Startup takes 8 min:flashlight scans files

The past year each time I restart Windows XP it scans files and takes 8 min.
before I can start using any program. Is this normal? How can I skip this
if it is optional?
I am not very fimiliar with computer terminology so please keep it simple if
you have any news for me. This is the first time I have ever used any
newsgroup (never used chat groups either) so I am stretching myself here.
Thanks for any encouraging words and possible help.

eckrichco
Tue Apr 15 19:56:01 PDT 2008

Try,in xp,install xp cd,exit the menu page,go to run,type:cmd In cmd type:
services.msc In msc,scroll to indexing,start service,exit msc,in cmd type:
Sfc /Scannow Once its thru,type:CHKDSK C: /F Agree to restart,type:EXIT
Remove xp cd,restart pc.Also,when Sfc runs,watch the hd activity light on
pc cover,it might be busy for awhile,let the pc run as it needs to,might
take time.

"Hattie" wrote:

> The past year each time I restart Windows XP it scans files and takes 8 min.
> before I can start using any program. Is this normal? How can I skip this
> if it is optional?
> I am not very fimiliar with computer terminology so please keep it simple if
> you have any news for me. This is the first time I have ever used any
> newsgroup (never used chat groups either) so I am stretching myself here.
> Thanks for any encouraging words and possible help.

Lil'
Tue Apr 15 21:54:21 PDT 2008

"Hattie" <Hattie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F56D68E9-F011-455F-83AF-68914B8365AD@microsoft.com...
> The past year each time I restart Windows XP it scans files and takes 8
> min.
> before I can start using any program. Is this normal? How can I skip
> this
> if it is optional?
> I am not very fimiliar with computer terminology so please keep it simple
> if
> you have any news for me. This is the first time I have ever used any
> newsgroup (never used chat groups either) so I am stretching myself here.
> Thanks for any encouraging words and possible help.

Ordinarily, this is a hardware problem. This because XP scans the root of
each partition/drive, and removable media.

If you don't have the means to fix it, or don't know the cause, and use a
log-on, wait for awhile before logging on. XP will do all that prior to, IF
you wait.
--
Dave

Gerry
Tue Apr 15 23:38:45 PDT 2008

Hattie

How do you shutdown your computer? What you describe can be the result
of shutting down using the power button. This is not the correct way to
turn off your computer. You should click on Start, Turn Off Computer,
Turn Off. There are variations but they all begin with clecking on the
Start button.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Hattie wrote:
> The past year each time I restart Windows XP it scans files and takes
> 8 min. before I can start using any program. Is this normal? How
> can I skip this if it is optional?
> I am not very fimiliar with computer terminology so please keep it
> simple if you have any news for me. This is the first time I have
> ever used any newsgroup (never used chat groups either) so I am
> stretching myself here. Thanks for any encouraging words and possible
> help.

glee
Thu Apr 17 20:15:05 PDT 2008

"Hattie" <Hattie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F56D68E9-F011-455F-83AF-68914B8365AD@microsoft.com...
> The past year each time I restart Windows XP it scans files and takes 8 min.
> before I can start using any program. Is this normal? How can I skip this
> if it is optional?
> I am not very fimiliar with computer terminology so please keep it simple if
> you have any news for me. This is the first time I have ever used any
> newsgroup (never used chat groups either) so I am stretching myself here.
> Thanks for any encouraging words and possible help.

Could you explain a little more what you mean by "it scans files"? Look at the
title of any window that opens to do this scanning, and tell us what it says. It
may be that your anti-virus program is doing a virus scan whenever you start or
restart Windows. If that's the case, you will need to go into your anti-virus
program's configuration and turn off the feature if you don't want it to occur. If
it is a virus scan you are referring to, tell us the name of your anti-virus
program.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
http://dts-l.net/
http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm

Hattie
Tue May 13 00:06:01 PDT 2008

Before I could try your advise my hard drive died and has been replaced, so
startup is once again quick. Thanks for your help.

"Andrew E." wrote:

> Try,in xp,install xp cd,exit the menu page,go to run,type:cmd In cmd type:
> services.msc In msc,scroll to indexing,start service,exit msc,in cmd type:
> Sfc /Scannow Once its thru,type:CHKDSK C: /F Agree to restart,type:EXIT
> Remove xp cd,restart pc.Also,when Sfc runs,watch the hd activity light on
> pc cover,it might be busy for awhile,let the pc run as it needs to,might
> take time.
>
> "Hattie" wrote:
>
> > The past year each time I restart Windows XP it scans files and takes 8 min.
> > before I can start using any program. Is this normal? How can I skip this
> > if it is optional?
> > I am not very fimiliar with computer terminology so please keep it simple if
> > you have any news for me. This is the first time I have ever used any
> > newsgroup (never used chat groups either) so I am stretching myself here.
> > Thanks for any encouraging words and possible help.

Hattie
Tue May 13 00:12:00 PDT 2008

Hard drive died and couldn't retrieve anything following defragmentation.
New drive working great. The scanning was a flashlight going over the files.
We used Norton antivirus protection and I don't know if it was the offender.
We haven't put it back on the computer yet. Thanks for your help.

"glee" wrote:

> "Hattie" <Hattie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:F56D68E9-F011-455F-83AF-68914B8365AD@microsoft.com...
> > The past year each time I restart Windows XP it scans files and takes 8 min.
> > before I can start using any program. Is this normal? How can I skip this
> > if it is optional?
> > I am not very fimiliar with computer terminology so please keep it simple if
> > you have any news for me. This is the first time I have ever used any
> > newsgroup (never used chat groups either) so I am stretching myself here.
> > Thanks for any encouraging words and possible help.
>
> Could you explain a little more what you mean by "it scans files"? Look at the
> title of any window that opens to do this scanning, and tell us what it says. It
> may be that your anti-virus program is doing a virus scan whenever you start or
> restart Windows. If that's the case, you will need to go into your anti-virus
> program's configuration and turn off the feature if you don't want it to occur. If
> it is a virus scan you are referring to, tell us the name of your anti-virus
> program.
> --
> Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
> http://dts-l.net/
> http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm
>
>

Hattie
Tue May 13 00:14:00 PDT 2008

Didn't get to try your advise as the hard drive died immediately following my
first defragmentation run. New drive working great. Thanks.

"Andrew E." wrote:

> Try,in xp,install xp cd,exit the menu page,go to run,type:cmd In cmd type:
> services.msc In msc,scroll to indexing,start service,exit msc,in cmd type:
> Sfc /Scannow Once its thru,type:CHKDSK C: /F Agree to restart,type:EXIT
> Remove xp cd,restart pc.Also,when Sfc runs,watch the hd activity light on
> pc cover,it might be busy for awhile,let the pc run as it needs to,might
> take time.
>
> "Hattie" wrote:
>
> > The past year each time I restart Windows XP it scans files and takes 8 min.
> > before I can start using any program. Is this normal? How can I skip this
> > if it is optional?
> > I am not very fimiliar with computer terminology so please keep it simple if
> > you have any news for me. This is the first time I have ever used any
> > newsgroup (never used chat groups either) so I am stretching myself here.
> > Thanks for any encouraging words and possible help.

Gerry
Thu May 15 11:53:31 PDT 2008

You must be pleased Hattie given the three posts in 8 minutes <G>


~~~~


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hattie wrote:
> Didn't get to try your advise as the hard drive died immediately
> following my first defragmentation run. New drive working great.
> Thanks.
>
> "Andrew E." wrote:
>
>> Try,in xp,install xp cd,exit the menu page,go to run,type:cmd In
>> cmd type: services.msc In msc,scroll to indexing,start
>> service,exit msc,in cmd type: Sfc /Scannow Once its
>> thru,type:CHKDSK C: /F Agree to restart,type:EXIT Remove xp
>> cd,restart pc.Also,when Sfc runs,watch the hd activity light on pc
>> cover,it might be busy for awhile,let the pc run as it needs
>> to,might take time.
>>
>> "Hattie" wrote:
>>
>>> The past year each time I restart Windows XP it scans files and
>>> takes 8 min. before I can start using any program. Is this normal?
>>> How can I skip this if it is optional?
>>> I am not very fimiliar with computer terminology so please keep it
>>> simple if you have any news for me. This is the first time I have
>>> ever used any newsgroup (never used chat groups either) so I am
>>> stretching myself here. Thanks for any encouraging words and
>>> possible help.

glee
Mon May 19 18:16:29 PDT 2008

The failing hard drive explains the "flashlight scan" for files....access of the
drive must have been very slow prior to failing, causing what you saw.

I do NOT recommend Norton (Symantec) Anti-Virus, or any Symantec products. There
are far better and also less-expensive products available, that don't mess up your
system the way Symantec can.

Among the "pay for" products, I prefer Eset NOD32, or Kaspersky Anti-Virus.
The best of the free products are Avira, and Avast.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
http://dts-l.net/
http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm


"Hattie" <Hattie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:879779E2-1EDB-4DCB-AC8C-6D2E00A2C915@microsoft.com...
> Hard drive died and couldn't retrieve anything following defragmentation.
> New drive working great. The scanning was a flashlight going over the files.
> We used Norton antivirus protection and I don't know if it was the offender.
> We haven't put it back on the computer yet. Thanks for your help.
>
> "glee" wrote:
>
>> "Hattie" <Hattie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:F56D68E9-F011-455F-83AF-68914B8365AD@microsoft.com...
>> > The past year each time I restart Windows XP it scans files and takes 8 min.
>> > before I can start using any program. Is this normal? How can I skip this
>> > if it is optional?
>> > I am not very fimiliar with computer terminology so please keep it simple if
>> > you have any news for me. This is the first time I have ever used any
>> > newsgroup (never used chat groups either) so I am stretching myself here.
>> > Thanks for any encouraging words and possible help.
>>
>> Could you explain a little more what you mean by "it scans files"? Look at the
>> title of any window that opens to do this scanning, and tell us what it says. It
>> may be that your anti-virus program is doing a virus scan whenever you start or
>> restart Windows. If that's the case, you will need to go into your anti-virus
>> program's configuration and turn off the feature if you don't want it to occur.
>> If
>> it is a virus scan you are referring to, tell us the name of your anti-virus
>> program.
>> --
>> Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
>> http://dts-l.net/
>> http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm
>>
>>