Quicken really slow loading

Divemaster

Quicken can sometimes take up to 2 minutes to get to my home screen.  It even slow prompting me for my password and then a minute or more loading home page.  I use absolutely no online function, I assume it only is accessing online to see if I have a valid license?   I have reloaded and ran validate and super validate and there are no errors.   Once it took a long time, the Quicken screen went blank and it died.  Sometimes, I see a (not Responding) in upper left corner next to Quicken's name.This has been going on for months, every once there is a rare occlusion it goes really fast.   That seems to happen if I just start quicken/ stop it and restart it over and over several times.  Then it loads faster.  Running R41.10 on Windows 10 that is current.   A year ago this wasn't an issue.  I have good line speed and computer has no issues shoeing that it is being worked hard via Task Manager.  

Chris_QPW

One way to see if this has anything to do with the network is to disable your network connection and try start Quicken.  Note, it has to be disabled, don't just disconnect a network cable or turn off your Internet router.

Divemaster

I closed Firefox that always has 7 tabs open 24X7 (I never shut computer off unless on vacation), then did the disable of network.  Quicken loaded much faster, I would say home screen painted in 15-20 seconds and that includes putting in local password (guessing there might be a cloud password, but as I said, I use no online functions).  That is VERY GOOD for what I have been dealing with for a long while.

 

Then I got to thinking, darn I changed 2 things, stopped Firefox and disabled network.  Which one helped?

So then loaded Firefox with all 7 tabs going and still got very good 15-20 seconds load to home screen.

 

So then I am thinking, Firefox runs 24X7 tall 7 tabs reload every 60 minutes.  Is that causing a problem?  But at least every 2 days or every day I stop FF and run CCleaner and restart FF.   Sometimes I just go into FF and clear cache (not cookies they are only 48 mb).  Cache stays around 500MB usually after been running awhile, up to 131MB now after just 10 minutes or so.   So I started Quicken and it was a little bit slower starting, but not bad.   I cleared FF cache that was at 131MB and Quicken started faster, but more that the 15 seconds, maybe 30seconds which is okay for me. 

Have 8GB internal memory running Windows 10 Pro, i5 3.20GHz 4 core and threads.  Not sure how Windows handles buffering communications, but perhaps FF even though not reloading any tabs at time of loading Quicken ( I know this as have set for 60 minutes tab reload and it's only been a few minutes)  is overloading the process windows uses for communications.

My problem may be resources with FF running and Quicken wanting communication resources.   Have to do some further testing, next time Quicken gets really slow loading, will stop FF and see if that helps.   

 

Chris_QPW

I know that some of the web browsers can be resource hogs so that is possible but let me explain why I suggested disabling your network connect for this test.

No matter what you use feature wise in Quicken, Quicken is always going to be making network connections at start up.  It checks both the licensing and for updates to the program and various configurations like the financial institution list.

Network timeouts are very long, in the range of minutes.  If Quicken tries to make a connection and for whatever reason, there isn't a response, the network (this at the Windows level not in Quicken) it will wait for that network timeout before deciding it should skip such operations and go on.

With the network connection disabled it produces a failure right away (no time out) and as such Quicken goes into "offline mode" and continues right away.

Trying to determine exactly why Quicken isn't getting a response right away is going to be very difficult, but at least now you know where the problem lies.

Divemaster

Should add I am using 80 percent memory with FF running and 10 percent of CPU.  I could make a register edit and change IRPstack size to a higher number, but when already using 80percent of memory, not sure that is good idea, default use to be 15, but you can add a parameter to increase.  With FF and Quicken running together I am using 93 percent memory.  Task manager takes a bit of that but that darn Malwarebytes takes 130MB.

Chris_QPW

Frankly, unless your antivirus software is blocking Quicken from accessing its data file quickly, I think all the rest isn't likely to be the cause of this.

Memory use isn't straightforward to decide what is "good" and what is "bad", and other than maybe turning off features you aren't really using or switching to a more efficient web browser most "tweaking" is usually ineffective or hurts performance.

For instance, I turned off Microsoft Edge's "Start-up Bost" feature because I consider the whole idea worthless.  I don't want Microsoft Edge running all the time in the hope that it might fetch a page that I might want to view when I start it.  Webpages just don't take that long to load anymore!  Note the main reason I turned the feature off though wasn't performance.  I would be doing installs for RoboForm which needs to take down the web browsers so that it gets a clean install, and it couldn't because it will kill Microsoft Edge and it then just restart itself.

But back to memory use.  A lot of it is used for "caching" and these tend to be "greedy", but "play nice".  As in they will grab all the memory they can, but when another program needs memory, it will be it can get it because the program either gives it up or more likely Windows just swaps it out.

Divemaster

Thanks, I will keep watch on the virus stuff, I have Webroot and Malwarebytes Premium.  Both have a function called application protection that puts browsers in it by default.  I have added Quicken in both for application protection.  Have tested when both have the application turned on and off doesn't seem to have any effect.  Right now FF 444 MB cache and 48MB cookies, memory 85%, CPU 48% and Quicken has loaded- password entered and home screen painted in 12.58 seconds.  That is good!  Guess I have to wait until it goes back to minutes loading time and see what helps.  Too bad it is not consistent, but then that would make it too easy.

UKR

If possible, I recommend upgrading your computer by adding another 4 or 8GB RAM memory.
I had the same performance issue on my laptop running Windows 8.1 with 4GB installed memory. Adding another 4GB RAM chip solved all performance problems.
Windows 10 needs more memory than Windows 8.1 and Quicken has gained weight substantially over the last couple of years. And that's why 8 GB is no longer sufficient in your case.

Rocket J Squirrel

Divemaster said:

I have Webroot and Malwarebytes Premium.  Both have a function called application protection

Do you really need two anti-malware products running simultaneously? That sounds redundant and likely to slow your PC.

Divemaster

I know I don't have any empty memory slots, using the 2 I have now with 4GB in each.   Notice even leaving FF running for overnight, Quicken loads really really slow.  But if I kill it and reload it right away, it loads much faster.   May be that the memory it took on the first load, was still available and not taken over by FF or system process paged out on the first load.

Edit this computer is almost 6 years old, runs 24X7 and will not run Windows 11 with the i5 processor.  So by Oct 2025 I need a new computer.  So not sure I want more memory, depends on cost. 

Divemaster

Something I have wondered also Rocket.   I been told Webroot is only virus deduction and Malwarebytes is only Malware deduction- no virus and that they are different (malware & virus).  For years I just got by fine with Webroot and the free version of Malwarebytes.  Then got a bargain price on Malwarebytes.   You have a good point Malwarebytes does take more memory, I may run without it for awhile and see.  

Rocket J Squirrel

IMHO, those anti-virus/malware programs themselves are a virus. I run native Windows Defender only and have it not monitor Quicken files as described in this post. Haven't seen a virus yet.

Divemaster

Several people tell me the same thing, say MS virus not like in the old days, Defender is good enough.  Part of me not changing is being lazy, don't want to learn another software.

Chris_QPW

Rocket J Squirrel said:

IMHO, those anti-virus/malware programs themselves are a virus. I run native Windows Defender only and have it not monitor Quicken files as described in this post. Haven't seen a virus yet.

This the way I see it too.

And I have a similar view of web browsers.  When they start out, they tend to be fast, maybe even the fastest at that time, but over time people ask for more and more and they get to be real resource hogs.
At this point Microsoft Edge is the "new kid on the block" because of its rewrite awhile back to use the Chrome engine.

But also, one has to be very aware of the fact that the extensions they choose to use may be the real source of problems.

Divemaster

I upgraded memory from the 8gb to 12GB and things appear to be running better.  With FF still loaded running 9 tabs I am now using 52% memory.  Initially I removed Malwarebytes and seen an improvement in load time of Quicken, so I left Malware out and ordered more memory.   Installed memory and started running Malwarebytes again, so far Quicken load time is acceptable.   Don't think I will renew Malwarebytes, it just takes too many resources, right now using 327MB and .8 % CPU.  FF with 9 tabs (well now with the Quicken forum up 10 tabs) using 2,063MB of memory and 3 - 4 % CPU. 

Anyway, bottom line is that it looked like a memory issue, 80% was just too much.   I will leave things like they are just to see if it is really fixed.  I can always kill Malwarebytes or can add another 4GB memory if Quicken starts loading slow.