Update: PSP2018 App launch time degradation

[Ken Berry]

And it's also what I have... It's what you get in Win 10 1709 if you install the latest MS update KB4074588.

[bruce1951]

I'm still pondering why this is a 'new' debate. Slow start up times for PSP have been around for a longtime. It's not new to PSP2018 or Win10. So looking for a solution in either PSP2018 or Win10 seems a pointless exercise to me. There must be a core issue that involves both PSP and computer setups. I have/had 3 computers with PSP5 through to PSPx8 on them. Win 7 Home on 2 computers and Win 8.1 on the other. PSPx8 v2 starts in approx 10 - 15 seconds on the Win 8.1 laptop, (my work horse), on first start up. Much faster on consequent start ups. One of the Win 7 machines took 20 - 30 second. (That machine has gone to computer heaven. Strange thing is that save times on that computer was way faster). My oldest desktop has Win 7 Home edition on it and PSPx8 take 15 - 20 seconds to load on first start up. I have never had slow start up times when compared to others. Why?
It has to be something else. Years ago I was a systems analyst. If I had the slow start ups I would be looking for other combinations of software and set ups on computers.

Advertising? I never get any. UNLESS I'm connected to the internet while PSP is running.

bruce

[JoeB]

I'm still pondering why this is a 'new' debate. Slow start up times for PSP have been around for a longtime.

I think it's a new debate because, if I recall correctly, in past years complaints about slow startups did not talk about startups that took 5 minutes or longer. And these are reports mostly from people who have used PSP in various versions for years and have only recently found that their startup times have suddenly become much slower than they were, say, last July and before. And if there were any of those complaints of 5 minute startups for years (and I come from the days before this forum when NewsX was how I accessed PSP newsgroups) they must have been so rare that I missed them. Now there are a relatively large number of them and they came together in a very short period of time, and with much slower startup times than Ken Berry has - and his are slow by most people's standards but not horribly so. Just twice as long or so, not 20 times as long.

[bruce1951]

JoeB you may well be right. The problem has multiplied in recent times. But that could just be a symptom of an already existing issue getting worse.

bruce

[flagpole]

I agree it's never been fast. Nor proportional to the size and complexity of the program. I've often had the impression it was just waiting for something...

[bruce1951]

The simple fact that not everyone has the same issue points to the fact that there is another reason for PSP misbehaving. If it were a 'bug' within PSP then is would be far more wide spread. PSP must be reacting to a 'condition' on only some users systems. "What is that condition"?

Edit - as a matter of interest I've done some playing around. I NEVER leave my system connected to the internet. I also never use PSP while connected to the internet. Well today I did just that. Two BIG changes to my PSPx8. First instead of opening in 10-15 seconds on first start up it took almost a minute!!! Second I got adds.
It would be interesting to hear from those with slow start up issues as to whether they have the internet on or off while starting PSP.

bruce

[47Dave]

The problem for me is something to do with the program hunting for an internet connection, at a guess to check for updates or whatever.

PSP X8 and 2018 both take 4 to 6 times longer to start up and become usable when I block my network and internet. This is on an AMD hard drive based Windows 7 system and also a separate Intel SSD based Windows 8.1 system.

The exact times taken to load vary between 6 seconds and 5 minutes, depending on which PC, version of PSP, and if it's a first load after boot or subsequent cached load. The common factor is that 4 to 6 times longer load and usable time when I block my network and internet.

So do some tests based on that, folks. Therein lies the solution to this ANNOYING problem, IMO.

[bruce1951]

47Dave I never have the internet turned on and PSPx8 doesn't 'hunt' for the internet for me!! Yet turning the internet on slows it down!

bruce

[JoeB]

47Dave I never have the internet turned on and PSPx8 doesn't 'hunt' for the internet for me!! Yet turning the internet on slows it down!

bruce

And in my case - and I'm one without any PSP slowdown issues - I don't know if PSP hunts for the internet (to which I'm always connected) but I do have all Corel programs blocked from the internet with my ZoneAlarm firewall. That applies to most programs actually, a habit I got into a long time ago just to make sure programs didn't slyly manage to check for or download updates automatically, even though I also turn that off in the programs that have the option to do so.

[Ken Berry]

Now *that* I do find interesting Joe. Must look into the McAfee firewall settings and see if it can achieve a similar result...

[JoeB]

Now *that* I do find interesting Joe. Must look into the McAfee firewall settings and see if it can achieve a similar result...

I just assumed that you could do that with all firewalls, although Zone Alarm is the only one I've ever used. I don't - and never have - used Windows for firewall protection but I think it has the same ability although I don't know how easy it is to access that in Windows. It's simple in Zone Alarm. The question is how well it registers everything that is installed on your computer. Zone Alarm, for example, also lists Corel's licensing service. Of course I don't block that because doing so would mean that PSP wouldn't work at all.

[Ken Berry]

I haven't used Zone Alarm for a very long time, probably 10 years or more. I even used to have the Pro version, and still have its SN in my SN list! Maybe it's time to resurrect it. McAfee is looking a bit impenetrable on the firewall side of things...

[JoeB]

I haven't used Zone Alarm for a very long time, probably 10 years or more. I even used to have the Pro version, and still have its SN in my SN list! Maybe it's time to resurrect it. McAfee is looking a bit impenetrable on the firewall side of things...

Not surprising. I wouldn't give McAfee as a gift to my worst enemy.

[josephlin]

Hi All,

Sorry for late replying and we surprise there are some users still encounter the launch time degradation issue. The solution about "Windows Defender" that I posted at beginning of February is really a major root cause we investigated and it definitely works for the user who turned on Windows Defender. But it seems like some users here never enable Windows Defender in your system so the root cause might be another problem.

To the user who still suffers the launch time issue until today, may I ask your help to proceed two quick testing?
1. Please disable all firewall and antivirus applications are installed in your system, restart the system and try to launch your PSP version again. Please ensure all firewall and antivirus application are disabled when you launch PSP.

2. If #1 doesn't help anything for you, please disconnect your network at all, restart the system and launch PSP version. Please share your testing result for reference.

PS: Have you added your image to "Collection" browser of Manage tab? (see screenshot) If you did, can you let us know how many images that you add approximately?

Collection in Manage tab

[Ken Berry]

JoeB -- I finally got around to blocking PSP and Video Studio access to the internet via McAfee. When I went to start PSP, after 30 seconds the splash screen appeared, accompanied by a McAfee message that PSP was requesting access to the internet. I pressed the Block key. In all it took exactly 2 minutes for PSP to open and be ready for use. This is just about my worst time ever. So blocking internet access does not appear to work for me -- just makes the delay worse.

I will need a little time to get around to meeting Joseph's latest requests.