Calibre locks entire machine for 1-2 mins on first startup - Page 9

HarryT · 06-18-2015, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrChiper

It is even complexer: there are also computers which sometimes have the problem, like mine does.

On mine it's 100% reproducible. Freeze on the first launch of Calibre. No freeze subsequently.

cybmole · 06-18-2015, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@[B]
The only new suggestion I have is to 'devise a process' to compare detailed system specs from computers that have the problem with same info from computers that don't have the problem, using something like Speccy.

Not sure that we should do that in an open forum - any thoughts?

BR

it might be easier to have a special debug testing version of calibre which put up lots more "progress messages" to screen during the initial load, or wrote same to a log file with timestamps. that should highlight where in the start sequence the freeze is occurring

PeterT · 06-18-2015, 07:42 AM

I know has been suggested, but capturing and posting a full log using the SysInternals PROCMON tool would be interesting.

Ideally I'd suggest doing it with as little filtering as possible on the data capture.

BetterRed · 06-18-2015, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybmole

it might be easier to have a special debug testing version of calibre which put up lots more "progress messages" to screen during the initial load, or wrote same to a log file with timestamps. that should highlight where in the start sequence the freeze is occurring

I think the problem is some sort of 'interaction' between calibre and something else.

If you agree with that then I have to ask... how would sprinkling printfs in the code identify the 'something else'.

Besides which, have we not established its probably something related to device scanning. That would suggest a driver or similar issue - basically the sort of thing in the calibre freezes/crashes occasionally? scenario.

But - why not do both, tracing in the code and some system comparisons.

I'm happy to swap my system specs with HarryT, DrChiper and JeanPaulo via PM. I'll leave the ball in their courts.

BR

Katsunami · 06-18-2015, 08:17 AM

Would it be helpful to have a procmon log of a system that does -not- have this problem? I'm willing to make one, if desired.

DrChiper · 06-18-2015, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Would it be helpful to have a procmon log of a system that does -not- have this problem? I'm willing to make one, if desired.

I would say, it is more interesting to have one which has a 100% real freeze reproducible score, like HarryT, and compare that with a machine that never has one.

ProcMon must be configured to use the default filtering so *everything* is captured.
Scenario:

Start ProcMon
Confirm default filtering
Start capturing
Start calibre
Wait till calibre ready
Stop calibre
Stop capturing ProcMon
Save log in default ProcMon monitoring format

By comparing the logs side-by-side differences could be found (I hope

)
(Inspected calibre versions / OS versions must be rather identical qua version and bit version, and plugins)

Katsunami · 06-18-2015, 01:25 PM

I never have any freezes, I use Win7 x64, and MSE as well.

I'll make a log later today. Maybe its of use somehow.

JeanPaulo · 06-19-2015, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

I know has been suggested, but capturing and posting a full log using the SysInternals PROCMON tool would be interesting.

Ideally I'd suggest doing it with as little filtering as possible on the data capture.

OK. I dowloaded it and will try to get both first start and next start.

Note that the problem is PERMANENT. It freeze after every reboot, and it never freeze otherwise.

Just hope I can work this !

JeanPaulo · 06-19-2015, 03:13 AM

Hi again.

Ok I started ProcMon, tried to get used a bit... Hope to set all filter off.

Wait for no activity on system, no network, no Avira real time.

Just reset the capture, start Calibre. I did it 4 times. Saved it as 'standard', and then as CSV, as the first file was just in Chinese for me. (Longer files when freezing)

1st time after boot, but not quite just after. Freeze seems shorter than usual (20 s)
2dn right after the first. No freeze at all.

3rd New reboot, wait for quiet (0% cpu). Long freeze

4th, just after, no freeze at all.

I tried to upload the zipped files with all this? Too big for the forum ! Big sight

Hope someone will be able to make sense of this.

Just some remarks :

The 'freeze 2' CSV file will not open in wordpad (stops at 30%) and will
be incomplète in Excel. Is that due to the freeze itself ? Winhex does not bark
on the file, but is it complete ?

I saw some calls to 'sound'. Hope it is not some silly calls to a system sound
in Calibre. Wouldn't know, as I never work with sound on, except for vidéo
or music, which has nothing to do with Calibre (ha, Ha...)

chaley · 06-19-2015, 05:20 AM

I think I know what is going on. After a boot, some event triggers Windows to do a one-time check of its "security catalog", which is a list of every update ever applied. In calibre's case the trigger seems to be loading the font manager (atmfd.dll).

These catalogs are stored in C:\Windows\System32\catroot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}, both on my machine and on yours, according to your log. In your case, and again according to your log, there are 9,410 cat files. On my machine there are 2,605 files.

According to your log, windows requires 30 seconds to do the scan, averaging ≈3 milliseconds per catalog. However, according to the log some take ≈15 ms and others take ≈1 ms. My theory is that some catalogs, probably the older ones that have been superseded, take longer because their validity must be checked.

Assuming you are up-to-date with windows updates, one possible fix is Windows Disk Cleanup (in Accessories). Sometime in the last year or so Microsoft added "Windows update cleanup" to the list of possible tasks. Doing this cleanup (supposedly) removes all cat files that have been superseded by something else or are for some other reason no longer useful.

Registry mess can also affect the catalog scan. If you haven't done it you might consider running something like CCCleaner's registry cleaner. Be sure to make a backup of the registry, perhaps a restore point, and for paranoia a full system image backup.

HarryT · 06-19-2015, 05:42 AM

Hi chaley,

Unfortunately "Disk Cleanup" on my Windows 7 machine doesn't have the option you described

. All it offers me are:

Downloaded Program Files
Temporary Internet Files
Debug Dump Files
Recycle Bin
Setup Log Files
System Error Memory Dump Files
Temporary Files
Thumbnails
Per User Archived Windows Error Reports
System Archived Windows Error Reports

chaley · 06-19-2015, 05:47 AM

@HarryT: Apparently you must be Admin before that option will appear. Or perhaps run it as Admin.

Edit: See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2852386

HarryT · 06-19-2015, 06:04 AM

Many thanks for the idea, chaley, but unfortunately it has hasn't helped. It deleted 9.4GB of Windows Update files (you were right - running "Disk Cleanup" as administrator did make the option appear), but after having done so, I still got a 1 minute lock-up when Calibre started.

chaley · 06-19-2015, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Many thanks for the idea, chaley, but unfortunately it has hasn't helped. It deleted 9.4GB of Windows Update files (you were right - running "Disk Cleanup" as administrator did make the option appear), but after having done so, I still got a 1 minute lock-up when Calibre started.

Did you reboot?

How many files are in the folder C:\Windows\System32\catroot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}?

One thing I noticed: I had to run the tool several times before it cleaned everything up. My guess is that it looks "1 deep" to determine whether an update is still required, so deleting an update can allow a second pass to delete more.

Have you tried the registry cleaner?

HarryT · 06-19-2015, 07:05 AM

Well, that was a slightly stressful experience

.

Rebooted my PC and it sat at "Configuring Windows Updates: 100% Complete" for over half an hour

. Presumably deleting all the files that cleanup had marked for deletion. It reduced the number of files in "catroot" from 4500 to 2500.

Has it made a difference? Difficult to say. Calibre's startup time from clicking the icon to the main window appearing was 45s, compared to 1m 15s before I did the cleanup, but the freeze time varies considerably from day to day, so it'll take me a while to find out. It looks as if it may perhaps have shortened the freeze, but it hasn't eliminated it.

Anyway, many thanks for the suggestion, chaley!

06-19-2015, 05:47 AM	#132
chaley Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,336 Karma: 8012652 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Notts, England Device: Kobo Libra 2	@HarryT: Apparently you must be Admin before that option will appear. Or perhaps run it as Admin. Edit: See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2852386 Last edited by chaley; 06-19-2015 at 05:49 AM.

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06-18-2015, 07:42 AM	#123
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,306 Karma: 78876004 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	I know has been suggested, but capturing and posting a full log using the SysInternals PROCMON tool would be interesting. Ideally I'd suggest doing it with as little filtering as possible on the data capture.

06-18-2015, 08:17 AM	#125
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	Would it be helpful to have a procmon log of a system that does -not- have this problem? I'm willing to make one, if desired.

06-18-2015, 01:25 PM	#127
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	I never have any freezes, I use Win7 x64, and MSE as well. I'll make a log later today. Maybe its of use somehow.

06-19-2015, 05:20 AM	#130
chaley Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,336 Karma: 8012652 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Notts, England Device: Kobo Libra 2	I think I know what is going on. After a boot, some event triggers Windows to do a one-time check of its "security catalog", which is a list of every update ever applied. In calibre's case the trigger seems to be loading the font manager (atmfd.dll). These catalogs are stored in C:\Windows\System32\catroot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}, both on my machine and on yours, according to your log. In your case, and again according to your log, there are 9,410 cat files. On my machine there are 2,605 files. According to your log, windows requires 30 seconds to do the scan, averaging ≈3 milliseconds per catalog. However, according to the log some take ≈15 ms and others take ≈1 ms. My theory is that some catalogs, probably the older ones that have been superseded, take longer because their validity must be checked. Assuming you are up-to-date with windows updates, one possible fix is Windows Disk Cleanup (in Accessories). Sometime in the last year or so Microsoft added "Windows update cleanup" to the list of possible tasks. Doing this cleanup (supposedly) removes all cat files that have been superseded by something else or are for some other reason no longer useful. Registry mess can also affect the catalog scan. If you haven't done it you might consider running something like CCCleaner's registry cleaner. Be sure to make a backup of the registry, perhaps a restore point, and for paranoia a full system image backup.

06-19-2015, 05:42 AM	#131
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Hi chaley, Unfortunately "Disk Cleanup" on my Windows 7 machine doesn't have the option you described . All it offers me are: Downloaded Program Files Temporary Internet Files Debug Dump Files Recycle Bin Setup Log Files System Error Memory Dump Files Temporary Files Thumbnails Per User Archived Windows Error Reports System Archived Windows Error Reports

06-19-2015, 06:04 AM	#133
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Many thanks for the idea, chaley, but unfortunately it has hasn't helped. It deleted 9.4GB of Windows Update files (you were right - running "Disk Cleanup" as administrator did make the option appear), but after having done so, I still got a 1 minute lock-up when Calibre started.

06-19-2015, 07:05 AM	#135
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Well, that was a slightly stressful experience . Rebooted my PC and it sat at "Configuring Windows Updates: 100% Complete" for over half an hour . Presumably deleting all the files that cleanup had marked for deletion. It reduced the number of files in "catroot" from 4500 to 2500. Has it made a difference? Difficult to say. Calibre's startup time from clicking the icon to the main window appearing was 45s, compared to 1m 15s before I did the cleanup, but the freeze time varies considerably from day to day, so it'll take me a while to find out. It looks as if it may perhaps have shortened the freeze, but it hasn't eliminated it. Anyway, many thanks for the suggestion, chaley!