Kudos0

Norton 360 starts up S L O W L Y

Posted: 29-Apr-2022 | 12:56PM · 4 Replies ·

I have a 2018 HP Envy laptop 17-ae1xx and the latest Windows 10 Pro version (10.0.10943 build 19043), the latest Norton 360 (ver. 22.22.3.9 as seen in Control Panel/Program uninstall), Norton Utilities with LifeLock (ver. 21.4.5.428 seen in Control Panel/Program uninstall), and legacy Norton Utilities (non-subscription ver. 16.0.3.44 seen in Control Panel/Program uninstall). My VPN is not configured to run on PC startup. I manually turn on VPN when needed. Since about January 2022, Norton 360 starts up very slowly. Prior to January, Norton 360 started up promptly. I have not noticed any degradation of performance of product features other than startup. I do not need a solution, but this is something that should be fixed. Per Task Manager, my laptop CPU is not being overly taxed immediately after startup, and typically runs around 2 to 3%. Note that this problem has been reported/posted before, but that thread was closed without a solution. I'd be curious if this is a Microsoft Windows-caused "feature" that we just get to live with. I should note that in December or January I upgraded my OS to Windows 11, hated it, and reverted back to Windows 10. But I doubt that upgrading and reverting my OS is responsible for the degraded Norton 360 startup. I'm using Edge, and none of the other browsers are installed. 

Labels: Windows 10, Windows 11, Microsoft Edge

Replies

Kudos0

Re: Norton 360 starts up S L O W L Y

Posted: 30-Apr-2022 | 6:39AM · Permalink

Do you have either version of your Norton Utilities set to run when the computer starts? Also, when you upgraded to Windows 11, then reverted back to Windows 10, did you perform clean installs of all your Norton products? I'm thinking that may be part of if not all your boot time issues.

SA

MS Certified Professional Windows 11 Home 22H2 x 64 build 22621.1702 - Windows 10 Pro x 64 version 22H2 / build 19045.3031 / Norton Security Ultra - Norton 360 Deluxe ver. 22.23.4.6 / Opera GX LVL4 (core: 98.0.4759.74) 64 bit-Early Access w/Norton Chrome Extensions
Kudos0

Re: Norton 360 starts up S L O W L Y

Posted: 30-Apr-2022 | 11:46AM · Permalink

Actually, computer boot time is not the issue. The startup of the Norton 360 GUI is the issue. As for the utility apps, none of the Norton Utilities are set to start on PC startup. Also, the PC powerup/startup is optimized as best as possible with typical boot to Windows desktop anywhere from 22 to 35 seconds. As to clean installs, yes, both Norton utilities were clean installed after reverting back to Windows 10. Interestingly, sometimes updates to Norton Utilities Premium (a subscription app) requires clean install of Norton Utilities 16 (a non-subscription legacy app which I keep around because it includes a registry cleaner that Premium does not have). Not sure what this means, but with Task Manager open on the Processes Tab, and with CPU given sort priority, when I start the Norton 360 GUI the Task Manager displays a couple interesting things:

1) the power usage column for the Norton 360 process (2) goes to "very high", and 

2) Norton 360 has 2 subprocesses (displayed as "Norton 360 (2)"). Expanding reveals the following subprocesses, one of which confuses me:

a) Norton 360 (as expected), and

b) HP Messaging Service 32 bit. Is this what's causing the slower than normal startup time of the Norton 360 GUI? This service sort of becomes part of the Norton 360 service (in the Task Manager display) every time the GUI starts, but that's probably always been the case. That said, I do have the HP messaging service set for DELAYED startup when the PC boots, AND this service is always running in background once it starts. Like I said, not sure what this means. 

Kudos0

Re: Norton 360 starts up S L O W L Y

Posted: 01-May-2022 | 7:43AM · Permalink

Thanks for the post-back. I have a brand new HP Envy laptop that was experiencing serious boot delay times, even basic functioning after boot completed. My solution was, and others may not want to follow the lead here, was remove ALL the HP bloatware. HP update services etc. and a restart. My basic functionality resumed where it should be. I might also add this is on Windows 11. I also had not installed the April Windows patches not knowing until such there was a fix for the boot time and stagnant performance issue. 

In your first post you stated you are on Windows 10 Pro 19043, which should be upgraded to the current version 21H2 version 19044.1682, have you considered doing so? I believe doing so will correct a few minor issues under the hood that are beginning to be a larger one. 

SA

MS Certified Professional Windows 11 Home 22H2 x 64 build 22621.1702 - Windows 10 Pro x 64 version 22H2 / build 19045.3031 / Norton Security Ultra - Norton 360 Deluxe ver. 22.23.4.6 / Opera GX LVL4 (core: 98.0.4759.74) 64 bit-Early Access w/Norton Chrome Extensions
Kudos0

Re: Norton 360 starts up S L O W L Y

Posted: 01-May-2022 | 6:55PM · Permalink

Re Windows updates, I just ran a check for Windows updates it tells me what I have is the latest. So, I'll have to check the version you mentioned.

Re bloatware (great term BTW), my 2018 HP Envy is still running Windows 10 with all of the bloatware, and I don't see the performance issues you are seeing with Windows 11. But that info doesn't help you with your new Envy (Envy's got to be an oxymoron). But what it does mean for me, your input just confirms I won't be upgrading to Windows 11 anytime soon. And by the time I think it might be time to try Windows 11, I'll probably be in the market for a new PC, most likely a Macbook Air or maybe the Pro. 

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