PSPx9 suddenly slow to launch

[hartpaul]

OK have done some tests . I have 3 separate hard drives with Win 10 version 1607, version 1703, and 1709 on it. Unfortunately I did not get PSP 2018 onto the version 1703 and probably will not be able to do so until I purchase my second version of PSP 2018.

Test method: double click the desktop icon of PSP an start the timer. Hover the cursor top left and when the workspace appears click on the New Document button there. when the dialog box appears (PSP is responsive) , stop the timer.
I did each test 4 times , the 1 st one is after booting up the computer and is the longest opening time in each case .
My results:

[terrypin]

Very interesting analysis, hartpaul. So PSP 2018 has never been fast to load for you recently, but has now gone from a miserable 18 sec to an impossible 70 sec. My test gave 67 sec in Win 10 version 1703 (OS Build 15063.850). Another update is possibly pending the next reboot, as per my post in the Cropping thread.

I read something in my googling over last couple of days that seemed to imply it was a hardware GPU issue. My Intel Core i7 6700K (4.0GHz) uses the built-in Intel HD Graphics 530, with no additional graphcs card.

The thread 'Reinstall/repair PSP 2018?' overlaps with this one. Unless I get advice to the contrary I'll post here about PSP 2018 slow loading from now on. I'm rather hoping that my crashing issue might be because I clicked the shortcut icon several times, not realising it was loading.

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EDIT: More info. Repeated this three times with consistent results:

Closed other major applications, including Excel 365.
Left clicked the PSP 2018 (32-bit) taskbar shortcut. Nothing appeared to happen.
After about 2 mins, clicked it once again. Program loaded in about 3 secs.

So I then experimented with the waiting interval and appear to have a reasonable work-around:

Click once, wait 4 seconds, click again; PSP loads in about 1-2 secs.

[JoeB]

Just wanted to draw attention to @Lonnie's post yesterday where he said that, after reading so much about the issues perhaps being caused by the Windows 10 updates, decided to try running PSP in Windows 8 compatibility mode. It now opens in 5 seconds for him. Interesting....

I can't test it because I am already on Windows 8.1 and don't have any of the reported issues.

[Ken Berry]

FWIW, I have just tested this compatibility question with both 32 and 64 bit versions of PSP 2018 on Win 10 version 1709. I tested with both Windows 8 and Windows 7 compatibility. I haven't yet tested with a fresh boot of the computer and first opening of PSP. But I don't get significantly different results from either compatibility settings than I do from running straight Win 10 without any compatibility settings.

With no compatibility setting: PSP 2018 x64 -- 20 seconds to full usability; 32 bit -- 22 seconds.

Compatibility with Windows 8: x64 -- 25 seconds; 32 bit -- 27 seconds.

Compatibility with Windows 7: x64 -- 25 seconds; 32 bit -- 25 seconds.

So for me at least, I am marginally better off without tinkering with the compatibility setting.

[JoeB]

Ken, I'm not sure that your test is enough to make any determination as to whether compatibility settings might make a difference to those who have suddenly seen slowdowns they didn't have before. You did say earlier that your opening times after reboot have always been slow (around 1 min 10 sec) and your subsequent launch times without reboot are about twice what mine are. And I assume that by "always been slow" you mean even before these Windows updates. If so, all that means it that your PSP on your system is working the same way it always has and that the updates haven't affected that. What we need is some testing by those who used to have fast launch times (at least as fast as those I reported earlier and which have always been much faster than your reported times) and who have suddenly seen much, much slower launch times. If using WIN 8 compatibility helps at least some of those people then it's at least somewhat of a workaround, albeit the situation still has to be fixed.

[terrypin]

FWIW, with no unattended reboots overnight, Version 1703 (OS Build 15063.850) still reported, and no other usage yet today, I optimistically tried 'normal' opening of PSP 2018, namely a single click on the taskbar shortcut. Four times in succession it loaded in about 5 secs.

I still see this message in Windows Update:

A restart is required to finish installing the following updates:
Feature update to Windows 10, version 1709

This update is ready to install! We need your help deciding when to restart so we can finish.

I'm puzzled, as I did a restart yesterday evening. Given the inexplicably better status right now (Sunday 21 January 2018, 09:04) I'm hesitating about another.

I'll report back with any significant changes.

[terrypin]

I went ahead and used Start > Update & Restart ... but I still don't have version 1709 (for better or worse).

[Ken Berry]

Have you actually used the "Restart now" button on that page or the Windows Start button and then the power button? I ask since I recall a similar thing happening to me when I used the normal power button rather than "Restart now".

Ken, I'm not sure that your test is enough to make any determination as to whether compatibility settings might make a difference to those who have suddenly seen slowdowns they didn't have before. You did say earlier that your opening times after reboot have always been slow (around 1 min 10 sec)

You are undoubtedly correct Joe. FWIW on starting up my computer this morning, the first thing I did was time the opening of PSP 2018 before opening any other program. And as previously reported it took exactly 1 minute 10 seconds to open to full usability. It took 30 seconds before the splash screen even appeared! While I said that previous versions of PSP have also been slow to open, though, they never took this long.

[hartpaul]

terrypin in your screenshot have a look at Update History. I found that the 1709 update did not take immediately and the history showed 3 times that

Feature Update to Windows 10 , version 1709
Failed to install on 16/12/17

Eventually it did install when I chose the Update and Restart option but only when I was prepared for that install.

[juergen]

Very strange, the certificate of this official corel site is expired.

Hi,
i have the same problems.
I can see MANY slow windows defender tasks** when starting PSP X9 (only) the first time after boot. Nearly every dll/exe/is examinated...
I have deactivated the new cloud based protection (new in the WIndows Creator Update).

PSP X9 is as quick as before.

Can someone please try the same and confirm or not... - thanxs?

Regards, Jürgen

**update: and at the same time some network traffic

[JoeB]

Personally I'd suggest that you just leave it as is for now because everything works. If it does finally update itself to 1709 then you can see if that affects PSP. In the meantime, if it ain't broke, etc.

[Ken Berry]

I have deactivated the new cloud based protection (new in the WIndows Creator Update).

Could you tell us which method you used to do this? The simplest is to disable Cloud Based Protection and Automatic Sample Submission in Task Manager > Start-up. I have Win 10 1709, but neither of these are listed in Start-up.

The other methods either require Win 10 Pro or some rather messy adjustment of the Registry. I am willing to try anything to try to speed up the opening of PSP. So I am naturally interested in how you did this.

[juergen]

Hi Ken,
i have an german installation of w10, but i try my very best

- type "defender" into cortana or start menue search field -> launch windows defender security center
- change (only) the settings for virus & threat protection settings
-> turn off the "cloud based security"
-> maybe also "automatic sample submission" (but that's not the reason for slow start of psp)

The cloud protection gives you only a temporal advantage (before you get the next regulary signature files from MS) - dispensable in many cases i think!
Experiment: If you don't have a connection to the internet maybe nothing is checked(!)...

Regards, Jürgen

[Ken Berry]

I suspect that my problem is that I don't use Defender as my antivirus program. I use McAfee. I thought perhaps Defender might still be switched on for Cloud protection, but Cloud is not even mentioned in my Windows Defender Security Center. I might have a look in McAfee. I know that slows opening of Windows 10 quite a bit, though I have learned to live with it. But it also could be playing a role in the slow startup of PSP, especially in the Win 10 1709 context.

[terrypin]

Ken,

https://www.dropbox.com/s/66ib1b313nr71 ... n.jpg?dl=0

1. Click Defender icon in tray
2. Click Virus & Threat Protection
3, Enable/Disable the two options here.

But on a quick test with my newly installed version 1709 I saw no change in the loading time. I'll try again more methodically in the morning, as 1709 seems worse than 1703.

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Ah, we were obviously typing at the same time. As you dont use Defender, I guess my post was redundant!