DVD Shrink running dog slow!

[nandrews]

I have used DVD S for a year without significant problems. Just today I find DVD S takes a long time to start and ages to browse files and change windows! Also running anything at the same time is v-slow.
It shows the hard disk light repeatedly pulsing (<>20 short and 1 long).
All this only when DVD S window is showing. If minimised the HD light doesn't flash and other apps start and run normally!
I have just uninstalled and reinstalled DVD S and run CHKDSK, Anti Virus scan and Spyware scan. But running DVD S is still very slow!

Any ideas please?

Thanks
Nigel

[guns1inger]

Under C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\DVD Shrink (substitute C for your XP drive) you will find all the analysis files for evry disc you have ever loaded into Shrink. Try cleaning this out periodically. I recall some months ago a series of posts that swore this improved Shrink's prformance.

[nandrews]

Thanks Guns,

I have done that and will be 'shrinking' again in a few mins, and will see then if it worked.

Thanks again

Nigel

[nandrews]

Guns,

No improvement so far.
Starting DVD Shrink for the second time took 40 seconds. Browsing for the DVD files took 30 seconds for browse window to appear and then 40 seconds for the DVD structure to show!
I haven't rebooted since deleting those 'analysis' files but I have emptied the trash so they are definately gone.
It must be something to do with DVD S as until I try to start that, other apps run a normal speed and HD doesn't keep flashing.
But I would thought the re-install would have restored everything. It ran normally just yesterday!
The saving grace is that once I have gone thru' the slow selection process the shrinking seems to happen at nomal speed!

Nigel

[ROF]

When using shrink do you backup to this same hard drive? When was the last time you defragged the drive?

[nandrews]

ROF,

Yep just the one HD on this PC.

Not defragged in a long while, BUT would that cause a problem with such a marked difference between yesterday and today?

Thanks all
Nigel

[ROF]

In most cases, no, but it can't hurt to defrag the drive. You just deleted a bunch of small files plus shrink overwrites (or you manually delete) several large chunks of data. This can cause what you are currently experiencing. Applications already installed may continue to work properly since you aren't fragmenting the applications after they are installed. My suggestion would be to run a defrag. This may take several hours if you haven't done so in a while. Delete any files you don't need now, Empty your recycle bin, and let defrag run completely then restart your system.

It can't hurt.

[nandrews]

I have tried the defrag but the performance of DVD S is the same as it was before.
Defrag (System tools) doesn't show much improvement between the 'before' and 'after' view of the disc. I have never been very confident of defrag doing very much (tho' it takes long enough doing it!)

I still can't work out why such a step change has occured in DVD S.

Nigel

[KBeee]

How is your general housekeeping on your computer?
Up to date antivirus? Spyware checked? Drives running DMA and not PIO mode?
If your system is in OK order, I'd suggest uninstalling DVD Shrink, and doing a reinstall to see if that helps.

[nandrews]

KB,

I appreciate your comment but if you look at message #1 you will see I have done all that.
The app has worked OK for <>18 months, upto a couple of days ago

Nigel

[guns1inger]

Don't take this as an insult, but the vast majority of the time, things don't just stop. Think back - have you installed anything recently ? New codecs, a codec pack (god forbid), something else ?

Have you tried a system restore back to just before it stopped working ?

[nandrews]

Guns, Thanks again.

Well as it is only DVD S which is giving me problems I am reluctant to make global changes to fix one app.
I have thought around the problem and cannot recall any changes, additions or other events that occured at the time DVD S started playing up. In fact this PC hasn't been used for anything but DVD D and DVD S operations in the last few weeks.
I guess I will just have to put up with the slowness, as a 'character flaw', in DVD S. Afterall, once it is into the process of 'shrinking' it seems as fast as before.
Maybe it will reverse and unexplainably start running normally again!

Thanks all
Nigel

[guns1inger]

System Restore is a function of XP. A system restore point is a snapshot of the important system and registry files, and can be used to allow you to roll back to a point in time. XP takes a restore point whenever a driver is installed, at regular intervals, and some software installs force a restore point to be taken. You can see what restore points you have, and roll back to one, by clicking on Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Restore.

[Timoleon]

Another thing you might try if all else fails ---

Uninstall DVD Shrink and reboot. Run regedit and remove *all* references to DVD Shrink. Reboot. Reinstall DVD Shrink. Reboot again. Run DVD Shrink and cross your fingers!

[nandrews]

Guns,

Thanks for that
I am aware of Restore and have used it on a few occasions. But only on major system issues such a failing to boot etc.
For something as localised as this I think it would be a bad idea to make a global change even if it is supposed to return to a previous working situation.

Tim'
I will have a go at Regedit but not confident that all instances of DVD S will be easily identified.

Thanks to all anyway
Nigel

[garryheather]

The only time I've ever seen a PC behave as you describe was when I had a drive controller that was on the way out, but then it affected everything and not just one application.

I know you only have one drive on the system, but do you have any card readers (eg for a digital camera) that have only recently been added - even USB ones that "patch" themselves into Windows with a drive letter. If so, look to them or the memory card you've inserted if it's still there.

You could also try disconnecting the IDE cable from your CD/ DVD drive(s) in case one of those is causing the problem. Before doing this, check them out in the hardware properties control applet to make sure they haven't gone into some wierd sh*t compatibilty mode or dropped out of DMA mode - all sure signs that something didn't work as expected and Windows has attempted to fall back to a slower but safer means of accessing.

[winifreid]

Does your dvd drive operate normaly with other tasks. For example, can you transfer a file form you dvd drive to your HD at a normal speed? Try shrinking a dvd that you have alreaddy ripped to your HD.

[nandrews]

Many thanks for the recent contributions of help.

I think it worth recapping.
This problem ONLY happens when starting DVD Shrink and also that once the program start-up, file browsing, directory selection and DVD content selection are done the actual shrink process seems as fast (or slow) as it ever was. It is the processes mentioned which take too long and much longer than they did (for 18 months) upto about a week ago.
Therefore I don't think it is a general PC issue because it is specific to DVD S.
I will try the earlier suggestion of clearing the registry of all DVD S references after uninstalling again.

Thanks again to all

Nigel

[laspis59]

Run: regedit

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\DVD Shrink

And try cleaning your registry after removing the key.

jv16 Powertools

http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/

RegSeeker

http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm

CCleaner

http://www.ccleaner.com/

Just give it go.Better than nothing

[nandrews]

Thanks Laspis

[nandrews]

To close this.
I just went to use DVD Shrink this evening and it started fast and browsed fast!!
I haven't even done the most recent suggestion to fix the problem! So I don't know what went wrong but at least it has righted itself.

Thanks to all for showing an interest in the problem.

Nigel

[artyjeffrey]

Howdy! It's eerie, but I had THE EXACT same prob at the EXACT same date, and it continued until I simply did this....

Was thinking about what I'd changed that might have caused the prob, and when I realized that I'd just installed the latest Quictime version and then uninstalled it, old DVDshrink came popping up just like it did before.

Incidentally, my TMPGEnc Dvd Author also was running like molasses. Like your issue, only those two apps were affected. Hope this solves it!
Jeff

[nandrews]

Well I spoke too soon, I hope tho' not the same for you.

The next day when I ran it it was back to the same ole' snails pace. The only good point is that at least it still works albeit slowly.

Nigel

[fritzi93]

I realized that I'd just installed the latest Quictime version and then uninstalled it, old DVDshrink came popping up just like it did before.

Gee, that does seem kinda plausible. I found Quicktime Player to be a real bastard for making itself the default app for everything under the sun, and launching itself at the least provocation.

Even though I had MPC set for certain file types, up pops that goddamn QT player (the version of MPC I was using was slightly buggy anyway, though). Tried to assign file associations one-by-one, didn't fix the problem. Got real mad and uninstalled QT, nuked all references in the registry, and ran crap cleaner.

If you need to play MOV files, install QuicktimeAlternative instead and play them with MPC.

Sorry about the OT. But perhaps there *IS* something conflicting with DVDShrink. I confess I never heard of such a thing as Shrink fighting with another app, but...

[bogeyjay]

i think i'm having the same problem. the program opens up just fine, but when i click the ok button to start shrinking, the window disappears as if the application closed. then it reappears a few seconds later saying that the process will take 32 HOURS! Nigel, is this similar to your problem? i will try uninstalling quicktime when i get home because i recall possibly upgrading to the newest version recently. we'll see what happens.

[bogeyjay]

well, it wasn't quicktime after all. at least for me. i found the answer in another post. somehow, the check box "run analysis and backup in low priority mode" became checked, and i didn't do it! maybe it was my wife trying to get me off the computer? hmmm....

[bevills1]

Do you know what Windows "run analysis and backup" default setting is? It could be which ever mode it was set to was default for your last Windows update similar to Windows firewall set off originally in XP but later set to on by update, SP2 I believe.