Interesting Startup problem .... not seen this before

Hi,

This little problem developed shortly after i installed winxp, and started loading my apps onto it, i cant for the life of me remember at what point it start to do this.

system,
winxp pro, sp2 and fully upto date
20gb hdd
3gb hdd
2.5gb removable drive
on board graphics and sound
logitech cordless keyboard and mouse

what happens ...
I have many items starting with windows, some from the registry for all users and some from my user startup
the system only has the i user id (me)

if i allow it to start normally, it doesnt start everything, the task bar only shows about 5 items instead of 15 or so, yet i know some are working ..... for example, outpost firewall doesnt show, but the trafficLED plugin that is started by outpost is running and visible, i look in taskbar customisation, and there is only the 5 or 6 items that are already visible, at this point i try running some of the apps that should be running, some start, and some the shortcuts do nothing (like the app is already running) my logitech software never starts at all. I look in task manager and sure enough not everything is running. the missing items cant even be narrowed down to one area of the registry as they are in different startup trees

how to fix it .... quite simple really ....... place an item in the run-once startup position.....

i use spybot s&d .... i just set it to scan once at next start and then cancel the test as soon as it starts and hey presto, all of my applications and system starts just like it should. i have tried setting spybot to always scan at startup, but it goes into the registry at a different point and does not cause the pause in the boot sequence and thus does not fix the bug.

2 other things which might be related as they concern the taskbar as well,

1) it always, and i mean always, forgets the settings for at least 2 applications in rrelation to hidden or visible .... always the same 2 and sometimes the network connection one too that always shows an error if you dont have a lan connected. (i hide this one all the time but sometimes it forgets)

2) the mouse over tool tips stop working from time to time (this applies to all tool tips, the one on flashget even stops too)


the only things remotely similar that i could find during searching for info on this were some compatibilty issues with the logitech keyboard/mouse cordless combo software ... and to be fair this might be it as my keyboard scroll wheel has never worked, or the possiblity that during the install of something i forgot to turn of my registry protection applications and processguard, causing something to go amiss with the install. but that would not explain why pausing the boot sequence for a second would cure the problem

i am considering installing a startup manager to see if i can then move everything from the various registry locations into the startup manager and then controlling boot form there (meta products startup organisser ... i have used this one before and been happy with it) but that is a big job

whew ... i think i covered it all .... so .... does any of that ring a bell with anyone ?

TIA

Gunslinger

 

I have seen similar issues before, please update your Logitech software from their site to the latest version. If you are using the purple keyboard USB to PS2 adapter, remove this, and place the keyboard directly into a USB port.

Hope this helps...

Lets us know how you go.

Cheers

 

Hi, i believe what BlackSpear said is right, there are similar problems with early microsoft wireless desktops, (PS2-USB adapter).

Just for piece of mind, when formatting make sure you have the security apps and Windows updated before going online.

I've written a basic guide HERE on formatting.

 

sorry the only bit of info i missed ... keyboard/mouse combo model ... cordless deluxe (C-BD9-DUAL is what is says on the sender/receiver unit) it is a few years old now

i am not using a purple usb to ps2 adapter but a green one
and the software was a fresh download only a month or so ago.

i have to admit that i am suspicious of this becuase the software is nothing like the version for win98 that i had before.

thanks for your help
i will try the webupdate and see what it says, switching to usb might be a problem as i have no spare slots (only got 2 )

Gunslinger

 

May not be related but the USB-PS2 adapter that comes with the MS wireless desktop is also green, i'd almost bet that its made by the same company.

Just connect using the USB plug, you may need to refresh the signal for it to be picked up by the reciever.

 

sweetie ... you think i might need to format and reinstall everything to fix it ? (

i'll give the usb connection thing a try later, but if that fixes it it will be a pain to use it that way as i have already got 2 things plugged into my usb slots .... i will check the web updat first though

thank you guys for all your help

Gunslinger

 

Hi, no i didnt mean you should format, i just pointed out the guide as a refrence, you said the PC has just had a reinstall, i was suggesting the order of loading software as a possile diagnoses to your problems.

 

How many user accounts do you have on the computer? if you just have the one user account then its the Admin account. Create a new user account and see what happens when it loads up the settings!

 

sorry guys, i havent been around for a couple of days to read your replies....

ok, i have been to the logitech site and i am using the latest software for my keyboard and mouse

next thing i'll try is a reinstall of the logitech stuff and see what happens after that, then i will try the usb connection idea

Thanks for clearing that up sweetie ... i guess i just miss understood what you were meaning ..... that idea of software install order is something that has crossed my mind too, hence the attempted reinstall next (this time i will switch off all registry watchers and stuff like that)

as for the user accounts i have only one, i have considered this as a possible thing to try ..... however before i did that, i looked to see which items were not starting, and also which were running but not showing and also which had not started and refused to start (i think i had 1 in this catorgary, unless it was one that was already running and starting it again had no affect... i forget now) .... anyway the result of the check was that the problem applications were all starting from different locations in the registry, some all users .... some just the account i am using, some from all users .... and with no pattern at all that i could see

anyway, i've got to go see why spybot has decided not to run the tea timer module at startup no .... (i loaded up the beta version, and no longer seem to get warnings from the tea timer module or see it in the task bar)

thanks for your idea guys

i'll post back when i have some news

Gunslinger