Extremely long start times from desktop to main menu

[Monkatraz]

I suppose this is the correct section?

 

Takes about 5-10 minutes. Login screen pops up after 20-30 seconds. Time I stopwatched for this thread was 6 minutes.

 

Specs: DCS is on an SSD. I7 8700k, 16GB of ram, overclocked AMD RX Vega. Windows 10.

 

GPU drivers are up to date, and I did check on clean config launched multiple times. Still loads very slowly, it is frustrating when you're doing some config that requires restarting. This also happens on stable, so I can't even go there to escape it.

 

Once loaded, I actually get pretty decent load times for everything else, so I don't know what's happening here. I've heard other people get into the main menu in about 30 second, so it's frustrating.

[ouPhrontis]

It's loading things into RAM, so once it's loaded that's why the load time comes down, preload affects this, apparently - though I've not tested, as I just maxed it out due to having plenty of it, though my load time is similar (guesstimating).

 

-edit-

 

Ah, just the main menu and not into game? As minutes of time for that doesn't seem right, because I get the main menu in seconds, and I'm on spinning rust. Perhaps there's some overzealous AV or FW software checking it.

Edited May 22, 2018 by ouPhrontis

[BIGNEWY]

Have a look at my crash advice below.

 

Basically a cleanup and repair and backup your dcs saved games folder and make a new one by restarting.

 

Redo your desired settings, and try to load a single player mission, it will take 5+ minutes for the first load while it generates the shaders.

 

see if it helps, if not can you add your dcs.log and a dxdiag so we can take a look

 

thanks

[Monkatraz]

Although this is what confuses me: I'm not getting any issues loading into a mission, I'm only getting issues loading into the main menu from the desktop. DCS handles fine once it actually starts.

[BIGNEWY]

Although this is what confuses me: I'm not getting any issues loading into a mission, I'm only getting issues loading into the main menu from the desktop. DCS handles fine once it actually starts.

 

what antivirus / security are you using?

[Monkatraz]

what antivirus / security are you using?

 

 

None, other than the normal Windows Defender (which isn't actively scanning, I've checked)

[BitMaster]

switch to OFFLINE mode for testing and start DCS again. If it loads normal in Offline mode it's the ED login part.

 

just an idea

[Monkatraz]

switch to OFFLINE mode for testing and start DCS again. If it loads normal in Offline mode it's the ED login part.

 

just an idea

 

 

Was worth a shot. Only maybe sped it up a tiny bit by avoiding the login screen, but that's it.

[BitMaster]

Damn, but was worth it I guess.

 

I would delete or rename my current installs and install 2.5 OB fresh w/o any additional modules.

Then try and see if a new basic install loads faster.

 

On the other hand, you can open TaskManager --> Ressource Monitor --> highlight DCS with checkmark and follow what it does, -->Disk, look which file(s) it chews on while you are waiting. That may give you a better hint what's involved.

 

It could be PageFile shuffling, could be a a file blockade somewhere due to "?" reason(s), could be a driver switching modes and get stuck for a while, itÄs not a common thing..and in the end ..it still works. It's not broken, just slow. That is a different thing as it eventually goes on.

[BIGNEWY]

Do you have enough room on your hard drive for the pagefile?

[Monkatraz]

Damn, but was worth it I guess.

 

I would delete or rename my current installs and install 2.5 OB fresh w/o any additional modules.

Then try and see if a new basic install loads faster.

 

Actually, yeah. When I first launched the open beta after I installed it, it launched very quickly. That was with no modules however, and after I installed my 10+ modules it slowed down to its current speed.

 

On the other hand, you can open TaskManager --> Ressource Monitor --> highlight DCS with checkmark and follow what it does, -->Disk, look which file(s) it chews on while you are waiting. That may give you a better hint what's involved.

 

At the start, it's reading a lot of the DRM exes and dlls, although for not very long (20 seconds?) After that, it's reading nothing additional from the drive apparently. Actually, it appears to be doing almost nothing for the majority of the start time. It's memory usage just sits at 256,512 K for a while until it decides to start.

 

Do you have enough room on your hard drive for the pagefile?

 

I have quite a few drives. The pagefile is system managed on my main drive and an additional hard drive (not much space on the main drive, plenty on the other.) On the SSD DCS is on, there is no page file, at least I think that is how it works.

 

 

EDIT: This is a good time to say that I also have Superfetch disabled, as it was causing severe memory usage and CPU usage and affecting my other programs.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Monkatraz

[Predator-78]

In the last period I have also had the same problem ... have you found a solution?
I also have a dedicated SSD for DCS only, after installing the modules, I launched the application but loading is very slow.
Even when exiting the program it takes a long time to return to the desktop showing a black screen.
Has anyone by any chance solved it somehow?

[Flappie]

Try adding these folders as exceptions in your antivirus (you have at least 2 of them):

• C:\Users\your-name\Saved Games\DCS\
• C:\Users\your-name\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\
• \DCS World\
• \DCS World OpenBeta\

[Worrazen]

Must be some edge case, because it has improved significantly, it's so fast now compared to 6 months ago the last time I was active.

[Predator-78]

I have no antivirus, only windows defender at the moment. This situation is very strange and I don't think it's an extreme case, because I don't have a low-end PC.
I know that other people are also having such problems, maybe since the launcher was updated? I hope there is an intervention from ED on this.

Inviato dal mio SM-G950F utilizzando Tapatalk

[Flappie]

2 minutes ago, JAKAL said:

I have no antivirus, only windows defender at the moment.

Windows Defender IS an antivirus.

 

I'm only using Windows Defender as well, and two weeks ago I did what I told you to do, and DCS went from 75 sec to 25 seconds to start. Give it a go, it won't cost you more than 2 minutes.

Edited January 25, 2021 by Flappie

[Predator-78]

Yes I know, I thought you were referring to external antivirus. However, I followed your advice and created the exclusion of the DCS folder.

[Flappie]

Good. Is it any better?

If not, please attach your dcs.log file ( C:\Users\your-name\Saved Games\DCS...\Logs\dcs.log ). It will tell us what's taking so long.

[Predator-78]

2 ore fa, Flappie ha scritto:

Buona. Va meglio?

In caso contrario, allegare il file dcs.log (C: \ Users \ your-name \ Saved Games \ DCS ... \ Logs \ dcs.log). Ci dirà perché ci vuole così tanto tempo.

Hi, thank you for your help is very welcome!
Unfortunately, even creating the exclusions, the problem was not solved.
I am attaching the file as required.

dcs.log

[Flappie]

Thank you. Your game reaches the main menu in 48 seconds. That's not bad at all, since you have a lot of modules installed.

 

However, your game takes 52 seconds to close down, and I don't think this is normal. I've compared our logs and found something very strange: when your DCS is closing down, three operations are executed too early. A few seconds later, the three same operations are executed again, but this time at the right time. This hickup lasts 49 seconds!

 

Here's my log:

 

2021-01-25 20:24:58.996 INFO    EDOBJECTS: lTypeObjectManagerImpl::clear 13
2021-01-25 20:24:59.445 INFO    VISUALIZER: SceneManager_Implement::~SceneManager_Implement()
2021-01-25 20:24:59.445 INFO    VISUALIZER: TerrainRenderer::release
2021-01-25 20:24:59.454 WARNING LOG: 1 duplicate message(s) skipped.
2021-01-25 20:24:59.454 INFO    TERRAIN: lSystem::exit()
2021-01-25 20:24:59.454 INFO    TERRAIN: lSystem::CleanScenes()
2021-01-25 20:25:02.397 INFO    DX11BACKEND: DX11Renderer::shutdown()
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: NVIDIA API exit OK
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: textures_count: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: textures_size: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: buffers_count: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: buffers_size: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: CB_count: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: CB_size: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: SB_count: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: SB_size: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: IB_count: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: IB_size: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: VB_count: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: VB_size: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: total_buffers_size: 0
2021-01-25 20:25:03.418 INFO    DX11BACKEND: total_size: 0
=== Log closed.

 

And here's yours (the issue lies at lines 2, 3 and 4 - see the 49 seconds lost after line 4?):

 

2021-01-25 18:49:54.198 INFO    EDOBJECTS: lTypeObjectManagerImpl::clear 13
2021-01-25 18:49:54.396 INFO    TERRAIN: lSystem::exit()
2021-01-25 18:49:54.396 INFO    VISUALIZER: TerrainRenderer::release
2021-01-25 18:49:54.396 INFO    TERRAIN: lSystem::CleanScenes()
2021-01-25 18:50:41.641 INFO    VISUALIZER: SceneManager_Implement::~SceneManager_Implement()
2021-01-25 18:50:41.643 INFO    VISUALIZER: TerrainRenderer::release
2021-01-25 18:50:41.713 WARNING LOG: 1 duplicate message(s) skipped.
2021-01-25 18:50:41.713 INFO    TERRAIN: lSystem::exit()
2021-01-25 18:50:41.713 INFO    TERRAIN: lSystem::CleanScenes()
2021-01-25 18:50:41.771 INFO    DX11BACKEND: DX11Renderer::shutdown()
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: NVIDIA API exit OK
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: textures_count: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: textures_size: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: buffers_count: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: buffers_size: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: CB_count: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: CB_size: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: SB_count: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: SB_size: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: IB_count: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: IB_size: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: VB_count: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: VB_size: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: total_buffers_size: 0
2021-01-25 18:50:44.781 INFO    DX11BACKEND: total_size: 0
=== Log closed.

 

 

Please try the cleanup and repair procedure.

[Predator-78]

Thanks to you for your support. I understand seeing in the list that you entered the seconds it takes my system to close DCS. Believe me it's a real hassle!
I started the .bat files for cleaning and repair but unfortunately I have not solved the problem and when I exit the simulator it still takes a long time to close permanently.
During this closing phase I photographed the task manager and I saw that a certain amount of memory is also used.
I am attaching the photo.
The HDD on which DCS is installed is a newly purchased 1TB Samsung 860EVO model SSD.
At this point, I also appeal to the DCS technicians to understand the problem.
Do you have any other advice on how to possibly solve the problem?

[Flappie]

I really think the problem lies within these 3 operations that shouldn't be repeated while DCS closes down.

 

 

Since the cleanup and repair hasn't fixed it, you should open a support ticket.

[draconus]

On 1/25/2021 at 1:08 PM, Flappie said:

Windows Defender IS an antivirus.

 

I'm only using Windows Defender as well, and two weeks ago I did what I told you to do, and DCS went from 75 sec to 25 seconds to start. Give it a go, it won't cost you more than 2 minutes.

Great post! It fixed my case: from 1 minute to 20 seconds for DCS start. Thx Flappie! I'd not believe it until you persisted.

https://forums.eagle.ru/topic/260009-f-14-sounds-loading-at-dcs-start-fixed/

 

btw: My closing log does look similar to the one from JAKAL but I don't have long closing problem so it's probably not this. Multiple scene cleanups may come from using multiple maps in a session.

Edited January 29, 2021 by draconus

[Predator-78]

I opened a support ticket and in less than 24 hours they solved the problem by viewing the dcs.log file.
Basically, I had enabled the option "run as administrator" on the DCS launch icon. Disabled this option now everything works as before and the simulator closes normally in a short time.
Thanks to the ED technical team, really smart!