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General discussion

Just some info

Oct 31, 2009 12:54AM PDT

I have 2 identical Dell 530 desktops, Quad CPUs, same hardware, etc..

After installing Win 7 on each one, one of the computers (I'll call it the good one) would boot and when reaching the "Welcome" sign, it would take less than 5 seconds to reach the desktop.

The other computer (I'll call it the bad one) would take 40 seconds from the "Welcome" sign to reach the desktop.

After checking ALL the "Services", "Startup", and connections, nothing improved on the "bad" one. No errors in the "Logs", nothing started in the MS Config "Startups".
I tried everything.

After a full day of trying to figure out the problem, I noticed the "good" computer was using one of Win 7 themes, with the background picture, ect..

I never liked to use a theme with pictures and always had the "bad" computer set to just a solid color.

I decided to set the "bad" computer to use a theme with the picture and all the rest.

After re-booting, I couldn't believe it. The "bad" computer reached the desktop as fast as the "good" computer!

Go figure!

Discussion is locked

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You can have cake.
Nov 1, 2009 10:38PM PST

Take that bad background and run it into IRFANVIEW. Resize it to your desktop's size and then save it as a BMP. Use that BMP and mystery of mysteries you may get your background and speed too.

Explainer: The JPEG decoder MSFT used appears to be not too smart (sorry MSFT) as it renders the JPG to a bitmap over and over and over. Maybe some day they'll do a one-time conversion to a bitmap and use that for the session?
Bob

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Guess it's the theme
Nov 2, 2009 6:26AM PST

1) I made a solid jpg the size of my desktop, 2) used a photo, size 2272 X 1704, and both worked fine.

As soon as I use one of Win 7 themes with a solid background, it's back to the 40 second logon.

Doesn't make much sense to me.

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"solid jpg"
Nov 2, 2009 9:54AM PST

Sorry, I find this issue to crop up with "jpg" and not with BMP files.

Try it one more time.

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My jpg works fine
Nov 2, 2009 8:56PM PST

Win 7 uses it's own solid color background in themes. I'm not able to determine if they are jpg or bmp, etc..

However, I can use my own solid color jpg that I made or use a jpg photo and they work fine.

It only happens when I use one of Win 7 solid color background themes using their background.

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One more time.
Nov 2, 2009 9:28PM PST

The issue was spotted years ago with JPG images. The workaround since 1995 was to use a BMP instead. Sorry for the non-tutorial why they differ but there is something about the MSFT JPG decoder in play here. So let's not let it play.
Bob