Very slow startup on NVME

[eggzabyte]

Hi!

Decided to come here, because i really can't figure this out on my own anymore. Here's my problem, and here's everything i tried to do to fix it.

Issue: Takes about 20 seconds to open calibre main interface.

Software:

• Windows 10 X64
• Calibre 6.25
• Number of books: 276
• logs: https://pastebin.com/1pZaHri8

Hardware:

• running on NVME
• rtx 3070
• amd ryzen 7 5800x3d
• 32gb ram

What have i tried so far:

- Restart app with no plugins. Same behaviour. i concluded it's not plugins fault.

- Add books directory + calibre.exe to kaspersky exclusions. Still no joy

- Ran disk cleanup in admin mode and clean all the items on windows. no change either.

- Created a new fresh library in a different folder. Now it instantly opens calibre.

So, i figured, maybe some folder permissions went wrong or whatever?
So i booted the old calibre library and tell it to move to the new location.
Then, restart calibre...and it's fine! instantly opens.
Quit, and restart one more time... 20 seconds again. back to square zero.

Maybe it's coincidence? So i recreated again same steps diffrent folders:

Create fresh library - restart ok - move old library - restart ok - second restart - slow again.

doesn't make sense, why does it borks again always on the second app restart?

Kinda lost at this point guys

[eggzabyte]

Update: Decided to remove kaspersky, just in case. restarted PC, opened calibre in debug mode:

[63.59] Started up in 63.59 seconds with 276 books

EDIT:

also, restarted 3 times in a row with "ignoring third party plugins", all of them took about 2 seconds.
Restarted one more time, took ages again.
I really don't understand

[kovidgoyal]

Its some plugin you have installed. Disable them via preferences->plugins one by one to find the culprit.

[eggzabyte]

Thanks for the fast reply!

This is with all user installed plugins disabled:

- [21.36] Started up in 21.36 seconds with 276 books
- [1.76] Started up in 1.76 seconds with 276 books
- [0.31] Started up in 0.31 seconds with 276 books
- [7.06] Started up in 7.06 seconds with 276 books
- [0.31] Started up in 0.31 seconds with 276 books
- [21.38] Started up in 21.38 seconds with 276 books
- [0.31] Started up in 0.31 seconds with 276 books
- [21.39] Started up in 21.39 seconds with 276 books
- [21.34] Started up in 21.34 seconds with 276 books
- [0.31] Started up in 0.31 seconds with 276 books

See what i'm talking about? My desktop is not doing anything else, i'm just experimenting with calibre, and the results keep changing.

Now i re-enabled the plugins:

Successfully initialized third party plugins: DeACSM (0, 0, 16) && DeDRM (7, 2, 1) && Goodreads (1, 7, 9) && KoboTouchExtended (3, 6, 5)

And here is some data again:

- [0.30] Started up in 0.30 seconds with 276 books
- [21.38] Started up in 21.38 seconds with 276 books
- [0.31] Started up in 0.31 seconds with 276 books
- [21.36] Started up in 21.36 seconds with 276 books
- [21.36] Started up in 21.36 seconds with 276 books
- [21.38] Started up in 21.38 seconds with 276 books
- [21.39] Started up in 21.39 seconds with 276 books
- [0.31] Started up in 0.31 seconds with 276 books
- [21.36] Started up in 21.36 seconds with 276 books
- [0.31] Started up in 0.31 seconds with 276 books

note that betweens tests, i wait long enough after closing calibre (the time to go fetch the log and paste here).

[JSWolf]

You need to dump DeDRM 7.2.1 as it's obsolete and install 10.0.3 or the release candidate (10.0.9).

https://github.com/noDRM/DeDRM_tools/releases

[eggzabyte]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You need to dump DeDRM 7.2.1 as it's obsolete and install 10.0.3 or the release candidate (10.0.9).

https://github.com/noDRM/DeDRM_tools/releases

done! thanks for the tip

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by eggzabyte

done! thanks for the tip

Does it make any difference to your startup time?

[eggzabyte]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Does it make any difference to your startup time?

Nope, but i think i just found the issue.
Forgot to mention i'm using dual monitors. I didn't think it should make any difference, but hey...it's IT..everything can happen, so i decided to turn off the secondary monitor.

it opens instantly like 4 or 5 times in a row. then borks on 20 seconds, then it opens instantly again a few more times.
So, based on the results, i would say it's a lot better with just 1 monitor turned ON. But, it doesn't make any sense, and i won't give up on my second monitor.
Any ideas?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by eggzabyte

Nope, but i think i just found the issue.
Forgot to mention i'm using dual monitors. I didn't think it should make any difference, but hey...it's IT..everything can happen, so i decided to turn off the secondary monitor.

it opens instantly like 4 or 5 times in a row. then borks on 20 seconds, then it opens instantly again a few more times.
So, based on the results, i would say it's a lot better with just 1 monitor turned ON. But, it doesn't make any sense, and i won't give up on my second monitor.
Any ideas?

Try turning off hardware acceleration with calibre.

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtwebengine-debugging.html

use --disable-gpu via the environment variable as described there.

[Comfy.n]

I have experienced the same a while ago, whilst troubleshooting a longer than expected delay at startup.

It would alternate fast and slow starts, even without any changes to the library.

Can't tell what exactly solved the issue, but I have deleted some rarely used custom columns and now I'm averaging constantly:

[2.92] db initialized
[11.58] Started up in 11.58 seconds with 77630 books
-----------
[2.88] db initialized
[11.74] Started up in 11.74 seconds with 77630 books

The attached debug script did help me monitor the delays, as it writes unique names to the log files.

I'm on a single monitor system, and also run Calibre from NVME storage.

[eggzabyte]

Didn't make any difference, assuming i've done it right:

https://i.imgur.com/5yEEzF9.png

[eggzabyte]

Thanks for the script. I only use 1 extra column, tried to disable it but still get the same mixed results :\

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

I have experienced the same a while ago, whilst troubleshooting a longer than expected delay at startup.

It would alternate fast and slow starts, even without any changes to the library.

Can't tell what exactly solved the issue, but I have deleted some rarely used custom columns and now I'm averaging constantly:

[2.92] db initialized
[11.58] Started up in 11.58 seconds with 77630 books
-----------
[2.88] db initialized
[11.74] Started up in 11.74 seconds with 77630 books

The attached debug script did help me monitor the delays, as it writes unique names to the log files.

I'm on a single monitor system, and also run Calibre from NVME storage.

[eggzabyte]

Guys i just found the issue...
I can safely say that, because i started calibre more than 30 times, also rebooted the pc, and fresh started again.... and no issues at all. always fast.

First, some background details i didn't mention:

I started to use calibre almost 2 months ago. Back then, i placed the books on a network folder shared with another pc.
Soon i realized that's a bad idea, and moved the folder to my main PC, on the nmve disk, as i am using now.

You would say by now, calibre has no more connections to that network drive, since i moved the library.
Well...

About 3 days ago, i turned off the server with that specific drive.
That was when i started to have delays with calibre.

Even if not making sense, i had to try everything... so i turn on the server with that network drive.

Rebooted my desktop, so it mounts the network folders too. Magically, calibre becomes as fast as it was from the day i installed.

Now you ask: What does all of that crap has to do with calibre, since you are not even using a remote library?
Nothing. But it worked.

cheers all!

[theducks]

How times change! The definition of 'Slow to startup'
Now it is Seconds instead of Minutes (remember when programs loaded/ran from floppies?) .

FWIW Calibre 6.25 x64 on
i7-4790 W10 (not W11 compliant) 8G Ram Simple SSD with Library on 2T rotating rust
Dual 1920x1080 monitors
Start up a count of 8 (~ seconds) Lots of entries and ...

FWIW one of the Libraries on Quick switch is a Network share and will wake that PC when I start Calibre (YES, I know about Network shares. I PULL (Copy to Library) from that Intake PC without issue for years. being careful Calibre is not running on that Library. OTOH Trying to Push YMMV)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by eggzabyte

Guys i just found the issue...
I can safely say that, because i started calibre more than 30 times, also rebooted the pc, and fresh started again.... and no issues at all. always fast.

First, some background details i didn't mention:

I started to use calibre almost 2 months ago. Back then, i placed the books on a network folder shared with another pc.
Soon i realized that's a bad idea, and moved the folder to my main PC, on the nmve disk, as i am using now.

You would say by now, calibre has no more connections to that network drive, since i moved the library.
Well...

About 3 days ago, i turned off the server with that specific drive.
That was when i started to have delays with calibre.

Even if not making sense, i had to try everything... so i turn on the server with that network drive.

Rebooted my desktop, so it mounts the network folders too. Magically, calibre becomes as fast as it was from the day i installed.

Now you ask: What does all of that crap has to do with calibre, since you are not even using a remote library?
Nothing. But it worked.

cheers all!

You could check all of the .json files and see if there is a reference to the network drive. Use Notepad++ so you get the correct line endings.