2 days ago
Topic:
Win11 client machine takes long time to settle
GianlucaAdministrator Posts: 1362
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Shadohz wrote:
I'm just going to migrate everything back to PortableApps.
If it works for you, then it's a good move.
Out of curiosity, I tried to reproduce your experiment and I hope these findings help others.
My (huge) SyMenu is located in D:\SyMenu.
Starting it locally takes less than 10 seconds to launch, scan, and run all configured autoexec programs.
I then mapped D:\SyMenu as a network drive (Z:\).
Launching it from there, from the same machine, still takes less than 10 seconds to do every action.
I then shared the folder on local network.
Launching it from another PC still takes less than 10 seconds to do every action.
So SyMenu has no problem at all running locally, from a mapped network drive or from a network share.
This suggests, as I suspected, the issue might be specific to your environment (e.g., Security settings, OS policies, or restrictive SMB configurations).
While I can't diagnose your specific OS setup, I'm glad PortableApps is working as a solid workaround for you.
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2 days ago
Topic:
Win11 client machine takes long time to settle
ShadohzPosts: 4
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SyMenu and PortableApps are near-images of each other. Any programs that exist with PA and SyMenu I downloaded from the SyMenu repository to SM. Save a few applications like ThunderMail and JDownloader where I have custom files or personal data files within their respective app directories, everything is almost the same. There are only a couple of applications exclusive to SM that I've download that don't exist in my PA install.
In SM there are 85 application folders, which means at minimum there are 85 application files. The previous number I gave is what Windows Explorer's report of SM share which is 147,000 files/12K folders (irrespective of their designation). However I hand counted all apps shown in SM menu list and there are 96 total. SM exists on "C:\mydata\symenushare" on the server. I have it mapped on the server as "z:symenushare" (i.e. z:\ = c:\mydata). Now stay with me. If I go into File Explorer and launch SM from C: drive location, the launch is instantaneous. The Systray icon appears immediate and the SM icon flickers for a brief moment (seconds), then I have access to the application. HOWEVER very same machine, very same install when I launch SM from the Z: location there is a 10-ish second delay before the Systray icon appears and it flickers longer (25 seconds). So same machine, same (big) installation: Accessing from C: drive takes a total of 10 secs but accessing from Z: drive takes 36 secs. This is exit, relaunch, exit, relaunch testing. The access (from z: on the same machine) slowdown is more sluggish when first signing on (last test was at 4 minutes from icon appearance to access).
That very same large SM installation copied to the Client Machine works just as fast as the Server machine if I access SM from the C:\ of the client machine. 10 secs, tops. If I map a network drive to shared drive where SM resides and access it (in this case V , guess what happens. Yep, it slows down again. 48 secs from launch to icon appears and 53 secs from flicker to access for a total of 1:41. So we have a pattern that SyMenu seems to run slower when pointed towards a network location despite the fact it's on the same machine. 36 secs and 1:41 aren't that bad until you look at it from the perspective that the are three times and ten times slower than accessing from C: pathing on the very same machines.
Now back to my original problem. Sync Center aka Offline Files (or Offline Mode if you prefer) allows applications to think they are running from a network location by copying the files to a local cache. It is fundamentally that same as I did above. In "airplane mode" or if the network goes down, the application(s) run from the local copy as if it were a remapped local drive. There should be no "network delay" as there is no network to access.
- If I turn Sync Center off/disabled AND the network is connected (client to server), SyMenu is terribly slow to access (this is Part A of the original problem and the times I reported).
- If I turn Sync Center off/disable AND the network is disconnected, SyMenu doesn't work (as it should).
- If I turn Sync Center on/enable AND the network is connected, SyMenu is *slower* than Condition #1 to reach the point of access (this is Part B of the original problem that Sync Center makes it worse)
- If I turn Sync Center on/enabled AND network is disconnected, Symenu is still slow to access.
- Once I reach the point of access, SyMenu runs fine as far as functionality and how fast the supported programs launch and work.
I did net-new/clean install time testing along side testing my original installation and gave you the numbers. There are still noticeable time differences with the clean installation with the exact same perimeters.
"No, there isn't. And there is no reason to prevent it because this is not your real problem." I'm just going to migrate everything back to PortableApps.
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3 days ago
Topic:
Win11 client machine takes long time to settle
GianlucaAdministrator Posts: 1362
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Startup time
SyMenu appears almost instantly as a system tray icon and starts flashing with a small red light, mimicking hard drive activity.
Any other scenario suggests a problem with your system.
The flashing phase indicates that SyMenu is indexing your Start menu and its own programs.
It should take up to a minute on particularly slow devices, not more.
Since you are reading from a network share, that is likely your bottleneck.
Large number of files
It is normal for a program like SyMenu to slow down as you add more files.
In normal conditions, this slowdown is manageable (a matter of seconds), but your situation is far from normal.
However, don't get distracted by this: your main issue is the overall delay.
Generally speaking, 147.503 files in 12.977 folders are too many for almost any program except for a file explorer.
And SyMenu is not a file explorer, even if it has some features that mimic one.
I assume you aren't referring to 147.503 actual programs but normal file, so please use SyMenu for programs, not as a file manager.
Anyway the real concern remains the 2:20–4:30 minutes required for a clean install.
Shadohz wrote:
So I guess this brings me back to my original question: is there a way to stop or bypass this on-launch scanning behavior?
No, there isn't. And there is no reason to prevent it because this is not your real problem.
And this brings me back to my first suggestion: why don't you try testing it by adding a single element at a time?
If I were in your shoes, the very first test I would perform is running a clean version of SyMenu directly on the server machine, and another clean version directly on the client machine. This is the only way to accurately check a program's performance.
Any test involving a connection between two machines is actually testing:
- The network speed
- The SMB protocol configuration
- The network cards
- The network cables
- The Antivirus (AV) behaviour
- The Firewall
You are testing too many variables at once and I won't be able to help you until we isolate where the real problem lies.
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3 days ago
Topic:
Win11 client machine takes long time to settle
ShadohzPosts: 4
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Good news. Bad News.
Good news. I found the majority culprit. It was Windows Defender. I ran timed tests with it disabled an immediately noticed the difference in timing. From launch-to-settle, the time took an average of 5:30 for the existing installation. At least for the time being I have excluded SyMenu share from scanning - though it isn't an optimal solution.
Bad news. I deviated from your original troubleshooting suggestion after coming to the realization Windows Defender was scanning every execution. I compared my existing install to a net-new install to net-new install with garbage files. I found three problematic areas: 1) launch time 2) many files 3) clean-up/integrity check on launch.
Launch time: Regardless if it was a net-new install or my existing installation there was a delay between clicking on the SyMenu application to open to when it finally appeared in the SysTray. That time ranged from 1:44 -3:17. This might falsely lead some users to think the application isn't running/wasn't selected (like it did me initially).
Many Files: Regardless if it is a valid install with many applications or as I did with the net-new install by dumping a bunch a files into its structure SyMenu runs slower the more files added to it.
Clean-up/integrity check: The features aren't problematic in themselves. They just add additional settle time to SyMenu. Since I'm running SyMenu from a host machine I don't really want the client machine(s) altering the SyMenu installation and running an integrity scan on every launch. The latter seems to be what impacting Windows Defender and also adding additional settlement time. With my original installation I was getting a launch time of 5:24-5:35 (147, 503 files, 12977 folders, 19.4GB). With the Net-new install I was getting various launch times with different scenarios: 2:20-4:30 (clean install), 15:30-18:00 (clean-up/deleting invalid files/folders), 9:27 (scanning with a files in Trash). Yes, merely having files in Trash increases the settlement time.
Note: These are the numbers without Sync Center enabled because once its back in play timing becomes a major problem again. The latest recorded time with my original installation was over 40 minutes (23:57 from user sign-in to icon appearance, 25:54 from icon appearance to access (settlement)). Comparing this with PortableApps which under the same testing scenario took 10:30 (7:08 from user sign-in to icon appearance, 2:25 from icon to access (settlement)).
I've used PA for over a decade so ironically enough I looked to LibreKey and SyMenu as potential replacements due to its seemingly sluggish behavior and archaic handling of file/app errors and customization. So I guess this brings me back to my original question is there a way to stop or bypass this on-launch scanning behavior.
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7 days ago
Topic:
SyMenu 8.11
GianlucaAdministrator Posts: 1362
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Hello everyone,
A new year has begun and a new SyMenu version comes with it.
This release is quite a nice one, introducing some new features along with some bug fixes.
The main new feature worth highlighting is the ability to enable customizable tooltips for Windows items.
As you know, external executables can appear in SyMenu here and there, for example, when you search for something that exists in the host Start Menu, or when you browse your physical file system through SyMenu.
In these cases, SyMenu shows a tooltip containing only the basic information it can easily extract from the file: its full path and name.
However, if SyMenu finds a file in the same folder with the same name as the executable and the .tooltip extension, it will open that file in text mode, read it, and use its content to populate the item’s tooltip.
For example, if you search for Microsoft Word (the shortcut name) and SyMenu resolves it to its target file (winword.exe), then, if a file named winword.exe.tooltip exists, SyMenu will open it, read it, and use its content as the tooltip for Word.
For a clear overview of this new feature, please refer to the manual:
https://www.ugmfree.it/manual#Advanced_menu_Options_Menu
And if you have any questions, I’m here.
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12 days ago
Topic:
Win11 client machine takes long time to settle
ShadohzPosts: 4
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As far as the configuration is concerned it's a typical workstation-to-workstation setup. The host and clients are Win 11 Pro. The Symenu is a share on Cdrive with FC to Everyone (i.e. no permission nor rights issues). The clients are mapped to the "symenushare" as Zdrive. Sync Center (aka the Offline Files mode) operates much like Google Drive or OneDrive. It makes a local cache of the selected network files to client machine so the files/apps will operate if/when the client is disconnected or goes mobile. It operates pretty much the same as well: Select 'Make Available Offline" for specific files and folders. Sync Center does some sort of indexing/file compare scan on startup. This behavior doesn't duplicated when you disconnect/reconnect mapped drives. Only on startup or if syncing is manually ran. As I noted earlier this bad behavior from Symenu occurs during startup whether or not Sync Center is enabled. Sync Center only makes it worse as it adds to the delayed response time from SyMenu.
I'll have to look at additional troubleshooting steps and time tests later today/later. As you can see just doing one run takes a fair bit of time. Replication will take even longer as I'll have to map a different drive and notate the apps being used in each consecutive test (and Sync Center doesn't attempt to purge the original zdrive files).
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13 days ago
Topic:
How to launch a CMD shell into a specific director
GianlucaAdministrator Posts: 1362
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The single & is needed because otherwise the command interpreter treats exit as an argument of the first command (cd).
The double && is needed because I want exit to run only if the first command has completed successfully.
The second exit command is there to prevent the first window (the launcher), opened by SyMenu in its own folder, from staying open.
It’s the dear old batch syntax man
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13 days ago
Topic:
How to launch a CMD shell into a specific director
M4verickPosts: 3
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Gianluca wrote:
Nice solution, M4verick.
I just want to add my two cents to show that it was also possible to solve the problem using a Windows Command item.
Add a new Windows Command item and fill the Command field with:
start cmd /k "cd /d D:\Misc\Down" && exit
Naturally, replace D:\Misc\Down with your own folder.
Ah, I see. I did play around with that option but I couldn't make it work because I had the quotation marks wrapped around the path like so:
start cmd /k cd /d "D:\Misc\Down"
Thanks for posting the solution!
By the way, why do you need two '&' to make this work? && exit
edited by M4verick on 30/12/2025
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14 days ago
Topic:
How to launch a CMD shell into a specific director
GianlucaAdministrator Posts: 1362
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Nice solution, M4verick.
I just want to add my two cents to show that it was also possible to solve the problem using a Windows Command item.
Add a new Windows Command item and fill the Command field with:
start cmd /k "cd /d D:\Misc\Down" && exit
Naturally, replace D:\Misc\Down with your own folder.
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14 days ago
Topic:
Win11 client machine takes long time to settle
GianlucaAdministrator Posts: 1362
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This is a really tough one…
Above all because I haven’t clearly understood what your configuration is.
For example, I still don’t know whether the SyMenu instance is running on the host machine or if it is launched on the Windows 11 client machines. If your setup is the last one, what happens if you launch SyMenu directly from the host?
What exactly is the offline syncing doing? And why is this feature involved with the SyMenu files?
At the moment, I don’t have a clear picture of what normally happens on your machines, so I can’t even imagine what the impact on SyMenu might be.
Anyway, even if I had a clear idea, I still wouldn’t have a solution for you because the problem could be anywhere.
So my suggestion for a possible resolution would be exactly the same as the one I’m giving you now.
Download a clean version of SyMenu. If you download the ZIP version, remember to remove the lock that Windows adds to any package downloaded from the Internet. I explain how to do that here for a plugin package: https://www.ugmfree.it/manual#SyMenuPluginBlocked
Unzip it into an empty folder on your host machine. Ideally, choose a folder without any security, authorization, or permission issues, so avoid locations like C:\Program Files or C:\Windows. The best option is always D:\SyMenu if you have a D: drive.
Run the new SyMenu. Multiple versions of SyMenu can coexist on the same machine, even on the same disk.
I assume everything will work fine: SyMenu should load in a few seconds and suggest installing some programs from the suite.
Now, step by step, start adding the configurations needed to mimic your real installation.
For example, add some programs, link network folders, or whatever your main installation normally does.
After each change, run some tests: restart SyMenu and check for any strange behavior, try launching some programs, and so on.
If the program starts to struggle, slow down, freeze, collapse, call home, or scream for help, you’ll know the reason, it will certainly be the last change you made.
At that point, please come back here and we’ll try to solve the problem together.
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15 days ago
Topic:
How to launch a CMD shell into a specific director
M4verickPosts: 3
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I figured this out on my own. First of all, do not choose "Add Windows Command" - that doesn't give you any option to set a working directory. Instead choose "Add a Program". Afterwards refer to the 2nd screenshot steps 1-4 below.
edited by M4verick on 28/12/2025
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16 days ago
Topic:
Win11 client machine takes long time to settle
ShadohzPosts: 4
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I have SyMenu running on a host machine with is networked to a couple of Win11 client machines. The client machines have offline syncing enabled (Win11 feature). The problem is that SyMenu is taking between 15-30 minutes to stop loading when Offline Syncing is disabled and 40minutes to +1hr when Offline Syncing is enabled. By "settle" I mean for SyMenu to stop scanning or whatever it is that it's doing that makes that its icon flicker. The times are from Reboot (i.e. startup) to when the Symenu program gives me access to installed SyMenu applications. The only thing I can say for sure is that Offline Files extends this abnormal behavior. I can't explain why there's a huge time difference in the startup-to-settle times.
I read a couple of similar posts about applications being at the root of the SyMenu application folder but that isn't the case here. All the Symenu apps are under Z:\ProgramFiles\SPSSuite\SyMenuSuite. I installed custom apps to \..\SPSSuuite\Custom_Programs. Any explanation or resolution for this? Any way to stop this scan behavior on the client machines?
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16 days ago
Topic:
How to launch a CMD shell into a specific director
M4verickPosts: 3
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Hi, I'm a new user of SyMenu.
I wish to launch Windows Command shell into a specific directory. In another words, when I launch the command shell, I need the command prompt to already be at the following folder:
"C:\folder 1\folder 2"
I know how to configure SyMenu so that the command shell is launched but I'm at a loss on how to do this.
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29 days ago
Topic:
Elevate SyMenu behaves abnormally in Tools
viperPosts: 6
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No, I've just been using Symenu frequently recently.
I think it's a great tool that can improve work efficiency.
Furthermore, I don't want any abnormalities to occur in the tool during daily use, as this could lead to unforeseen consequences. At the same time, I sincerely hope that Symenu will become better and better.
I am also an avid technology enthusiast, and I am extremely interested in software, systems, and network security.
Thank your for your reply，Gianluca.
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13/12/2025
Topic:
Elevate SyMenu behaves abnormally in Tools
GianlucaAdministrator Posts: 1362
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Hi viper,
You seem specialized in finding elusive errors on this website and in SyMenu... I really appreciate that. It's the way to achieve perfection.
I confirm there is a bug, and I will fix it in the next SyMenu version.
Meanwhile, you know there's a second executable in the same SyMenu root folder to launch the program with elevated privileges (it's called SyMenu.Admin.exe). I understand it's a different thing to start in a way and to switch to the other when needed, but it's only a workaround awaiting the final resolution.
Again, thank you for your report.
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13/12/2025
Topic:
Elevate SyMenu behaves abnormally in Tools
viperPosts: 6
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Hi，Gianluca，when I used Elevate SyMenu function in Tools，a strange phenomenon occurred: the process exited.So crazy...
For finding reson of this issue,I monitored actions of SyMenu when I clicked Elevate SyMenu function in Tools by using Process Monitor.
Besides,when I was using Process Monitor, Elevate SyMenu function is perfectly normal.Conversely, it behaves abnormally.
I don't know if others have encountered this issue.
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11/12/2025
Topic:
How to change floating icon and taskbar icon?
GianlucaAdministrator Posts: 1362
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The link should be fixed now.
Thank you again for the report.
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10/12/2025
Topic:
How to change floating icon and taskbar icon?
viperPosts: 6
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Oh,I see.Thank you anyway,Gianluca.
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10/12/2025
Topic:
How to change floating icon and taskbar icon?
GianlucaAdministrator Posts: 1362
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I tested the links with Edge (Chromium) and they are working if you already are in the manual page and not working starting with an empty browser tab/window.
Conversely they work in every case with Firefox.
I never realized that. Crazy...
Thank you I'll try to fix that ASAP.
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10/12/2025
Topic:
How to change floating icon and taskbar icon?
viperPosts: 6
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Yes
These links are not working well, but they aren‘t dead links., they are just not accurately positioned.
However, the keyword following the link reminded me to locate the correct section in the manual, such as "#Customization", "Advanced_menu_Options_Theme". So I successfully resolved the issue by searching in manual web page.
About this issue,it works well to search "Customization for publishers" in the user manual.
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