free trial. Would it save me any updating time to restore Office from that backup first?

I can't remember if I had Open Office installed; I think not; I think I uninstalled it before making that first all-Drive-C-when-I had-Everything-on-Drive-C backup.

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 19:22:07

[sparkymachine]

Just love your 'questions' lol.

-{ Quote: "The MS Reader seems to load WordPad, which apparently doesn't do graphics; haha! Even in local community work I often have to load somebody's document in Word, though I don't need it to edit nor write with" }-.
From what you say I would think MS Office is overkill both in terms of the sophistication you require and the bytes it takes up. I've never noticed too many bugs with it though.


-{ Quote: "I think I will POSTPONE re-installing Office and doing its massive updates on dial-up." }-.
Turn off automatic updates and just don't update it. If your not using office to access the internet directly then you don't necessarily need any updates to use it. You could update it anytime later if you wanted to.


-{ Quote: "Related to that, i DO have Office (updated) backed up in my very first image ever made with the TI11 Home free trial. Would it save me any updating time to restore Office from that backup first?
" }-
You will not be able to restore Office on its own from an image backup, if that is what your are thinking.

[CarolW]

Update - I put off disabling the Computer Browser, but then finally, I did so, and I'm not seeing any problems on my system - at least, not from that!

This is the end of Day 11 of reinstalling Windows from scratch (repartitioning the two internal drives at the beginning). I am unbelievably tired, but the last few days, I've been using True Image Home 11 repeatedly, doing Scheduled Tasks, and selecting One Time Only. Then the next time, editing the task to repeat its operation. That's because the three backups (C, D and E) I make each have somewhat different settings, or I'd make it all a single task.

I'm interested that the backups go much faster when scheduled! Of course, it doesn't take up time with all those green-bar displays!

I see no more errors in event Logs from the Computer Browser; well, duh!
Thanks for all the help.

Now I'm tweaking font sizes and DPI, BECAUSE MY Icon Cool Editor doesn't LIKE 120 DPI, which i used to get readable (to me) fonts, so I had to go back to 96 DPI - which fixed some other problems I had had before.

Oddly, Acronis True Image didn't seem to change its appearance at all; it must be independent of those settings - and that was a relief to me, as I find it readable.

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 22:45:48

[sparkymachine]

-{ Quote: "Update - I put off disabling the Computer Browser, but then finally, I did so, and I'm not seeing any problems on my system - at least, not from that!" }-
I checked around and it is quite safe to disable it in our case

-{ Quote: "Then the next time, editing the task to repeat its operation. That's because the three backups (C, D and E) I make each have somewhat different settings, or I'd make it all a single task. .......the backups go much faster when scheduled! Of course, it doesn't take up time with all those green-bar displays!
" }-
I'll try the one time schedule if its so much quicker. Would be nice to be able to copy tasks.

Glad it is all coming together. I sorted my 'location' prob out with some help and my restore and tweaking are all done - and backed up, hehe

[CarolW]

Glad things are going well for you, too! I"ll probably be pretty quiet the next few daze - catching up on sleep, and taking care of my poor dogs! But I'll say this - I just cannot IMAGINE a program better designed (and reliable) for me than Acronis True Image Home - I see remarks about bugginess in version 11, which is what I have, but my build is #8,053, which is said to have bugs fixed.

And the help on these forums is fabulous! Thanks!

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 08:52:09