Annoying Startup App!

CTHELPER.EXE, along with UpdReg.exe and ADGJJet.exe are installed with the driver package.

I have removed all of those from the Run section of the registry.

CTHELPER is reportedly a helper application that listens for requests from certain types of probably obsolete software and helps perform advanced audio tasks -- whatever that could mean other than audio->out.

UpdReg is reportedly a check and reminder that you have registered or have been reminded to register your Soundblaster product.

ADGJJet kills me. It reportedly specifically is sitting there waiting for you to happen to use a particular version of WinDVD.

I don't use WinDVD and I don't plan to based on this insight.

empathy

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Like you empathy, I also recently did a fresh format and re-install of WinXP (on my older, K6-III+ secondary box).

I installed the latest VIA chipset, ATI display and NIC drivers, then got all the updates from Windows Updates. Similarily, there was no additional SB driver shown/available from Windows Update at any point.

I also was planning on just using the default Windows drivers, hoping I could avoid the VIA chipset/SB Live! crackling issue, but found devldr32.exe kept loading at startup and found this thread when I went to Google to investigate. I read your post(s) and decided to give the updated Creative livedrvuni-pack a shot, just to see what would happen... devldr32.exe has been replaced with cthelper.exe, lol. One step forward, one step backward. Now I've got to research cthelper.exe and find out if it's necessary.

This is the first time I've installed this latest SB driver update on this system so I'm hoping the crackling issue has finally been solved. After I've installed and tested a few games I'll post back and report the results.

I recently underwent a system redesign and rebuild (again).

After doing so I remember this thread after struggling with the decision to include or disclude an additional sound card along with my professional audio interface.

The reasons for choosing to do this vary from person to person and use to use.

I want to have Windows system sound and the volume slider work within my audio applications.

I want my keyboard volume buttons to work with my sound system.

Often with higher end professional audio interfaces they are optimized with an ASIO driver which doesn't function the same as for example, a Soundblaster card would function with Windows.

After remember the devldr32 and various other issues I almost decided not to. Ultimately I decided I needed that functionality as I use this system for more the professional functions.

My goal was to design and install the system with a minimalist approach but without sacrificing requirements.

I had to make sacrifices and adjustments and give in to get a stable functional system.

The original system quickly summarized is as follows:

- ASUS CUV4X-D motherboard
- dual Pentium III 1ghz processors
- 1gb PC133 ram
- Promise Fasttrack 100 RAID controller PCI interface
--This was used for a couple of possible reasons:
---- 1. Each disk gets its own IDE bus channel. No slaves. Purpose is to optimize throughput.
---- 2. RAID stripe 0 which combines 2 physical disks by striping data across both disks as one large volume. It's reported to double throughput.
- Video card:
-- 1. Currently using Matrox G450 eTv
-- 2. Was using ATI RADEON 64MB VIVO
I like them both. I want to focus on smooth performance and stable drivers for the proefssional audio work as well as daily use. Matrox 2D is hands down the best I've ever seen.
- Belkin 1394 3-port Firewire interface
- A Realtek network interface (e.g. cheap. works. doesn't hog PCI bus (3Com has been reported to)
- A professional audio interface
- A Soundblaster Live Platinum 5.1

Some things to consider before I quickly move on as the post is growing exponentially.

- The Promise RAID card is an attempt to get even better performance out of an already beefy machine in my case. I am admitting I got greedy and wanted yet ever more speed than ATA100 with 7200 speed quality drives. I didn't need it, it requires additional drivers and overhead, etc. to make it work.

- The idea of 2 soundcards in a computer naturally, I think, makes anyone technical kind of wrinklye their nose and shiver a bit. It just seems like incest or something. (Soundblaster will not support a verified customer if that customer has 2 audio interfaces installed with Windows.)

- I reconsidered what I needed on a daily basis and what is most critical to me. I came up with things like stability, consistency, safety, security, performance!

Allow me to summarize my decisions after thinking through where I wanted to be.

The Promise is going underneath a door on my upper level as a door stop. It was around $99 4 years ago. It's not helping me and I almost feel like a fool for entertaining the idea for this long.

I put the hard drives on the motherboard IDE busses with some forethrough to partitioning and storage and need. For example, there is a separate physical disk on it's own bus that is not shared or used by the operating system or applications. It is for streaming professional audio and video to the system without hiccups or performance challenges.

Next. I struggled with keeping or not keeping the Soundblaster. I have read Soundblaster have challenges and we know this first hand by the existence of this thread. Drivers install all sorts of additional boggy crap that really just doesn't make much sense to me. WinDVD needs everyone on the planet to be support by Soundblaster at the expense of additional, ugly running processes on my system? I don't think that's right.

Reportedly there are other manufacturers which cost much less that can accomplish the common audio tasks with very little system interaction or affect. Turtle Beach was one brand if my memory recalls correctly at this time.

Real quickly we should discuss the planning and layout and technical details affecting getting stability and maximizing the choices and hardware.

I had many PCI cards installed. Too many. And I hadn't previously particularly cared in what order they were ordered.

For most, I assume, this can cause a problem. Here's why...

My motherboard allows for 4 unique IRQ assignments from the PCI bus. But I can add more cards than that. And the AGP video card takes one of those. Now I have 3.

Who cares? I do and reportedly so does Windows. We're talking about IRQ sharing.

If you look at the Device Manager and View items by connection and note the IRQ category. There may be multiple devices sharing a single IRQ.

With modern devices IRQ sharing can be "compatible" but I believe it's generally accepted it is best to be avoided.

I think that is backed up by the fact my motherboard manual provides a number of pages describing the PCI bus and IRQ assignment relationships. It shows which PCI slots are sharing IRQ and which aren't.

Windows then has it's hand in the IRQ assignment game too. It will not necessarily put them where you and/or your BIOS have indicated they should be.

I performed the following process to bring my system up and attempt to be forward thinking:

1) Power down and OFF. No AC power to the computer. Some systems require 30 seconds to drain buffered power. Be wise not hurried.

2) Remove every PCI interface and plug in standard equipment as you plan to use it going forward (mouse, keyboard, etc.)

3) Install only the video card.

4) Are you a BIOS tweaker (I know the type -- trust me)? BIOS are generally set by the manufacturer to perform as planned. They don't want support calls and they want your computer to work well. Their defaults generally work and unless you have specific technical knowledge as to why that should change...

4a) Reset BIOS to defaults and go through them 1 by 1 and tweak them appropriately if needed and only if needed. Make notes to follow up on things you think you should know more about perhaps. But don't change things because they sound good. It multiples and complicates technical issues down the road.

4b) I changed only a few things. I changed the primary video interface from PCI to AGP because I use an AGP type video card. I turned up the speed of the keyboard repeat rate because I like it fast. And I tweaked a few other minor boot-time things like speeding up the RAM check, etc. Common sense and boundaries.

5) Install operating system completely cleanly by choosing to reformat the partition (not a quick format either - let it do its job) and install Windows [XP Pro] fresh and clean.

The reason for this is if you pay attention Windows installation informs you it is "inspecting your computers hardware and configuration...". That's important to undertand. By minimizing and baselining your system hardware and BIOS Windows, in my opinion, can set it self up according to your decisions and the reality of your current system state -- which should be planned and remain fairly constant if possible, right?

6) The moment I had Windows installed I made a Ghost image of it. I do not want to reinstall and wait another 45 minutes. Ghosting the fresh, clean partition does not take long and will save you time when you wipe and reinstall. Don't tell me you haven't thought about it or done it.

7) 1 by 1 I installed interfaces (PCI cards) and tested they work and do not conflict by sharing IRQ, etc. I know this by referencing my motherboard manual, picking appropriate PCI slots for particular cards and by checking the Device Manager for IRQ sharing even if not listed as conficts.

I do not install the Soundblaster card yet. It has not entered the machine yet. All other PCI devices have been installed and drivers properly installed.

9) Update and patch Windows by using Windows update. Patience. Follow the rules. Read. This is the same as the BIOS. Need it? Install it. What is that and do I need it? Research it, ignore it and make a common sense decision based on knowing the more you install the more the system has to deal with perhaps.

10) You're probably still updating Windows. Keep the patience and rebooting between logical installtions. I bet you're thinking about Ghost imaging the patched Windows once you're done patching?

11) Once patching and updates are complete. Make a record by ghosting another image. Just do it.

12) Power OFF the system. No AC power. Install the Soundblaster card. Restart the system into Windows and let Windows [XP Pro] install the native drivers. Reboot as directed and let Windows restart.

13) Proceed to get the latest uni-driver package from Soundblaster. I recall it being around 23 MB. Perhaps save it in a /archive/system folder on a data drive for when you wipe and reinstall?

13a) Install the Soundblaster drivers only. That's the choice I made. Drivers only. I just want it to produce Windows sounds and play endless hours of music. I don't need or want 5.1 surround with gold connectors.

13b) Reboot as directed.

Notice we ghost imaged the installation prior to installing the physical Soundblaster card and/or the Soundblaster drivers/software? You do the match.

You may be wonder why I went to such detail within this thread to describe this process and my opinions.

One of the purposes of this thread is to discuss that annoying devldr32 process that seems to be associated with the Windows Soundblaster native drivers.

It is my opinion that exisitng systems which recieve a Soundblaster card and have associated Windows native drivers installed are prone to a phenomenom characterized by the presence of the devldr32 process.

It is reported the devldr32 process is a compatibility interface for 16-bit applications and perhaps other purposes. That's nice but it's not necessary and frankly I don't like it. It bugs me.

"The worst part is - on existing systems we can't seem to get it to go away! Windows keeps restoring it even if I delete it from the filesystem!"

I believe somehow as additional applications and driver installations are performed dependecies or perceived dependencies are documented within the Windows registry and critical files protection mechanism.

Therefore, by installing the card into a fresh system with an organized methodology we can properly update the Soundblaster Windows drives while eliminating the devldr32 issue [in Windows XP Pro] I personally have been experiencing.

The process I've documented worked for me. I am up and running with both audio cards and devldr32 in the process list only between the time I installed the card initially with the Windows native drivers and after rebooting after applying the Soundblaster uni-driver update.

I would at this point probably take another Ghost image of the system and reference it as "HOSTNAME_Win-XP-Pro_clean-install_updated_drivers_with-SBlive_WORKING".

I hope this article provides insight and perhaps help to those experiencing similar or identical issues and are plagued by their own nature of not being able to let it go and ignore it.

I personally believe I experienced a difference in the performance of particular high-demand applications like music players and audio/video software improve by removing devldr32 from the mix.

empathy[/list]

[Uranium-235]

longest, post, ever

[Prometheus]

uh.......go into msconfig


Run>msconfig

close out anything odd in startup

[Jason425]

yea, i read about 6 words and got overwhelmed.. yea.. msconfig is god..

Originally Posted by prometheus

uh.......go into msconfig


Run>msconfig

close out anything odd in startup

uh.......go back and read this thread all the way through. We have tried and no luck.

uh......got any better ideas?

As far as empathy's long post it seams totally logical that its the IRQ and its affects on the PCI slots. I posted a while back on how I was able to work around the devilDR32 by reinstalling my SB Live 5.1 Plat fresh and installing only some of the creative apps. Worked great till about oh............today. The devil is back hosing up my shutdown. To my surprise the only thing that I have done recently was adjust the placement of my PCI cards(specificlly SB) to add some space for a new USB 2.0 card.

Looks like i'll be switching back to the old set up.......I'll let you know.

Originally Posted by Somber Goat

uh.......go back and read this thread all the way through. We have tried and no luck.

uh......got any better ideas?

As far as empathy's long post it seams totally logical that its the IRQ and its affects on the PCI slots. I posted a while back on how I was able to work around the devilDR32 by reinstalling my SB Live 5.1 Plat fresh and installing only some of the creative apps. Worked great till about oh............today. The devil is back hosing up my shutdown. To my surprise the only thing that I have done recently was adjust the placement of my PCI cards(specificlly SB) to add some space for a new USB 2.0 card.

Looks like i'll be switching back to the old set up.......I'll let you know.

A believe a critical point in regards to my article is the proper, fresh reinstallation of Windows [XP Pro] along with previously noted Soundblaster installation steps.

The article, admidittedly challenging and involved, was written in repsonse to information and insight from this thread while initially searching for assistance to the problems described in this and other threads.

I felt a sense of obligation to take the time to follow up and post my findings and experiences to give back and more importantly, document my loosely organized self.

Somber Ghost,

You posted the devldr32 phenomenon has returned to your system as a result of migrating PCI cards between slots.

Perhaps due to removing and reinstalling your PCI card(s), specifically the Soundblaster *, I believe Windows was prompted to reinstall native drivers hence leaving you with the dreaded phenomenon as previously described.

By the way, I only install the Soundblaster drivers from the Soundblaster driver package. No applications [bloat]. But remember I do not use my Soundblaster for anything other than playing music (audio) and Windows sounds.

From the solution you descirbe in your post you have more or less discovered the same solution, give and take [this long post/threads] details.

You are probably one of the individuals responsible for the initial informatoin which led me to probe further into understanding this annoying phenomenon in the first place. Thanks!

Update:

My system is running extrememly well without devldr32. I can't directly, factually relate the next statement to devldr32 but I believe they are related.

Since solving the issue my system is performing input/output (audio/video) tasks and anything PCI-intensive such as transfers over the PCI bus with positive, appropriate performance.

(Note from my original [long] article I took additional steps which could be and probably are as important to performance improvements. e.g. Promise Fasttrack 100 controller removal.)

As I work with professional audio the most important difference I immediately noticed by resolving the devldr32 issue was the ability to push the PCI bus I/O much harder and get expected results.

In this case I am speaking specifically about latency. e.g. the time it takes for sound to enter the computer and come back out again to my ears. Of course added processing or effects lengthens that time and is reliant upon processor speed and RAM but basic latency always exists.

With devldr32 and prior to creating the process I documented audio I/O and latency were problematic and frankly impossible to work with.

I employ a high end, professional audio card capable of latencies down to 1.5ms [multiplied times 2 as latency is measured one direction (typical marketing propeganda)] for a total of 3ms roundtrip. That's 3 milliseconds!

Example of why anyone would care about that:
An artist plays a midi keyboard which triggers a very large and expensive grand piano sample in real time on the computer which is also doing the recording to disk during an expensive and important session when the artist is in the groove and in the zone.

Somber Ghost,

Lastly, if your assumption about sharing IRQ and the presence of devldr32 are related you may wish to do some sanity checks to understand if that is possible.

For example:

Check with Device Manager and view resources by connetion so you can view IRQ assignments.

If PCI devices are sharing IRQ, that information may be applied to the article and your information from your post and findings.

In summary,

I am not sharing IRQ for any device within my system.

I have rid my system of the devldr32 phenomenon by following my [long] documented process and have found success with it.

I had to give things up to get what I wanted: performance and stability.

I had to spend time tearing down, documenting, rebuilding, testing and finalizing the system to enjoy the success.

empathy

I was having the same problems with this driver/app and have just solved it reasonably painlessly. My system tray icons were taking an age to appear on bootup, and I was getting the 'DEVLDR not responding' error and hang on switching off. Fixed thus:

Booted into Safe Mode
Re-ran the LiveDrvUni-Pack(ENG) downloaded from the Creative website
Chose the 'Repair the previous installation option'
Waited while all was updated (the 'Updating Windows drivers' took the longest - about 2 minutes)
After everything was complete, rebooted as instructed
Hey Presto - no long delays on booting for the System Tray items, and immediate shutdown when requested with no DEVLDR problems/hangs. I do have the CTHelper.exe running now according to Task Manager, but no problems so far.

Hope this may help somebody out there !! Good Luck !!

Jeff

PS. If anyone from Creative Labs and/or Microsoft are out there listening, can you please sort these problems out as both the hardware and software have been out long enough now for us poor users to not have to put up with this sort of thing any more. I will most definitely not be buying any further Creative hardware in the future, nor will I recommend them to anyone. Has anyone got any recommendations for a different soundcard (equivalent to the Live 5.1 Platinum) for next time for me ???

I've had this problem with my live platinum 5.1 but only after i damaged it while installing a new dvd drive, then i got the devldr not responding on shut down and it took ages to shut down. Also on start up I got the worst sound I have ever heard, like a evil digital screech which is sooo bad when you have headphones on. Anyway I got a new soundcard and a new pc but I'm selling the old one with the live with it so i've formatted and reinstalled using the drivers windows provides this works fine, tho i cant use the inputs on the front panel (tho this maybe due to me damaging the soundcard). Its when you install the drivers provided that things go bad, i dont get the noise on startup but i do get the slow shut down. I'm downloading the LiveDrvUni-Pack.exe now to see if it will do anything.

doh! the inputs wern't working because i had them muted in the volume control