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Windows 10 issues

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cinelli
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Windows 10 issues

#219240

Postby cinelli » May 3rd, 2019, 12:20 pm

My Windows 10 computer is in a peculiar state. The installation is on a Samsung SSD and is up to date but
1. Boot time is very long, about 3 minutes. But not every time. Perhaps one time in five it starts quickly, in 10 seconds.
2. I cannot type in the Windows search box. I have a fix for this, to type “ctfmon” in a command window, but I don’t want to do this every time I login.
3. The firewall does not start even though this is marked as “automatic”.
4. At login, applications from the last session start, e.g. task manager or a second copy of Chrome.
I suspect some of these problems are connected.
If you do a Google search for the phrase “cannot type in search window”, you get many hits offering the same solution, to type in commands in a power shell. But these don’t work for me. And no one that I have seen says what is causing the problem.
I have a very basic system with hardly any extra software installed: only Chrome, vlc, LibreOffice. I have no anti-virus software and rely on Windows Security. I have done a full scan of files and no problems are reported.
I have restored the system from a backup and also gone back to a restore point. All is fine for a day or two before the problem comes back.
When it takes so long to boot, if only there was some indication on what it is trying to do. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you.

Cinelli

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Re: Windows 10 issues

#219251

Postby ReformedCharacter » May 3rd, 2019, 12:55 pm

cinelli wrote:My Windows 10 computer is in a peculiar state. The installation is on a Samsung SSD and is up to date but
1. Boot time is very long, about 3 minutes. But not every time. Perhaps one time in five it starts quickly, in 10 seconds.
2. I cannot type in the Windows search box. I have a fix for this, to type “ctfmon” in a command window, but I don’t want to do this every time I login.
3. The firewall does not start even though this is marked as “automatic”.
4. At login, applications from the last session start, e.g. task manager or a second copy of Chrome.
I suspect some of these problems are connected.
If you do a Google search for the phrase “cannot type in search window”, you get many hits offering the same solution, to type in commands in a power shell. But these don’t work for me. And no one that I have seen says what is causing the problem.
I have a very basic system with hardly any extra software installed: only Chrome, vlc, LibreOffice. I have no anti-virus software and rely on Windows Security. I have done a full scan of files and no problems are reported.
I have restored the system from a backup and also gone back to a restore point. All is fine for a day or two before the problem comes back.
When it takes so long to boot, if only there was some indication on what it is trying to do. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you.

Cinelli


It is probably worth checking the SSD given the boot time issue if only to rule it out as a cause. You can download a Samsung utility to do that from here:

https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/m ... oad/tools/

Next, I would check the firewall issue, this looks useful:

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-trou ... l-problems

Although I understand Windows Defender is good these days, I'd suggest running the trial version of Malwarebytes from here:

https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download/thankyou/

RC

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Re: Windows 10 issues

#219272

Postby Infrasonic » May 3rd, 2019, 1:41 pm

What version of W10 are you on?
E.g mine is W10 home 64bit 1803 build 17134.

1809 is the current feature update (although it's only installed on about a third of W10 PC's) and 1903 is imminent.

It sounds like it could be a corruption issue to me, if you get an ocasional fast boot it's possible the default fast startup may be a pinch point (if it's on).
https://www.howtogeek.com/243901/the-pr ... rtup-mode/
If it's on try turning it off and doing a full cold boot (restart or shift key shutdown).

If you aren't on the latest version of W10 an 'in place upgrade' via an MCT USB flash drive is quite a good way of resetting everything without losing your third party apps.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/163 ... grade.html

Even if you had to go to a clean install of W10, if you prep properly with your third party apps and files then the downtime is minimal re-installing them.
For instance with Chrome browser if you are logged in you can do a full cloud back up sync, re-install after a clean W10 install and Chrome will re-sync back. Takes about 5 minutes for Chrome install and re-sync, done it a few times over the years.
There are portable versions of Libre Office and other apps that can be kept on external USB dives, so in the event of a C drive failure or corruption issue you won't lose them with a clean OS install to your C drive.
https://portableapps.com/apps

What kind of backup procedures do you have?
I'm using the free version of Macrium Reflect for monthly OS images and weekly differentials on an automated schedule, W10 file history (W10 search box, file history) is on as well as cloud syncs for document files (for offsite redundancy).
https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree

Breelander
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Re: Windows 10 issues

#219279

Postby Breelander » May 3rd, 2019, 2:00 pm

cinelli wrote:...4. At login, applications from the last session start, e.g. task manager or a second copy of Chrome.
I suspect some of these problems are connected.


No, that last one is not connected - it is by design. It is in fact a new feature that was quietly introduced with the Fall Creators Update. Any app that is capable of registering for a restart will reopen at next boot if it was left open when you shut down. Apps that can restart include Task Manager, Chrome, IE, MS Office and Wordpad. Apps that cannot restart include Edge and Notepad.

At the time of introduction MS gave this new feature no publicity, causing a lot of confusion and anger. In response to overwhelming negative feedback a mechanism to turn off this behaviour was introduced in the next version of W10.

Starting with Windows 10 build 17040: Based on your feedback, the feature to restore applications that have registered for application restart after you reboot or shutdown (through power options available on the Start Menu and various other locations) has been set to only occur for users that have enabled “Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting my device after an update or restart” in the Privacy section under Sign-in Options Settings.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/499 ... -10-a.html

cinelli
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Re: Windows 10 issues

#219295

Postby cinelli » May 3rd, 2019, 3:00 pm

Infrasonic wrote:What version of W10 are you on?
E.g mine is W10 home 64bit 1803 build 17134.

1809 is the current feature update (although it's only installed on about a third of W10 PC's) and 1903 is imminent.

I am on 64 bit home version 1809 build 17763.437. I will look at the other pieces of advice.

Thank you.

Cinelli

cinelli
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Re: Windows 10 issues

#220271

Postby cinelli » May 8th, 2019, 9:51 pm

ReformedCharacter wrote:It is probably worth checking the SSD given the boot time issue if only to rule it out as a cause. You can download a Samsung utility to do that from here:

https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/m ... oad/tools/

Could you give me a hint of which Samsung utility to use, please? I know only of Magician, and this is for copying between disks, I think.

My attempt to install Malwarebytes failed, which I will relate in due course.

Cinelli

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Re: Windows 10 issues

#220345

Postby ReformedCharacter » May 9th, 2019, 10:02 am

cinelli wrote:
ReformedCharacter wrote:It is probably worth checking the SSD given the boot time issue if only to rule it out as a cause. You can download a Samsung utility to do that from here:

https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/m ... oad/tools/

Could you give me a hint of which Samsung utility to use, please? I know only of Magician, and this is for copying between disks, I think.

My attempt to install Malwarebytes failed, which I will relate in due course.

Cinelli


I haven't used Magician myself, I don't have a Samsung SSD but the link I gave should (amongst other things) provide a health check on the drive. There's a description here:

https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/m ... /magician/

One other possible cause of your problem might be a failing update because you say:

I have restored the system from a backup and also gone back to a restore point. All is fine for a day or two before the problem comes back.


I don't use Win10 so can't help you there but perhaps Breelander of Infrasonic could.

RC

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Re: Windows 10 issues

#220416

Postby Breelander » May 9th, 2019, 1:07 pm

cinelli wrote:I have restored the system from a backup and also gone back to a restore point. All is fine for a day or two before the problem comes back.


ReformedCharacter wrote:I don't use Win10 so can't help you there but perhaps Breelander of Infrasonic could.


The symptoms as described give no obvious clue as to the cause. In such cases the first step should be to do a system file integrity check. In a Command Prompt (Admin) run the command: SFC /SCANNOW which will scans for and, if possible, repair corrupted system files.

If SFC could not fix something, then run the command again to see if it may be able to the next time. Sometimes it may take running the sfc /scannow command up to 3 times with Fast Startup turned off and restarting the computer after each time to completely fix everything that it's able to.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/289 ... ml#option3

If SFC is unable to fully repair the system, then use the command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Then restart the PC and try SFC again. See...
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/780 ... image.html

Repeat the above until no further errors are found. Should there be remaining errors that cannot be repaired, then try an in-place repair upgrade. At this point I would recommend making a system image before proceeding, but seems you have already taken that sensible precaution. An in-place upgrade reinstalls Windows, keeping all your files and installed apps. See...
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/163 ... grade.html

cinelli
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Re: Windows 10 issues

#225056

Postby cinelli » May 28th, 2019, 8:34 pm

I am pleased to report that my system is working properly again. In summary the problems were

1 a long time to boot
2 couldn’t type in search box
3 firewall didn’t start
4 apps from my previous session started up at next login

Breelander’s tip fixed number 4. Thank you. For the others, I tried everything. SFC, Samsung Magician and Malwarebytes showed no errors. But the tip to run setup.exe from the latest downloaded installation on a memory stick worked. All personal files and apps were retained so this saved a lot of file copying. It will take some time to trust Windows. What I never found out was what caused the problems in the first place. Was it a mistake I made? I had very few installed apps. Will it happen again? I find this whole business both fascinating and frustrating.

Cinelli

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Re: Windows 10 issues

#225334

Postby bungeejumper » May 29th, 2019, 6:38 pm

In the last few days, my Win 10 desktop has been forgetting my preferred window sizes and defaulting to a tiny little postcard-sized window every time I open an application. It's not a terrible fault, because it only takes seconds to correct, but I'm getting a bit tired of having to do it every single damn time.

Running 1809, with cumulative update KB4505056 installed on 20th May. Anyone heard of a fix?

BJ


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