Slow boot on a T41

[normanm]

On a T41 running WinXPSP2 Pro, takes three minutes to boot. Boot process starts, screen and icons come up, then process pauses, they resumes. In other threads here I've read where Access Connections might be the culprit. I've checked all the other possible causes -- from DMA/PIO settings to Symantec (corporate). Advice is another thread was to unistall Access Connections is not listed under WIN add/remove. How do you uninstall it?

[GACrabill]

Advice is another thread was to unistall Access Connections is not listed under WIN add/remove. How do you uninstall it?

It should be listed as 'Thinkvantage Access Connections' in Add/Remove.

[normanm]

Okay, thanks. Now for three important questions:

1. Do we (T4X users) need Access Connections for anything? You can configure your wireless connection manually.

2. Does unintalling AC do anything to the wireless driver software?

3. I read on one BB that you should also uninstall the wireless driver then reinstall (a new driver if it's available) or reinstall the old driver. If there is no connection between uninstalling AC and the wireless driver, why would such a step be necessary?

Thank you.

[pjm99au]

I uninstalled access connections from my t41 without any problems. In answer to your specific questions

1. access connections can manage your network connections (wired and wireless) but the default controls under XP are all I use.

2. No - not in my experience. The XP controls and the driver software for your particular card should be unaffected.

3. I didn't need to so I'd try it without it.

You can uninstall access connections using the thinkpad software installer program (uninstall software option).

Access connections worked ok for me but I went through a minimalist period and culled alot of programs. If your long startup is associated with access connections it seems like you have a setting to re-establish network connections at logon enabled. I remember seeing the setting but can't remember where. Perhaps someone else will remember.

[normanm]

Thanks very much pjm99au. I take it the *thinkpad software installer program* can be found in the control panel add/remove applet.

When you say, *it seems like you have a setting to re-establish network connections at logon enabled,* are you thinking about an XP setting or a ThinkPad setting? Seems like I should trouble-shoot that first before I uninstall AC.

[pjm99au]

No, I was thinking of the IBM / Lenovo proprietary software available from here

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... ZKMCT.html

but if you don't have it installed then it probably won't help you much. You might find it as an icon on your desktop looking like a red circle with a stylised PC on it or in your start menu under a thinkvantage group. It will search for thinkpad updates and download them for you.

I've looked for the option to connect networks at startup and can't seem to find it under windows so I'm assuming I'm recalling something from access conections but without access connections installed I'm at a loss.

Does anyone else recall an option to load network connections at logon?

Have you run a scandisk or chksdk over your hard disk lately?

Peter

[normanm]

Yes, I have. No errors or bad sectors. And I've defragged the disk and, using Autoruns, have disable many processes. My anomaly sounds exactly like someone else's problem -- machine appearing to get stuck for two minutes after every startup -- and that person was able to enable *show verbose status messages" and discovered that the problem was ACnotify.dll, an Access Connections file.

[nyc]

Hello,

I was having the same problem after I did a clean install of XP SP2 along with all the drivers on my T42 with Thinkpad b/g wireless.

There was a long delay, at the logon screen, after I had logged on. Then there was more delay after the desktop loaded until the wireless card was up and running.

Without going into details here's what I found. Access connection is not the culprit, it seemed like it but it's actually the Thinkpad b/g wireless card itself(or the driver) which in turn caused Access Connection's delay.

I tested my system with 3 most recent softwares for the wireless driver and the Access Connection software.

Even without the Access Connection software there was a delay at logon or at desktop until the wireless was up and running.



Solution:

I found this on an old post and I would like to thank the users "Porsche" and "Kenn" for the solution. The post title was "ACK! Delayed bootup due to Wireless Card?"

The solution, which was quite simple(for me at least), was to turn on Wireless Zero Configuration. You do this by setting the Wireless Zero Configuration service to start automatically.

I think I had my system set to Disabled or manual. The long hang/delay was completely gone when I rebooted after I changed it to start automatically.

No other changes were necessary.

I'm using the latest driver(5.3.035) and Access Connection software(4.41), without any delays now. My system used to hang for about 2-3 minutes, not anymore.

Once again, big thanks to Porsche and Kenn!

[normanm]

The solution, which was quite simple(for me at least), was to turn on Wireless Zero Configuration. You do this by setting the Wireless Zero Configuration service to start automatically.

Alas, not for me. WZ was enabled. What's more, even if I wanted to, I can't figure out how to uninstall AC. It's simply not listed in ADD/REMOVE, not under AC or any of the IBM listings. Other tools are listed there, but not AC. Cam't figure out how to remove AC.

I installed Autoruns and tried disabling all AC related processes that way. Computer still took three minutes to boot and for the HD to stop running so I could call up an application.

I suppose the next step is to edit the Registry and add "show verbose status messages" so I can see what the heck is running and locking the system up for three minutes.

Any other ideas?

[GomJabbar]

Access Connections is called "ThinkVantage Access Connections" in Add or Remove Programs. If you are running a quite old version of Access Connections, I believe it used to be called IBM Access Connections.

[Shenandoah]

Where do you turn on the Wireless Zero Configuration? Is it under Access Connections? Thanks.

Eric

[SHoTTa35]

WZ is the default Wireless configuration for Windows XP. Access Connections turns it off when it's installed/running in order to not confuse the system. If you have removed AC and want to turn on WZ then you have to go to:

Start - Run - type "services.msc"- Click "OK then go down the list till you see Wireless Zero Configuartion. Right click, choose properties and choose for it to start automatically instead of manually.

[GomJabbar]

If you have removed AC and want to turn on WZ then you have to go to:

Start - Run - type "services.msc"- Click "OK then go down the list till you see Wireless Zero Configuartion. Right click, choose properties and choose for it to start automatically instead of manually.

Well, that's one way - perhaps even the best way. Another way is to go to Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services.

[kankan]

Hi there,

Thanks for this guys. I had exactly the same problem with an access connestions update.

I uninstalled it and reinstalled which was probably not necessary. The change for Wireless Zero Configuartion did the job. i am yet again amazed at how wonderful this forum really is.

Thankyou once again