Scanning in safe mode

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Guest

I've never actually done this before on my present computer. I started the
machine in safe mode, and started to run an AVG complete scan. The weird
thing is - the scan ran very slowly. It took about 4 times longer to scan
the first thousand files than it normally takes. I realised that at this rate
it would take hours, and stopped the scan, deciding to try it at a more
convenient time.

But I don't understand: why would scanning take longer in safe mode?
 
Engel said:
Have a look to this,
Description of the Disk Cleanup Tool in Windows XP
This MSkb explains chkdsk and I believe if you use switches it will repair
your faults.
Also you have to Defrag your HD
Maybe all this solve your problem, also you can use CCleaner.
Click to expand...

Thank Engel, but I do all those things already. I use Ccleaner regularly, I
defrag regularly, and chkdsk never finds any errors when I use it. Besides,
my computer runs perfectly well in normal mode - it was only when I tried
doing an AVG scan in safe mode that I noticed this slowdown. Once back in
normal mode, the scan races away as fast as usual.
 
Alan D said:
I've never actually done this before on my present computer. I started the
machine in safe mode, and started to run an AVG complete scan. The weird
thing is - the scan ran very slowly. It took about 4 times longer to scan
the first thousand files than it normally takes. I realised that at this rate
it would take hours, and stopped the scan, deciding to try it at a more
convenient time.

But I don't understand: why would scanning take longer in safe mode?
Click to expand...

Safe Mode bypasses the loading of many device-drivers, presumably including,
in your case, device-drivers which optimize disk I/O for your particular
motherboard.
 
Melvin (math) Klassen said:
Safe Mode bypasses the loading of many device-drivers, presumably including,
in your case, device-drivers which optimize disk I/O for your particular
motherboard.
Click to expand...

I knew safe mode disabled a heap of drivers, but didn't realise it would
disable something so helpful - particularly since it didn't seem to disable
my scanner, which hardly seemed essential!

So basically, I live with the slowness. Thanks for your help.
 
Hi Alan D

There seems to be a lot of sense in what Melvin (math) Klassen says. I have
noted a similar performance issue on my notebook and wondered about the
reduction of device drivers in safe mode. Never thought disk read/write
operations would be affected in a reduced environment - preferring to think
they would not be compromised but left intact. So much to learn, so little
time.

Stu
 
Melvin (math) Klassen said:
Safe Mode bypasses the loading of many device-drivers, presumably including,
in your case, device-drivers which optimize disk I/O for your particular
motherboard.
Click to expand...
Close, it's actually the DMA (Direct Memory Access) functionality being
reverted to the old PIO (Programmed Input/Output) mode of data transfers.
These older methods are slower and depend less on the hardware, so they are
theoretically more stable.

This situation is forced when you enter Safe Mode, since the entire point is
to cause the system to run in as stable a manner as possible, regardless of
the performance hit.

Bitman
 
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