Derek891

Hello hazelnut - I do plan on saving an image of 8.1 soon. The 32GB memory stick I use with Macrium Reflect currently has the image of Windows 8.0 on it. I wanted to hang on to that until I was absolutely certain the update was free of any glitches, and to see if I actually preferred using 8.1 over 8.0. In regards to booting straight into the Desktop, how do you do set that up? Like you, I prefer the Desktop and use it 99% of the time.

Hello jc836 - I think you should be all right doing your defrags in normal mode now that you have it sorted out. Of course, you can't be certain until you actually try it. Keep in mind that 0% fragmentation is but a fleeting moment where Windows is concerned, regardless of which defrag utility you use. Personally, I use the quick defrag option every other day for about 3 to 4 weeks and then run the full defrag, which usually completes in 15-30 minutes. Also, run a boot time defrag every so often, it gets the some of the system files that can't be accessed while Windows is running.

Hello LuLu - Like you, I was on the fence for quite a while, and updated about two weeks ago. I think navigation is improved, there's a new shortcut to take you from the Metro screen to the Apps screen and back. And I feel that apps open a little quicker. The one thing that surprised me is the fact the entire system is about 8GB smaller, losing about 3GB from the update itself and another 5GB or so when I deleted the Windows.old folder. The only down side is if you would ever have to re-install Windows, since it would involve installing Windows 8, applying all the security and system updates, then doing the 8.1 update again.

The solution takes about 15 seconds of your time. Right click the download button and then click Properties. Then you will know if the link is legitimate.

It's an older model, the CF-74. It is easy to remove and replace the drive caddy, it's only a matter of pushing a release tab on the underside. Ditto for the DVD drive. You could have several different operating systems available if you bought additional caddies and drives. But I am not sure if it is hot swappable, I'll have to consult the user's manual and see if it's possible.

The first thing I did with that machine was upgrade the memory from 512MB to 4GB. Then the 60GB hard drive containing WindowsXP was replaced with a 240GB Crucial M500 solid state drive. Finally, a clean install of Linux Mint gave it a minty freshness. Been running like a champ ever since.

It came out on the news here Saturday night(2/21), the day after my brother had set up his iMac to do his banking online. First thing Monday he will have to call the bank and instruct them not to process any online transactions, period. He also shut down the iMac and has used his Toughbook ever since then. Needless to say, he is not a happy camper. :angry:

I've noticed an inconsistency when running the Quick Scan option using Windows Defender. There are times it will scan between 83-84K items, and other times it scans only 13-14K items. Is anyone aware of the reason for this? Or should I accept it as normal behavior?

Hello MWisBest - Thank you for explaining the situation, now I understand the constraints you are forced to deal with. This solution applies only if you have enough room on your internal drive to temporarily store the data that is currently on the 500GB external drive. If you cannot then stop reading here. Start by setting up several folders on the internal drive to store your data by category, movies, archives, and so on. Copy your data to the new folders on the internal drive, double check and be sure all of it is accounted for. Then delete the current partition on the external drive. Now figure out how much space you need for your archived data, and create a new FAT32 partition, located at the end of the drive, and just large enough to hold the archives. Copy the archives from the internal drive to the new partition on the external drive. When this is done, and you have accounted for all the files, expand the FAT32 partition to the full size of the drive, and then copy your movies, which will be copied starting from the beginning of the drive onward, and will be free of fragmentation. When you are done, and everything is accounted for, you can delete the folders from your internal drive. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but to get the results you are calling for, namely 0% fragmentation, this is the only way I can think of. Finally, set up Defraggler to keep all your archives' filetypes (*.zip,*.cab and so on) at the end of the drive, and be absolutely sure none of the movies' filetypes (*.avi,*.mpg,*.mpeg) are checked.

Hello MWisBest and welcome to the forum. Is there any way you can post a screenshot of the current partition table on the 500GB drive, the amount of archived data you have, and some idea of how much space you need for your archives and at the front of the disk as well? I'm going to suggest repartitioning and copying the archived data to a new FAT32 partition at the end of the drive, doing so would result in zero fragmentation when finished. It would then leave you with a new NTFS partition at the front of the drive for your applications that demand performance, and probably take little or no more time than defragmenting the entire disk and not getting the results you require.

Hello @ hazelnut - I read your link, and it does look like a much simpler solution than mine. Either way, if Robert can't resolve this issue, it may mean reinstalling Windows 7 as a last resort - an even more time consuming solution and never very pleasant - take my word for it. Also - I agree with hazelnut - try booting into Safe Mode and perform a full system scan with your antivirus, there may be gremlins at work here.

Hello @ SuperFluffyBunny - In response to your first question, yes. I cleared the registry entries, rebooted, and I still get the brief hang at 46%, even though nothing appears after running the analysis. There were two questions I had for you back in post #12 - do you have, or have you ever had Norton Internet Security installed on your machine? My subscription ran out in December and I uninstalled it, but when I was using it, I seem to remember one registry entry, something to do with "activex/com", that always popped up during the analysis. I tried deleting it, but it would always re-appear after I rebooted my machine and performed a new analysis of the registry. After a while, I gave up trying to delete it and just let it be. And if I remember correctly, this was the entry that would pop up immediately after the brief hang at 46%. I'm going to examine my registry today and look for any Norton/Symantec remnants that might still exist. If you do have Norton installed, maybe you can verify if the "activex/com" entry is an issue for you the way it was for me. Also, do you know how to run CCleaner in debug mode? The instructions are here: http://www.piriform.com/docs/ccleaner/troubleshooting/running-ccleaner-in-debug-mode You will find the log file in the CCleaner folder after running the registry analysis and closing CCleaner. Then you can copy/paste it here. Doing so would be a big help in pinpointing where the hangup is. Hello @ hazelnut - I think the CodeGear entry was a one time fluke and I over-reacted to the results. It has something to do with C++, and I remember that last Wednesday(2/12) there were several security updates from Microsoft dealing with .NET Framework. Are they related in some way? (Something that's way over my head!) Anyway, it appears to be legitimate and has nothing to do with virus/malware.

Hello Robert - Don't give up yet, after doing a little google searching, I found this: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/102552-built-administrator-enable-winre.html I can't say I've tried it, but the Windows Seven Forum usually has the answer for most problems. This should help you regain administrative privileges and allow you to change your Lan settings in Internet Explorer.

Hello Robert - Going back to post #2, do you have a system restore point that existed prior to cleaning the registry? If so, try booting into Safe Mode (F8 on Win7 machines) then try running System Restore.

Hello Robert - Try flushing the DNS cache. Right click the command prompt, select Run as Administrator, then enter "ipconfig /flushdns" (without the quotes), see if that is any help.

Operating System: Windows 8.1 64bit CCleaner v 4.10.4570 64 bit I installed the following applications in order to test CCleaner's registry scan: 1.) Garmin Express (v 2.5.2.0) x86 2.) Hijack This (v 2.0.4) x86 3.) Treesize Free (v 2.7.0.168) x86 4.) Defraggler (v 2.17.898) x64 5.) Speccy (v 1.25.674) x64 6.) WinRAR (v 5.01) x64 Note that I installed all 6 apps, restarted system, opened then closed each app, restarted system, uninstalled all 6 apps, then restarted system. Then I ran CCleaner in debug mode. Here is the log file: [22:28:56::297][iNFO ] CCleaner v4.10.4570 (64-bit) [22:28:56::297][iNFO ] MS Windows 8.1 64-bit [22:28:56::297][iNFO ] AMD A10-4600M APU with Radeon HD Graphics [22:28:56::360][iNFO ] 8.0GB RAM [22:28:56::360][iNFO ] AMD Radeon HD 7660G [22:28:56::360][iNFO ] Username: Derek [22:28:56::360][iNFO ] Application Started [22:28:56::454][ERROR] Error loading branding.dll - 0x490: Element not found. [22:29:06::782][DEBUG] OnBegin - Registry [22:29:06::782][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3601 | Missing Shared DLLs [22:29:07::938][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3601 | Missing Shared DLLs [22:29:07::938][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3602 | Invalid File Extensions [22:29:08::657][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3602 | Invalid File Extensions [22:29:08::657][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3602 | Invalid File Extensions [22:29:08::657][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3602 | Invalid File Extensions [22:29:08::657][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3603 | ActiveX and Class Issues [22:29:10::407][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3603 | ActiveX and Class Issues [22:29:10::422][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3603 | ActiveX and Class Issues [22:29:11::016][DEBUG] HKCR\CLSID\{B41DB860-8EE4-11D2-9906-E49FADC173CA} | InProcServer32\C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rarext32.dll | C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rarext32.dll [22:29:11::688][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3603 | ActiveX and Class Issues [22:29:11::688][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3615 | Interface [22:29:13::485][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3615 | Interface [22:29:13::485][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3604 | Applications [22:29:13::501][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3604 | Applications [22:29:13::501][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3605 | Fonts [22:29:13::532][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3605 | Fonts [22:29:13::532][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3606 | Application Paths [22:29:13::547][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3606 | Application Paths [22:29:13::547][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3606 | Application Paths [22:29:13::641][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Store | C:\Program Files\Defraggler\Defraggler64.exe | C:\Program Files\Defraggler\Defraggler64.exe [22:29:13::704][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Store | C:\Program Files (x86)\Trend Micro\HiJackThis\HiJackThis.exe | C:\Program Files (x86)\Trend Micro\HiJackThis\HiJackThis.exe [22:29:13::704][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Store | C:\Program Files (x86)\Garmin\Express\Express.exe | C:\Program Files (x86)\Garmin\Express\Express.exe [22:29:13::719][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Store | C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe | C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe [22:29:13::719][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Store | C:\Program Files\Speccy\Speccy64.exe | C:\Program Files\Speccy\Speccy64.exe [22:29:13::719][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Store | C:\Program Files\WinRAR\Uninstall.exe | C:\Program Files\WinRAR\Uninstall.exe [22:29:13::719][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Store | C:\Program Files (x86)\JAM Software\TreeSize Free\unins000.exe | C:\Program Files (x86)\JAM Software\TreeSize Free\unins000.exe [22:29:13::719][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Store | C:\Program Files\Speccy\uninst.exe | C:\Program Files\Speccy\uninst.exe [22:29:13::719][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Store | C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{9c502d87-a05f-46cd-826e-4a69f9ea7a9e}\GarminExpressInstaller.exe | C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{9c502d87-a05f-46cd-826e-4a69f9ea7a9e}\GarminExpressInstaller.exe [22:29:13::719][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Store | C:\Program Files\Defraggler\uninst.exe | C:\Program Files\Defraggler\uninst.exe [22:29:13::751][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3606 | Application Paths [22:29:13::751][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3607 | Help Files [22:29:13::751][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3607 | Help Files [22:29:13::766][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3607 | Help Files [22:29:13::766][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3607 | Help Files [22:29:13::766][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3608 | Installer [22:29:19::157][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3608 | Installer [22:29:19::157][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3608 | Installer [22:29:19::188][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3608 | Installer [22:29:19::188][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3608 | Installer [22:29:19::188][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3608 | Installer [22:29:19::188][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3609 | Obsolete Software [22:29:19::188][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3609 | Obsolete Software [22:29:19::188][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3609 | Obsolete Software [22:29:19::188][DEBUG] HKLM\Software\CodeGear | CodeGear | [22:29:19::188][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3609 | Obsolete Software [22:29:19::188][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3609 | Obsolete Software [22:29:19::266][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3609 | Obsolete Software [22:29:19::266][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3610 | Run At Startup [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3610 | Run At Startup [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3610 | Run At Startup [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3610 | Run At Startup [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3610 | Run At Startup [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3610 | Run At Startup [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3610 | Run At Startup [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3610 | Run At Startup [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3610 | Run At Startup [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3610 | Run At Startup [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3611 | Start Menu Ordering [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3611 | Start Menu Ordering [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3614 | MUI Cache [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3614 | MUI Cache [22:29:19::282][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3614 | MUI Cache [22:29:19::313][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache | C:\Program Files\Defraggler\Defraggler64.exe.FriendlyAppName | Defraggler [22:29:19::313][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache | C:\Program Files\Defraggler\Defraggler64.exe.ApplicationCompany | Piriform Ltd [22:29:19::313][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache | C:\Program Files (x86)\Garmin\Express\Express.exe.FriendlyAppName | Express [22:29:19::313][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache | C:\Program Files (x86)\Garmin\Express\Express.exe.ApplicationCompany | Garmin [22:29:19::313][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache | C:\Program Files (x86)\JAM Software\TreeSize Free\TreeSizeFree.exe.FriendlyAppName | TreeSize Free hard disk space manager [22:29:19::313][DEBUG] HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache | C:\Program Files (x86)\JAM Software\TreeSize Free\TreeSizeFree.exe.ApplicationCompany | JAM Software [22:29:19::313][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3614 | MUI Cache [22:29:19::313][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3616 | Sound Events [22:29:19::344][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3616 | Sound Events [22:29:19::344][DEBUG] OnRuleStarted | 3501 | 3617 | Windows Services [22:29:19::532][DEBUG] OnRuleFinished | 3501 | 3617 | Windows Services [22:29:19::532][DEBUG] OnCompleted [22:29:27::672][iNFO ] Closing application... [22:29:30::907][DEBUG] Registry - Initializing Stop request... [22:29:30::907][DEBUG] Registry - Finished Stop request [22:29:30::922][iNFO ] Finished closing application [22:29:31::579][iNFO ] Application Ended Here is a link to a screenshot of CCleaner's results: http://s5.postimg.org/fb7r9gd4n/Screenshot_1.png The hangup seemed to occur when the entry for CodeGear was being processed, and I'm a bit mystified as to what it is. I've never seen it on any previous scans, I have no recollection of installing it, nor do I have any clue of what other software it might be related to. Needless to say, I immediately did a full system scan using Windows Defender followed by a second scan using Trend Micro's Housecall (BTW - 506 minutes start to finish!). Both came back negative for any viruses/malware. When I finish up here, I'm reinstalling Hijack This to perform another scan, then I'm off to Googleland to find out what the heck CodeGear is. I'll reply when I have more info to share - Derek.

Hello SuperFluffyBunny - There are two questions I'd like to ask you: 1.) Do you currently have Norton Internet Security installed on your system? 2.) Have you had Norton Internet Security installed in the past, then uninstalled it? It may be relevant to the problem, then again this old dog might be barking up the wrong tree. Please post back with a confirm/deny for both questions, it will save me time spent going down the wrong path.

@hazelnut - Understood that it's uncharted waters we're in here, I'm just trying to understand how I can observe the individual entries as they are analyzed during the scanning process. @Augeas - Understood concerning the six hours to explain the details and five minutes to try it, I'll try installing then uninstalling several apps in order to provide some grist for the mill. I'll experiment with this today and post back later on. Wish me luck as far as not breaking something - I do not look forward to installing and updating Windows for the Nth time on this machine.

Hello hazelnut - I have two questions on how to do this: 1.) Do I need to go to Options, then Advanced, and check "Show initial results in detailed view"? 2.) Does this setting apply to the registry scan button as well as analyze files button? I never tried it before when scanning the registry. As the OP stated, this occurs only on the first scan, there is no delay in any subsequent scans, and in order to duplicate it I have to reboot the system. Also, lately I get no entries to be deleted when I scan, I think the delay is minimal under in this condition. Do you want me to install/uninstall an application in order to analyze this further? Or would doing so skew the results?

Hello Alan - There's a good chance I could be wrong, but didn't WinXP 32 bit retain config.sys and autoexec.bat in order to provide backwards compatibility when running Win95/98/ME (a.k.a.DOS) applications? Or am I wrong in thinking this? (It's been such a long time since I've even thought about it! ) I can no longer check this out for myself since I replaced WinXP with Zorin OS8 on my HP Mini. In any event, thanks for pointing that out, I should have asked the OP which version of Windows he is using.

Hello Nergal - I believe the OP is talking about scanning the registry, not cleaning any entries. I notice the same pause at 46% on my machine during the scanning phase, but it only lasts 5-10 seconds, not 15 minutes as stated by the OP. I never thought of it as being a signifigant problem until I read this thread.

Hello Robert - Did you perform the registry backup option prior to deleting the registry entries using CCleaner? If you did this, the backup is stored in your Documents folder and you can restore the registry to it's prior condition by right clicking on the backup file and selecting Merge. Test your system, and if you still experience problems after doing this, then I suggest using a System Restore Point that was created prior to using CCleaner.

Hello lenenlow and welcome to the forum. I hate being the one to tell you this, but forum members are not allowed to give any advice regarding malware. Please read rule #10 in this link: http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showannouncement=15&f=7 I suggest following the advice given in the link or doing a Google search that is relevent to your problem. I apologize for this but I can only assume that there were problems in the past prior to me joining the forum. Good luck - Derek.

That's really cool. I never knew you could train a cat to point.

I thought that floppy disk media went down the same path as 8 track and VHS tapes, namely the road to obsolescence. Then a Google search revealed that they are still available. You learn something every day.