Doesn't MS-Windows likes Python ? (or: why more than 20 sec delay when running a program from Python)

[Stef Mientki]

hello,

I've an AutoIt program that set some switches in the LAN settings.

When I launch the AutoIt executable, the settings are changed immediately.

When I launch the AutoIt executable from python (which is the intention),
it hangs for about 20 seconds, before any action appears on the screen.

Analyzing the script, shows that it hangs on the next 2 lines:

   Run ( "control.exe ncpa.cpl" )
   WinWait( "Network Connections")

Transfering the Run command to Python, it hangs on the next subprocess call
  subprocess.call ( [ r"control.exe",  "ncpa.cpl" ])

Does anyone have a clue, why starting a process takes 20 seconds longer 
when ran from Python ?

And even more important, is there a work around ?

thanks,
Stef Mientki