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Thread: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

  1. #1

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    Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    I have a number of problems with File Explorer on my new laptop (Zenbook running Windows 10; 64 bit):

    1. Sometimes when File Explorer is already open and I navigate to a new folder, the address bar (which is normally white) acts as a progress bar (it becomes green on the left and the green part gradually progresses to the right end of the address bar, and once finished, the whole address bar turns white again. So far, I guess, that is normal as I see this phenomenon in other computers too, for example in my desktop computer. But in my laptop, this progress bar usually takes much more time to complete. It is slower than normal.

    2. When "View" is set to "Large icons", it is supposed to show the thumbnails of all songs and movies, but very often, it shows the thumbnails of just SOME of the movies (not all of them). For other movies and video files it shows the standard icon for mp4 (or other) video file types.
    When this happens, I press Alt+UpArrow to go to the parent folder, then press Enter to come back to the subfolder. Then it shows the thumbnails of ALL movies.
    This problem happens quite a lot with my new laptop, but I have never had this problem with my desktop computer.

    3. If a folder has for example 56 files, on the bottom left it says 56 items. Then I press Alt+UpArrow to go to the parent folder, (which has for example 12 subfolders), it STILL continues to show 56 items on the bottom left of File Explorer for 5 to 6 seconds, and only after 5 to 6 seconds it shows "12 items". In other words, it updates that piece of info with a delay of 5 to 6 seconds (which is unacceptably too high)

    4. In the recycle bin, when I click on "Empty Recycle bin" it always empties the recycle bin properly, but sometimes FALSELY shows some files left in there. It is a FALSE show. If I close the recycle bin and re-open it, it correctly shows that the recycle bin is empty.

    I really don't understand why the new laptop has these problems. The entire hard disk is Solid-State and its size is 256 GB. Thogh I usually attach several external hard disks to it as well, and those external hard disks, I guess, are not solid state.
    I don't have any third party anti virus or any heavy process running. It only runs Windows Defender.
    And no unnecessary process in the startup.
    I ran sfc /scannot (while external hard disks were attached) and it found no errors.
    Also Windows Search Service is running and is set to Automatic (Delayed start).

    So, why do these problems happen?
    And how can I fix them?

    Please advise.
    Thanks.

  2. #2
    Administrator Steve R Jones's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Seek out the file called IconCache.db located in Users\Your User Name\AppData\Local and delete it.

    It will get recreated and should help overall performance in File Explorer.
    Wi-fi went down for five minutes, so I had to talk to my family....They seem like nice people.

  3. #3

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve R Jones View Post
    Seek out the file called IconCache.db located in Users\Your User Name\AppData\Local and delete it.

    It will get recreated and should help overall performance in File Explorer.
    Thanks for the advice.
    I did that (on saturday), but it helped just a little bit.
    File Explorer is still slow on my laptop.

    Other symptoms that I forgot to mention in post #1:

    5. When I play a video, the thumbnail of that video in File Explorer will have a grey rim (which is normal and expected):
    https://i.imgur.com/GVN7cEy.jpg
    And when that video plays to the end and I close Windows Media Player, that rim must IMMEDIATELY turn light blue:
    https://i.imgur.com/izMlSOx.jpg
    But it continues to be grey for another 5 to 6 seconds, and only after 5 to 6 seconds will it become light blue again.
    During those 5 to 6 seconds, if I press the arrow keys I cannot navigate to other videos. Only after 5 to 6 seconds when that rim becomes light blue can I use arrow keys.
    That delay of 5 to 6 seconds is really unacceptable.

    6. If I move a file (Cut and paste within two instances of File Explorer or even one instance of File Explorer), that famous little window appears that shows the progress of the move with a graphic green chart that moves from zero to the end.
    This is normal and expected, but that little window remains at zero for about 5 to 6 seconds, and only after 5 to 6 seconds does it quickly move from zero to the end.
    That initial delay of 5 to 6 seconds is really abnormal.

    These two new symptoms that I mentioned here did not happen as result of me deleting that file IconCache.db
    These two symptoms already existed when I started this thread, but I just forgot to mention them in post #1
    I am mentioning them in here in hopes that they may ring a bell and somebody may help with this strange problem.

    Out of the 4 symptoms that I mentioned in post #1, the first three syptoms continue to exist.
    Deleting that file IconCache.db eliminated symptom 4 (regarding the recycle bin)

    Please advise.
    Thanks.

  4. #4
    Fanatic Member 2kaud's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    At the point of the delay, does Task Manager/Processes show any unusual cpu/disk activity for a process?
    All advice is offered in good faith only. You are ultimately responsible for the effects of your programs and the integrity of the machines they run on. Anything I post, code snippets, advice, etc is licensed as Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

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  5. #5

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by 2kaud View Post
    At the point of the delay, does Task Manager/Processes show any unusual cpu/disk activity for a process?
    Thanks for your response.
    No. the Task Manager doesn't show any unusual cpu or disk or memory usage. Everything looks normal.

    But, the problem (all the symptoms that I explained in Posts #1 and #3) persists.

    I really don't know how to fix this.
    Please help
    Thanks.

  6. #6
    PowerPoster PlausiblyDamp's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by IliaPreston View Post
    Thanks for your response.
    No. the Task Manager doesn't show any unusual cpu or disk or memory usage. Everything looks normal.

    But, the problem (all the symptoms that I explained in Posts #1 and #3) persists.

    I really don't know how to fix this.
    Please help
    Thanks.
    Was this a clean install of Windows or is it using whatever version was installed by the manufacturer? If the latter then it could be down to a shell extension installed by some of the bundled software that is causing this issue.

    In the past I have had similar issues with bundled DVD player / burner software and crappy media players. It might be worth installing something like https://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ and getting it to remove anything you don't recognise. If you are more technically minded then https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sys...loads/autoruns can also be a really good tool for preventing things loading as shell extensions or autorunning, it is quite low level though.

  7. #7
    Fanatic Member 2kaud's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    delay of 5 to 6 seconds
    This could be a time-out. Something is trying to access something it can't (possibly via the network?) and is waiting for what it wants to become available and then after 5-6 seconds abandons the wait.

    Though I usually attach several external hard disks to it as well
    This might be part of the problem if they aren't all attached and the OS thinks they are - or if different disks are attached at different times etc etc. Have you tried a full shutdown/poweroff/restart without any external devices attached. Does that improve? Does Device Manager indicate any issues? Does Disc Management show the expected volumes and drive letters?

    Have you used wireshark to examine network traffic to see what is happening on the network during these 5-6 seconds? Has a request been issued for which a response is awaited?
    All advice is offered in good faith only. You are ultimately responsible for the effects of your programs and the integrity of the machines they run on. Anything I post, code snippets, advice, etc is licensed as Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

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  8. #8

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by 2kaud View Post
    ...
    Does Device Manager indicate any issues? Does Disc Management show the expected volumes and drive letters?
    ...
    Disc Management
    How do I open Disc Management?
    I can't find it.
    When I click on the start menu and type Disc Management or Disc Manager, it doesn't find it.

    Device Manager
    I clicked on Start menu and typed Device Manager and opened it.
    But, in there (in Device Manager), I don't know how to look for any sign of trouble or anything malfunctioning.
    What item in there should I expand?
    How should I look for problems in there?

    Please advise.
    Thanks.

  9. #9
    Fanatic Member 2kaud's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Device Manager - If there were any problems you would see yellow or red icons next the item.

    Disc Management - This is part of Computer Management.
    All advice is offered in good faith only. You are ultimately responsible for the effects of your programs and the integrity of the machines they run on. Anything I post, code snippets, advice, etc is licensed as Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

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  10. #10

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by 2kaud View Post
    This could be a time-out. Something is trying to access something it can't (possibly via the network?) and is waiting for what it wants to become available and then after 5-6 seconds abandons the wait.

    This might be part of the problem if they aren't all attached and the OS thinks they are - or if different disks are attached at different times etc etc. Have you tried a full shutdown/poweroff/restart without any external devices attached. Does that improve? Does Device Manager indicate any issues? Does Disc Management show the expected volumes and drive letters?

    Have you used wireshark to examine network traffic to see what is happening on the network during these 5-6 seconds? Has a request been issued for which a response is awaited?
    Device manager:
    Shows no yellow or red icon next to any device.
    Particularly, I expand the item named "Disk drives". In there there are three sub-items:
    Micron_1100_MTFDDAV256TBN
    Seagate BUP BK SCSIDisk Device
    WD My Passport 0827 USB Device
    and there is no red or yellow icon next to any of these three icons

    Disk management
    Disk management also shows all three hard disks and shows their sizes and volume letters (C, E and D) correctly and describes all three of them as "Healthy"
    It shows:
    OS (C
    MyPpt (E
    SgHdd (D

    Please note that I have renamed both hard disks because their original names that showed in File Explorer were too long:
    I renamed "My Passport" to "MyPpt"
    I renamed "Seagate" something to "SgHdd"
    I don't think this renaming could have caused this problem.

    Wireshark:
    I have not tried this, because I think it is not necessary, because the problem happens with all its symptoms and all its intensity even when I work completely offline (no wifi or wired Internet)
    Therefore I don't believe that this problem has anything to do with network

    PC Decrapifier:
    I downloaded the pc decrapifier from the link that you provided (https://www.pcdecrapifier.com/) and the file name is pc-decrapifier-3.0.1.exe
    When I double-click on this exe file, that famous Windows' little dialoge box shows that asks me
    "Do you want to allow this app from an unknown publisher to make changes to your device?"
    pc-decrapifier-3.0.1.exe
    Publisher: Unknown
    File origin: Hard drive on this computer
    I click "Yes"
    Then a window pops up that is PERFECTLY blank (the whole window except the titlebar is white. The titlebar is blue, but it has no text either)
    So, it is completely blank!!!
    Task Manager shows Disk activity of The PC Decrapifier (32 bit) to be zero (0 MB/s)
    I don't know why it says "Unknown publisher". That is a bit unusual. Isn't this software from a reputable company?

    Working without external hard disks:
    I shut down the laptop, removed the external hard disks, and turned it on again working only with Disk C (internal hard disk)
    I am not sure about the result.
    Symptom #5 that I explained in Post #3 (with screen prints) definitely exists.
    Symptom #6 that I explained in Post #3 (little progress window staying at zero for 5 to 6 seconds before proceeding at normal speed to 100%): Not sure if this symptom happens with no hard disks attached because I have very few files on the internal hard disk.
    I tried to copy or move them around, and that little window didn't even show up (the move or even the copy took place at normal (that is at super fast) speed!). But I can't say for sure that this symptom doesn't happen with no external hard disk attached, because I have only a few files on the internal hard disk (It is a new laptop; I just bought it last month)
    Please help

    Thanks.

  11. #11
    Fanatic Member 2kaud's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    because the problem happens with all its symptoms and all its intensity even when I work completely offline
    If a program is trying to access a particular on-line resource, then whether you work off-line or on-line with the resource not available, the result will be the same - a potential delay of several seconds can occur whilst the attempted network access time-outs.
    All advice is offered in good faith only. You are ultimately responsible for the effects of your programs and the integrity of the machines they run on. Anything I post, code snippets, advice, etc is licensed as Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

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  12. #12
    PowerPoster PlausiblyDamp's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by IliaPreston View Post
    PC Decrapifier:
    I downloaded the pc decrapifier from the link that you provided (https://www.pcdecrapifier.com/) and the file name is pc-decrapifier-3.0.1.exe
    When I double-click on this exe file, that famous Windows' little dialoge box shows that asks me
    "Do you want to allow this app from an unknown publisher to make changes to your device?"
    pc-decrapifier-3.0.1.exe
    Publisher: Unknown
    File origin: Hard drive on this computer
    I click "Yes"
    Then a window pops up that is PERFECTLY blank (the whole window except the titlebar is white. The titlebar is blue, but it has no text either)
    So, it is completely blank!!!
    Task Manager shows Disk activity of The PC Decrapifier (32 bit) to be zero (0 MB/s)
    I don't know why it says "Unknown publisher". That is a bit unusual. Isn't this software from a reputable company?
    Running it on the PC here gives the same warning but it launches correctly, the windows has content and allows me to analyse my local PC just fine. Not sure why yours is behaving differently but it could be another symptom of whatever problem you are having. It might be worth seeing what shell extensions you have installed and removing any you don't use.

  13. #13

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by PlausiblyDamp View Post
    Was this a clean install of Windows or is it using whatever version was installed by the manufacturer? If the latter then it could be down to a shell extension installed by some of the bundled software that is causing this issue.

    In the past I have had similar issues with bundled DVD player / burner software and crappy media players. It might be worth installing something like https://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ and getting it to remove anything you don't recognise. If you are more technically minded then https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sys...loads/autoruns can also be a really good tool for preventing things loading as shell extensions or autorunning, it is quite low level though.
    Once again, thanks for the help and advice.

    PC Decrapifier:
    I ran it several times and finally it worked.
    I deleted the following five items via PC Decrapifier:
    ASUS GIFTBOX
    WinFlash
    ASUS Live Update
    ASUS Splendid Video Enhancement Technology
    ASUS USB Charger Plus
    Then I fully shut down my laptop (instead of setting it to sleep or hibernate mode), and a minute later turned it on again.
    Result: No improvement happened. The problem persists!

    Then I downloaded Autoruns:
    I ran the 64-bit version called "Autoruns64.exe" because my laptop is 64-bit.
    Here is the result:
    https://ufile.io/t88hp
    The password is:12345
    (I tried to attach the rar file directly to this post, but it identified it as invalid file type and didn't upload it. I then tried to attach the arn file (without compacting it into a rar file) directly to this post, and the upload stoped half-way through, so I uploaded the file externally) (I really don't understand why the files (i.e. .rar or .arn didn't upload directly to this post)).
    This result shows that there are some yellow lines (missing files). Do these missing files cause my problems?
    This result also shows some red or pink lines, but doesn't elaborate as to why they are red/pink.
    Could these red/pink lines cause my problems?

    Not sure what I should do.
    Please help.

    Thanks.
    Ilia

  14. #14
    PowerPoster PlausiblyDamp's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    I notice you have something from McAfee installed, I would tend to uninstall anything of theirs on principle. Personally I have never had a good experience with any of their products.

    It might be worth disabling or unistalling some of the anti-malware products (even as a test) as these things often try to access all the files in a folder when you use explorer as part of their security checks - this can often be the cause of slowdowns and hangs (especially if they are also trying to do anything online as part of the checks).

    In fact looking through the list you seem to be running McAfee, CCleaner, Super Anti Spyware, Intel Security, and Windows Defender - there is a chance that all of these applications will be scanning files everytime you open a folder.

  15. #15

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by PlausiblyDamp View Post
    I notice you have something from McAfee installed, I would tend to uninstall anything of theirs on principle. Personally I have never had a good experience with any of their products.

    It might be worth disabling or unistalling some of the anti-malware products (even as a test) as these things often try to access all the files in a folder when you use explorer as part of their security checks - this can often be the cause of slowdowns and hangs (especially if they are also trying to do anything online as part of the checks).

    In fact looking through the list you seem to be running McAfee, CCleaner, Super Anti Spyware, Intel Security, and Windows Defender - there is a chance that all of these applications will be scanning files everytime you open a folder.
    Thanks for the advice.

    1. Regarding McAfee, I will uninstall it. Thanks.

    2. Not sure about Intel Security.
    Isn't it part of Windows Defender?

    3. CCleaner and Super Anti Spyware are installed (I installed them), but I made sure they are not part of startup.
    My intention was and has been to have them as applications so that in case there is a malware infection, I could run them explicitly and let them scan and remove malware.
    I have disabled them from startup.
    Do you still believe that I should totally uninstall them?

    4. I have also installed MalwareBytes (for the same reason) and disabled it from startup.
    Should I uninstall that too?

    Thanks.

  16. #16
    PowerPoster PlausiblyDamp's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by IliaPreston View Post
    Thanks for the advice.

    1. Regarding McAfee, I will uninstall it. Thanks.

    2. Not sure about Intel Security.
    Isn't it part of Windows Defender?

    3. CCleaner and Super Anti Spyware are installed (I installed them), but I made sure they are not part of startup.
    My intention was and has been to have them as applications so that in case there is a malware infection, I could run them explicitly and let them scan and remove malware.
    I have disabled them from startup.
    Do you still believe that I should totally uninstall them?

    4. I have also installed MalwareBytes (for the same reason) and disabled it from startup.
    Should I uninstall that too?

    Thanks.
    2. I think it is a separate application to Windows Defender, although I could be wrong. I know I run Defender and Intel Security doesn't show up on the laptop.

    3 & 4 - It might be worth uninstalling them, rebooting and checking they are gone just to see if it addresses the problem. If uninstalling them makes no difference then you can always reinstall, if uninstalling solves your issue then you may want to add them back one at a time and see which one breaks things.

  17. #17

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by PlausiblyDamp View Post
    2. I think it is a separate application to Windows Defender, although I could be wrong. I know I run Defender and Intel Security doesn't show up on the laptop.

    3 & 4 - It might be worth uninstalling them, rebooting and checking they are gone just to see if it addresses the problem. If uninstalling them makes no difference then you can always reinstall, if uninstalling solves your issue then you may want to add them back one at a time and see which one breaks things.
    Thanks for the advice.

    In the Autoruns output (that i attached to post #13) there is one reference to McAfee, but when I go to control panel to uninstall McAfee, there is no McAfee there because when I bought this laptop last month, I uninstalled everything McAfee related at that time. No McAfee item shows up in control panel list of installed programs.

    So, why is there that reference to McAfee in the autoruns output?
    And how can I get rid of what is left of McAfee?

    Also, I uninstalled CCleaner, Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware today, and after shutting down and turning the laptop on again, I see that the problem is still in there.
    No improvement has happened.

    And, when I take a look at that Autoruns output, I see that there are some yellow lines that say "File not found"
    Do these yellow lines indicate any problem?
    How should I deal with them?

    How about those red/pink lines?
    What should I do with those red/pink lines?

    Please advise.
    Thanks.
    Ilia

  18. #18
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    One of the reasons I dislike McAfee is that not only did I not find it doing a good job but it was also really difficult to remove all traces after an uninstall.

    It might be tricky to completely uninstall some of these things but with autoruns if you untick the box next to an item it will disable it, so although the files might still be on disk at least it isn't loading or running them anymore.

    The ones that say "file not found" shouldn't be causing an issue, although I tend to untick them as well - I just feel better about it

    It might be worth looknig at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sys...nloads/procmon and seeing if you can use that to identify any long delays, might at least give a hint as to where the problem lies.

  19. #19

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by PlausiblyDamp View Post
    ...

    It might be worth looknig at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sys...nloads/procmon and seeing if you can use that to identify any long delays, might at least give a hint as to where the problem lies.
    Thanks for the advice.

    I just downloaded, unpacked and ran this process monitor on my desktop computer just to see what it is.
    My desktop computer does not have any problem, but I am first trying this ProcMon on it just to figure out what this application is. Once I become familiar with it, I will run it on my laptop.

    But, how does this process actually help me pinpoint the cause of the delays in Windows Explorer?
    What should I do with it and when looking at the results that it shows what should I look for?

    Also, a side issue is that when I go to this process monitor's Help menu, and click on the first menu item "Help ..." it shows a little message saying "Unable to open help file":
    https://i.imgur.com/hg2qF00.jpg
    Please note that the package that I downloded contains three files:
    Eula.txt
    procmon.chm (I think this should be the help file)
    Procmon.exe
    And I have placed all three of these files in one same folder.
    So, why is it unable to open the help file?
    Please advise.

    Thanks again for the help.

  20. #20
    Fanatic Member 2kaud's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    All advice is offered in good faith only. You are ultimately responsible for the effects of your programs and the integrity of the machines they run on. Anything I post, code snippets, advice, etc is licensed as Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

    C++23 Compiler: Microsoft VS2022 (17.6.5)

  21. #21

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Thanks again for the help and advice.

    I just downloaded Process Monitor (as you recommended) onto my laptop computer, and recreated one of the symptoms while ProcMon was running.
    But, I don't know how to interpret it and track down the cause of the problem.
    It shows a whole lot of events, registry keys, etc. Really a lot, but nothing particularly catches my eyes as the cause of the problem, because anything that at first glance may arise my suspicion, exists in a similar ProcMon output done on a good computer (my desktop computer) that does not have this problem too.

    Here is a copy of the result from the computer that DOES have the problem (my Laptop):
    http://www101.zippyshare.com/v/8nIFUbgf/file.html

    In there, there are a whole lot of results like:
    Name Not Found
    File Locked with only readers
    etc.
    But, I see similar results on another computer (my desktop computer) that does not have any problem too.
    (I have not saved any ProcMon output from my desktop computer.)

    I hope somebody in here can find the cause of the problem in it.

    Please note that:
    First of all: This test applies to Symtom #5 (mentioned in Post #3; I repeat it in here):
    When I play a video, the thumbnail of that video in File Explorer will have a grey rim (which is normal and expected):
    https://i.imgur.com/GVN7cEy.jpg
    And when that video plays to the end and I close Windows Media Player, that rim must IMMEDIATELY turn light blue:
    https://i.imgur.com/izMlSOx.jpg
    But it continues to be grey for another 5 to 6 seconds, and only after 5 to 6 seconds will it become light blue again.
    During those 5 to 6 seconds, if I press the arrow keys I cannot navigate to other videos. Only after 5 to 6 seconds when that rim becomes light blue can I use arrow keys.
    That delay of 5 to 6 seconds is really unacceptable.
    And secondly, I have tried to capture only the ProcMon output for the duration of the problem (with a little bit before and a little bit after it). The whole duration is approximately 10 to 15 seconds, but it contains numerous lines.
    I started ProcMon, then immediately, opened a video, then after one or two seconds, closed that video, and observed the problem (several seconds of gray rim). Once the problem ended (light blue rim appeared) I Saved the ProcMon output and closed ProcMon.
    So, the log file should not contain a lot of unrelated stuff.

    Can somebody please take a look at this log file and see if you can track down the cause of the problem?
    Thanks a lot for the help.
    Regards.
    Ilia

  22. #22

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Any help on this issue will be greatly appreciated.
    I have attached the Process Monitor result file to the previous post (Post #21).
    I just don't know how to find the source of the problem in it and how to solve it.
    Can anybody please help?
    Thanks.

  23. #23
    Fanatic Member 2kaud's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    The version of .pml file posted is incompatible with the version of procmon used here - so I can't load it and have a look. Sorry.

    As per my post #7, I'm still leaning towards this being a network time-out issue of some kind. If this is the case, you'll need to use Wireshark to examine the network traffic.
    All advice is offered in good faith only. You are ultimately responsible for the effects of your programs and the integrity of the machines they run on. Anything I post, code snippets, advice, etc is licensed as Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

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  24. #24
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by IliaPreston View Post
    Any help on this issue will be greatly appreciated.
    I have attached the Process Monitor result file to the previous post (Post #21).
    I just don't know how to find the source of the problem in it and how to solve it.
    Can anybody please help?
    Thanks.
    There doesn't seem to be anything that leaps out in the procmon trace, very few things seem to have a duration of more than a few hundredths of a second and even the longer ones aren't too bad - not sure why it should be taking 20 seconds or so to get things done.

  25. #25

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by 2kaud View Post
    The version of .pml file posted is incompatible with the version of procmon used here - so I can't load it and have a look. Sorry.

    As per my post #7, I'm still leaning towards this being a network time-out issue of some kind. If this is the case, you'll need to use Wireshark to examine the network traffic.
    Thanks a lot.
    I just downloaded the 64-bit setup for WireShark from "https://www.wireshark.org/" and installed it on my desktop computer.
    My Desktop computer does not have any problems, but I just want to experiment with this WireShark before actually using it on my laptop.

    I installed this 64-bit Wireshark, and then I am running it, but, I don't know how to use it to pinpoint any problems.
    It is showing a page that is almost empty.
    Here is a screen print:
    https://i.imgur.com/dYCdVUT.jpg

    Can you please tell me what to do with this WireShark in order to pinpoint any problems?

    Thanks a lot.
    Ilia

  26. #26
    Fanatic Member 2kaud's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Wireshark is not the most intuitive program. Have you read the User Guide (Help/Contents) - or the on-line guide (https://www.wireshark.org/docs/wsug_html/). I suggest you do as you may have to set things up before you can capture the required packets.

    On the welcome page, select the required connection (left click - or CTRL-left click to select multiple connections) then Capture/Start. If Start is not enabled then Wireshark isn't set-up properly. On my computer when showing VB forums, Wireshark showed the network traffic fine.
    Last edited by 2kaud; Feb 12th, 2018 at 06:43 AM.
    All advice is offered in good faith only. You are ultimately responsible for the effects of your programs and the integrity of the machines they run on. Anything I post, code snippets, advice, etc is licensed as Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

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  27. #27
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Could be lots of things from a bad malware infestation to a dying SSD. If the SSD is now full of bad blocks and has a badly fragmented FTL full of redirections it may just be a matter of time before dies. At least you aren't running WinXP, which doesn't understand how to manage SSDs and burns them out fast.

    SSDs are not the modern wonder some think they are.

    An Overview of Pages, Blocks and FTLs in a Solid-State Drive (SSD)

    But if this is indeed a new laptop even the crap hardware ASUS foists on people shouldn't be degrading this early. Have you been doing a lot of mass copying, moving, deleting, etc?

    I have no idea why people suggest you peer into network traffic. Did I miss something? It sounded like your SSD is where the trouble is, not network shares.

  28. #28
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    I have no idea why people suggest you peer into network traffic. Did I miss something?
    From post #7

    delay of 5 to 6 seconds........
    This could be a time-out. Something is trying to access something it can't (possibly via the network?) and is waiting for what it wants to become available and then after 5-6 seconds abandons the wait.
    All advice is offered in good faith only. You are ultimately responsible for the effects of your programs and the integrity of the machines they run on. Anything I post, code snippets, advice, etc is licensed as Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

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  29. #29

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by dilettante View Post
    Could be lots of things from a bad malware infestation to a dying SSD. If the SSD is now full of bad blocks and has a badly fragmented FTL full of redirections it may just be a matter of time before dies. At least you aren't running WinXP, which doesn't understand how to manage SSDs and burns them out fast.

    SSDs are not the modern wonder some think they are.

    An Overview of Pages, Blocks and FTLs in a Solid-State Drive (SSD)

    But if this is indeed a new laptop even the crap hardware ASUS foists on people shouldn't be degrading this early. Have you been doing a lot of mass copying, moving, deleting, etc?

    I have no idea why people suggest you peer into network traffic. Did I miss something? It sounded like your SSD is where the trouble is, not network shares.
    Thanks for the comments.

    Have I been doing a lot of mass copying, moving, deleting, etc.?
    Yes, a lot indeed. Extensively.
    We receive a whole lot of files from our clients, process them, and then after each file is processed, we do one of two things:
    A. If the file is worth keeping for a while (in case a review may be needed later), we move it to external hard disks. (These are moves from SSD on the laptop to portable external electromechanical hard disks).
    B. If it is apparent that the process is final and no review is likely, we delete the file outright. This is a delete on the laptop SSD. The file is sent to the recycle bin
    At the end of the day, we do the following:
    i. We delete all the files that we have kept for more than a month. (they are sent from portable external hard disks to the recycle bin).
    Then in the end:
    ii. We empty the recycle bin.
    The files are not usual. They are binary files with extensions that are 11 digits. The first 8 digits are the daye in ISO format (yyyymmdd), and the next 3 digits are the sequence number for that day. For example a file can have the extension 20180212059
    To make a long story short, we do EXTENSIVE move files, copy files, delete files and empty recycle bin.

    After reading your post, I have a few questions please:

    1. How can I find the bad blocks on the SSD?
    Is there a way to force the computer to mark them as Do Not Use" blocks on the SSD?
    Would that even help?
    2. Why did you ask if I did a lot of move/copy/delete files?
    Does that ring a bell?
    Can this extensive file move/copy/delete be the cause of this problem?
    And if yes, then, is there a quick solution?

    Please note that with my old laptop (ASUS, Windows 7, 32-bit), I did exactly the same thing, and I did not have this problem at all.
    It is only with this new laptop (ASUS, Windows 10 64-bit) that I have this problem. The new laptop was purchased in November 2017, and has the best of Specs (8 GB memory, 256 GB SSD, 7th Gen. CPU, etc)

    Now that the issue of SSDs and file move/copy/delete came up, let me mention something.
    One of the symptoms of this problem is this:
    In the "Quick access" section of Windows Explorer (the top part of the left panel), I have added one new item called MyFiles. This item maps to "E:\Backup\MainFiles" (which is on one of the external hard disks.)
    Whenever, I click on that item ("MyFiles" in the Quick access section), it opens "E:\Backup\MainFiles"
    But, when I click on that item ("MyFiles" in the Quick access section) for the first time after a reboot, it takes 5 to 6 seconds to open "E:\Backup\MainFiles".
    This delay happens only the first time after a reboot (each and every reboot).
    Once this happens, this delay never repeats until the next reboot!
    A similar delay happens SOMETIMES when I highlight a folder or subfolder anywhere and press Enter, or double-click to open it. It takes 5 to 6 seconds to open it, but if I leave that folder and come back, this delay never repeats when trying to open that folder again. Also, most folders or subfolders do not have this delay.
    This happens occasionally and on random folders, while the previous problem ("MyFiles" in the Quick access section) always happens after a reboot.

    Does this additional explanation ring a bell?
    I hope I can finally solve this problem.
    Any help will be greatly appreciated.

    Regards.
    Ilia

  30. #30
    Fanatic Member 2kaud's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Ah. With this info I'm tending to agree with dilettante in post #27. SSDs aren't the best for extensive file manipulations. They are best for heavy reads with few deletions/changes. For computers to be used for heavy data manipulation, you'll often find an SSD for Windows, programs etc and separate mechanical disc drives for data.

    There are tools available to check the state of SSD. Have a look at https://mashtips.com/ssd-health-test...monitor-tools/
    All advice is offered in good faith only. You are ultimately responsible for the effects of your programs and the integrity of the machines they run on. Anything I post, code snippets, advice, etc is licensed as Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

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  31. #31
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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Not all SSD products are the same. As the page I linked to above says:

    Despite the challenges of properly managing data, the barriers to entry for the SSD market are low, as the components necessary to build an SSD are widely available. Unlike the hard disk drive market where there are only a few major manufacturers, the SSD market has many manufacturers, both experienced and inexperienced. If you choose to invest in SSDs, you now have some understanding of the pitfalls that can come along with the benefits they provide. Make sure to test and verify SSDs that will be used for important applications or used in any form of roll out.
    Consumer devices like laptops are likely to use lower-tier products at best. Third Party aftermarket devices chosen for capacity, nominal speed, and price are even more likely to be bottom of the barrel implementations of the technology.

    You almost can't go wrong with today's hard drives. The opposite is true of SSDs, which are pushed hard by consumer product makers because they pave over a host of ills they face. Trying to make laptops be thin, light, and have long battery life mean far more to them than capacity, durability, and long life. The quicker the SSD fries itself the quicker the rubes buy new laptops.

    So buying a higher-spec, higher-priced laptop can stave off the planned obsolescence but that is still no guarantee. Laptops are basically mass-market consumer entertainment platforms just like tablets and the dumbed down teen-friendly "smart" phones pioneered by Apple's iPhone. There are exceptions but these are now very rare.

    Look for a device with a hard drive or hybrid drive and avoid SSDs unless you are mainly playing music, videos, and games and browsing the web.

  32. #32

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    Re: Need help with File Explorer performance issues

    Quote Originally Posted by 2kaud View Post
    Ah. With this info I'm tending to agree with dilettante in post #27. SSDs aren't the best for extensive file manipulations. They are best for heavy reads with few deletions/changes. For computers to be used for heavy data manipulation, you'll often find an SSD for Windows, programs etc and separate mechanical disc drives for data.

    There are tools available to check the state of SSD. Have a look at https://mashtips.com/ssd-health-test...monitor-tools/
    Thanks for the help and advice.
    I took a look at this page that you recommended (https://mashtips.com/ssd-health-test...monitor-tools/)
    Which one of these 7 tools do you recommend that I use?

    Has anybody in here actually used any of these tools?
    Any recommendations?

    Thanks.

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