RE: Windows Explorer

From: Robert Davies (robert_at_genesys-hrs.com)
Date: 02/05/04 

Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 16:04:01 -0800

Hi, Joe. I'm back after a very busy period of work which
precluded my following up on your advice. However, I have
now carried out the parallel installation.

I took some time to free up space on the D-drive for the
parallel instal, and defragged the drive twice. (Windows
hasn't let me defrag for a while because there hasn't been
15% free space on the drive.)

When running on the parallel OS, the 'big' folder (which
now contains 0 files and 63 sub-folders, with 212,000
files / 34.3 GB in the sub-folders) now takes 1 minute and
10 seconds to display. This is a great improvement on
what happened previously, but when I went back to the
original Windows installation, I found that that also now
takes 1 minute and 10 seconds, so the improvement must be
down to defragging and not to having a clean Windows setup.

I don't know if you feel that 1 Min 10 is OK for reading a
folder of that size, but the lesson seems to be to defrag
regularly. I would certainly like it to be quicker, but I
can live with the current performance.

By the way, I also uninstalled PaintShop Pro, but that
made no difference at all.

A final question - How do I get rid of the 'extra' Windows
system now ?!

Thanks for your help.

Robert
>-----Original Message-----
>Hello Rebert,
>
>Thank you for your reply.
>
>I think it is not normal that the process lasts 3 minutes
and 20 seconds.
>Based on the current status, I would like to provide the
following
>suggestions:
>
>1. Let's install a parallel Windows XP system on a
partition with enough
>free space and check if the problem occurs in the newly
created system. If
>not, it indicates that the problem is related to a
certain application or
>configurations on the current system. (Note: Please do
NOT install the
>parallel system into the current system partition.)
>
>This can efficiently help us narrow down the problem's
scope.
>
>For more information, please refer to:
>
>266465 HOW TO: Perform a Parallel Installation of Windows
2000
>http://support.microsoft.com/?id=266465
>
>Note: The above method also applies to Windows XP.
>
>2. Does the problem occur to other folder which contains
a large number of
>subfolders and common files? If not, I would like to
suggest that we
>temporarily uninstall the PaintShop Pro software to check
if it is related
>to this problem.
>
>I look forward to your reply. Thanks!
>
>Regards,
>Joe Wu
>Product Support Services
>Microsoft Corporation
>
>Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
>
>====================================================
>When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via
your newsreader so
>that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
>====================================================
>This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights.
>
>--------------------
>|Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
>|From: "Robert Davies" <robert@genesys-hrs.com>
>|Sender: "Robert Davies" <robert@genesys-hrs.com>
>|References: <009d01c3b501$a7be30c0$a101280a@phx.gbl>
><005801c3b506$06be9390$a301280a@phx.gbl>
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><02ce01c3d24f$82e2b210$a101280a@phx.gbl>
><efQIEb50DHA.3088@cpmsftngxa07.phx.gbl>
>|Subject: RE: Windows Explorer
>|Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2004 10:35:21 -0800
>|Lines: 417
>|Message-ID: <501f01c3d7a8$81185940$7d02280a@phx.gbl>
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>|NNTP-Posting-Host: tk2msftngxs01.phx.gbl 10.40.2.125
>|Path:
>cpmsftngxa07.phx.gbl!cpmsftngxa10.phx.gbl!
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>|X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain
>|
>|Hello, Joe. I'm back with the results of the tests you
>|suggested.
>|
>|1. I cannot follow Malcolm's suggestion as I do not run
>|Photoshop on my machine. Therefore there is no such tab
>|under Properties for a jpeg file. I use PaintShop Pro 4
>|for image reprocessing (old, I know, but it does
>|everything I need without the complexities of the newer
>|versions) and JASC Media Center 3 for thumbnailing. I
have
>|reset the file associations for all image formats to
>|PaintShop Pro.
>|
>|2.1 I created a new user account, although I could not
>|follow the steps you set out as there is no item
>|for 'Local Users and groups' under Computer Management
on
>|my setup. I used Control Panel -> User Accounts instead.
>|
>|2.2 I uninstalled MacAfee and ZoneAlarm, rebooted,
logged
>|on the new account and read the famous directory. No
>|change - still 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
>|
>|3. In answer to your final question, it takes 3 mins 20
>|seconds to open and display the folder that contains 61
>|folders and 0 files. It then takes a further time to
open
>|and display each of the 61 folders. These folders
contain
>|anywhere from zero to 20,000 files and they take about
0.5
>|seconds to open per 1000 files of content, so the
largest
>|take a further 10 seconds.
>|
>|Robert
>|
>|
>|>-----Original Message-----
>|>Hello Robert,
>|>
>|>Thank you for keeping in touch and for taking the time
to
>|perform the tests.
>|>
>|>Let's collect more information for further analysis:
>|>
>|>1. Have you tested Malcolm's suggestion (unchecking
>|the "Generate
>|>Thumbnails" button on the Photoshop Image tab). I think
>|that the suggestion
>|>is reasonable and we can give it a try.
>|>
>|>2. Since there is only one Windows XP operating system.
I
>|would like to
>|>suggest that we perform the following tests:
>|>
>|>1) Please create a new user with Administrators
>|priviliges and then logon
>|>as the newly created user to see if it works. This test
>|can help us isolate
>|>if the problem is related to the user settings.
>|>
>|>How to create a new user account:
>|>--------------------------------------------
>|>a. Click on Start->Settings->Control Panel.
>|>b. Click Administrative Tools.
>|>c. Click Computer Management.
>|>d. Click Local Users and Groups.
>|>e. Double-click Users.
>|>f. On Action menu, click New User item.
>|>g. Now, please create a new user account.
>|>h. Click Local Users and Groups.
>|>i. Double-click Group and click Administrators in the
>|right pane.
>|>j. On Action menu, click Add to Group item.
>|>k. Click Add button, and then add the newly created
user
>|account to the
>|>Administrators group.
>|>l. Logoff and login with the newly created user account.
>|>
>|>2) Please temporarily uninstall all the firewall and
anti-
>|virus tools,
>|>including Norton anti-virus, Internet Security, etc.
Then
>|reboot your
>|>system and try to perform the test to see if the
problem
>|occurs. Based on
>|>our experience, these kinds of applications run in the
>|background
>|>monitoring the file system, and may affect the system
>|performance,
>|>especially when the number of the files are very large.
>|>
>|>NOTE:
>|>---------------
>|>
>|>a. Please uninstall it instead of disabling it. If we
>|just disable it, a
>|>lot of drivers are still running in the background and
>|they will cause the
>|>issue, thus the test result may be incorrect.
>|>b. After uninstalling these applications, please do NOT
>|surf the Internet
>|>and do NOT open any doubtful attachments in your
received
>|e-mails.
>|>
>|>3. You stated that there are 224,708 files jpg files in
>|your 61 subfolders,
>|>and it takes 3 minutes and 20 seconds to open a folder.
>|Could let me know
>|>how many files in that folder?
>|>
>|>Thanks!
>|>
>|>Regards,
>|>Joe Wu
>|>Product Support Services
>|>Microsoft Corporation
>|>
>|>Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
>|>
>|>====================================================
>|>When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via
>|your newsreader so
>|>that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
>|>====================================================
>|>This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties,
and
>|confers no rights.
>|>
>|>--------------------
>|>|Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
>|>|From: "Robert Davies" <robert@genesys-hrs.com>
>|>|Sender: "Robert Davies" <robert@genesys-hrs.com>
>|>|References: <009d01c3b501$a7be30c0$a101280a@phx.gbl>
>|><005801c3b506$06be9390$a301280a@phx.gbl>
>|><02a201c3b83e$2755e690$a101280a@phx.gbl>
>|><yVZtK1KuDHA.1376@cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl>
>|><0a2e01c3be33$786c7850$a401280a@phx.gbl>
>|>|Subject: RE: Windows Explorer
>|>|Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2004 15:15:43 -0800
>|>|Lines: 232
>|>|Message-ID: <02ce01c3d24f$82e2b210$a101280a@phx.gbl>
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>|>|X-Tomcat-NG:
microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain
>|>|
>|>|Sorry about the big delay - I've been away for
>|Christmas.
>|>|Thanks for all the posts.
>|>|
>|>|I have done as Joe Wu asked and I have the following
>|>|results. I have used the single largest folder that I
>|>|have accumulated. It is 2 levels below the root of
>|Drive
>|>|D (Western Digital 80 GB) and it contains 61 folders
and
>|0
>|>|files. However, between them, these 61 sub-folders
>|>|contain 224,708 files (all jpeg's) occupying 36.1GB !
>|>|
>|>|To read the folder for the first time, Windows
Explorer
>|>|takes 3 minutes and 20 seconds in normal mode, 3
minutes
>|>|and 50 seconds in safe mode. (I have timed it several
>|>|times and these results are repeatable.) Both these
>|>|figures are with Explorer in 'List' mode - I rarely
need
>|>|to use 'Details' mode so I don't know what the timings
>|>|would be for that.
>|>|
>|>|I do not have access to another XP machine so I cannot
>|try
>|>|the third test in Joe's post. However, I can say that
>|>|this disk used to be in a machine running Win98SE and
>|was
>|>|formatted FAT32. Its response time with an identical
>|>|folder structure and identical numbers of files was
>|almost
>|>|instantaneous (which is why I believe that this
problem
>|is
>|>|NTFS-related). When I got my current machine I
stripped
>|>|everything off the disk and low-level formatted it to
>|NTFS
>|>|so there is no residue that might be affecting its
>|>|performance. As I have previously mentioned, Drive D
is
>|>|used solely for data and there are no system files on
it.
>|>|
>|>|Robert
>|>|
>|>|>-----Original Message-----
>|>|>
>|>|>>-----Original Message-----
>|>|>>Hello,
>|>|>>
>|>|>>Thank you for your posts.
>|>|>>
>|>|>>Actually, the system is expected to spend a bit
longer
>|>|>than normal to list
>|>|>>a large number of objects in a folder. If possible,
I
>|>|>would like to suggest
>|>|>>that you classify these image files to more
subfolders.
>|>|>>
>|>|>>In the meantime, please help me check the following:
>|>|>>
>|>|>>1. Please go into Safe Mode (Restart computer, press
>|the
>|>|>F8 key when the
>|>|>>boot menu pops up, select [Safe Mode], and boot up)
>|and
>|>|>check if the issue
>|>|>>still occurs.
>|>|>>
>|>|>>2. Please change the view mode to "Lists" and check
>|how
>|>|>fast the files are
>|>|>>displayed.
>|>|>>
>|>|>>3. If possible, please connect this hard disk to
>|another
>|>|>Windows XP machine
>|>|>>and check how well it works.
>|>|>>
>|>|>>Thanks for your time and cooperation.
>|>|>>
>|>|>>Regards,
>|>|>>Joe Wu
>|>|>>Product Support Services
>|>|>>Microsoft Corporation
>|>|>>
>|>|>>Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
>|>|>>
>|>|>>====================================================
>|>|>>When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group"
via
>|>|>your newsreader so
>|>|>>that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
>|>|>>====================================================
>|>|>>This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties,
>|and
>|>|>confers no rights.
>|>|>>
>|>|>>--------------------
>|>|>>|Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
>|>|>>|From: "Robert Davies" <robert@genesys-hrs.com>
>|>|>>|Sender: "Robert Davies" <robert@genesys-hrs.com>
>|>|>>|References: <009d01c3b501$a7be30c0
$a101280a@phx.gbl>
>|>|>><005801c3b506$06be9390$a301280a@phx.gbl>
>|>|>>|Subject: Windows Explorer
>|>|>>|Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 11:05:58 -0800
>|>|>>|Lines: 65
>|>|>>|Message-ID: <02a201c3b83e$2755e690$a101280a@phx.gbl>
>|>|>>|MIME-Version: 1.0
>|>|>>|Content-Type: text/plain;
>|>|>>| charset="iso-8859-1"
>|>|>>|Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
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>|>|>>|Thread-Index: AcO4PidVq5xFOH1kTIWP6BflQdEPhA==
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>|>|>>|Newsgroups:
>|microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain
>|>|>>|Path: cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl
>|>|>>|Xref: cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl
>|>|>>microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain:119586
>|>|>>|NNTP-Posting-Host: tk2msftngxa09.phx.gbl 10.40.1.161
>|>|>>|X-Tomcat-NG:
>|microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain
>|>|>>|
>|>|>>|Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't use
>|the 'Detail'
>|>|>>|view regularly, although I have found that when I
do,
>|>|it
>|>|>>|makes very little difference to the time taken.
You
>|>|>still
>|>|>>|spend several minutes staring at a white screen !
>|>|>>|
>|>|>>|Robert
>|>|>>|>-----Original Message-----
>|>|>>|>Hi,
>|>|>>|>
>|>|>>|>Try this:
>|>|>>|>
>|>|>>|>http://www.tunexp.com/tips/get_started/speed_up_det
ai
>|le
>|>|d
>|>|>_v
>|>|>>|i
>|>|>>|>ew_in_explorer/index.html
>|>|>>|>
>|>|>>|>Regards,
>|>|>>|>
>|>|>>|>Tim
>|>|>>|>
>|>|>>|>>-----Original Message-----
>|>|>>|>>I am sure that this topic will have been raised
>|>|before
>|>|>>|>but
>|>|>>|>>I am not a regular browser of this group.
>|>|>>|>>
>|>|>>|>>The issue concerns the use of Windows Explorer to
>|>|>browse
>|>|>>|>>drives that contain large numbers of multimedia
>|files.
>|>|>>|>>
>|>|>>|>>My business includes the provision of non-
copywrite
>|>|>>|>images
>|>|>>|>>to specialist engineering/technical publications
>|and
>|>|>>|>>companies and as a result I have very large
numbers
>|>|of
>|>|>>|>>image files in a multiplicity of formats, as well
>|as
>|>|a
>|>|>>|>>smaller number of animated and video files. For
>|easy
>|>|>>|>>recovery, the files are extensively sorted and
>|>|>>|>categorised
>|>|>>|>>into dozens of separate folders, but nevertheless
>|it
>|>|>is
>|>|>>|>>commonplace to have a folder containing in excess
>|of
>|>|>>|>>10,000 images. The D-drive on my machine (80GB)
>|has
>|>|>10
>|>|>>|>GB
>|>|>>|>>of space and contains nothing other than image
>|files
>|>|>(in
>|>|>>|>>excess of 500,000 when I last counted).
>|>|>>|>>
>|>|>>|>>Browsing to get at files using Windows Explorer
can
>|>|be
>|>|>>|>>agonisingly slow at times, and I understand that
>|this
>|>|>is
>|>|>>|>>due to Explorer carrying out some preview or
>|parsing
>|>|>>|>>operation on every multimedia file. I can for
wait
>|>|up
>|>|>>|to
>|>|>>|>>5 minutes at times to access some of the folders
>|and
>|>|>>|when
>|>|>>|>>Explorer decides that it wants to refresh the
>|>|display,
>|>|>I
>|>|>>|>>go off and have a cup of coffee!
>|>|>>|>>
>|>|>>|>>Is there any way to change this behaviour without
>|>|>having
>|>|>>|>>to move away from NTFS? I had no difficulties on
>|my
>|>|>>|>>previous computer that ran Win98SE with similar
>|>|>numbers
>|>|>>|>of
>|>|>>|>>files. I currently use a Dell Dimension 4400
2Mhz,
>|>|>512
>|>|>>|>MB
>|>|>>|>>RAM, 2x80GB HDD, Win XP Home Edition SP1.
>|>|>>|>>
>|>|>>|>>Thanks in advance.
>|>|>>|>>.
>|>|>>|>>
>|>|>>|>.
>|>|>>|>
>|>|>>|
>|>|>>
>|>|>>.
>|>|>>Hey, I found this in the "photos" BBS.
>|>|> . Reply (E-mail) Forward (E-mail)
>|>|>
>|>|> Subject: Re: weird thumbs action in folder view
>|>|> From: "Rich Touart" <rtouart@touart.com> Sent:
>|>|>12/7/2003 9:18:47 AM
>|>|>
>|>|>
>|>|>
>|>|>
>|>|>"Rich Touart" <rtouart@touart.com> wrote in message
>|>|>news:upueSqNvDHA.2352@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>|>|>> Thumbnails take a long time (up to 1 min.) to
display
>|>|in
>|>|>folder view
>|>|>> and act erratically. Please see the image at
>|>|>> http://www.touart.com/images/weirdthumbs2.jpg
>|>|>>
>|>|>> I have reformatted and reinstalled Win XP. I have
>|>|>changed video cards
>|>|>> from Nvidia to ATI Radeon and I have tried
different
>|>|>monitors.
>|>|>>
>|>|>> Any input appreciated, thanks
>|>|>>
>|>|>> Rich
>|>|>> http://www.touart.com
>|>|>>
>|>|>I found the answer in an earlier post from John
Inzer.
>|>|>Thanks!
>|>|>
>|>|>"Try this...right click on a .jpg file and choose
>|>|>Properties. Click the Photoshop Image tab
>|>|>and uncheck the "Generate Thumbnails" button,
>|>|>then click OK"
>|>|>
>|>|>I am a professional photographer with ten's of
>|thousands
>|>|>of jpeg files and was desperate for an answer to the
>|same
>|>|>question. You only have to do this to one file and
it
>|>|>changes them all. It really works!!!!!!!!
>|>|>
>|>|>.
>|>|>
>|>|
>|>
>|>.
>|>
>|
>
>.
>