If you observe that PC TimeWatch doesn't restrict anything at all and that the PC TimeWatch service doesn't start automatically upon system startup (ptwsvc.exe not present in the task list), this might be due to a timeout problem.
By default, Windows gives 30 seconds to a service to finish its startup operations when the system boots. If it doesn't receive a "startup completed" notification from the service within 30 seconds, it considers that the service cannot start. ptwsvc.exe starts quickly but needs to manipulate its configuration files in order to initialize itself. If for a given reason, disk access is blocked or slowed down during this period, the timeout may occur. This can happen, for example, if another already started service monopolizes the disk for its own needs. Normally, this kind of incident should be reported in the Event Viewer, System section.
This problem, if it ever happens to your system, can often be solved this way:
1. Make a backup of your PC TimeWatch settings (File | Backup menu).
2. Uninstall PC TimeWatch.
3. Restart the PC.
4. Re-install PC TimeWatch.
5. Reload your settings (File | Load from backup... menu).
Uninstalling / reinstalling might change the load order of the system services and possibly eliminate the timeout problem.
If the problem is still there, you may try to change (at least temporarily) the 30 seconds timeout value of your system:
1. Launch Regedit
2. Right-click on HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control and select New | DWORD Value
3. Name this new value ServicesPipeTimeout
4. Assign it a value of 60000 (decimal value - 60 seconds).
5. Reboot and test again.
If PC TimeWatch now works normally, you should now try to identify the service that is intensively using the disk during the system startup.
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