Win7 64-bit Explorer Sluggish

[ChrisGreaves]

Apologies for the long post; I'm unsure of what might be relevant information to help with this query.

It's only been a week, so probably something I've done, but over the past 3 days Windows Explorer (6.1 Build 7600) has been depressingly slow.

I open Explorer to my default folder "C:\Windows\explorer.exe /e,T:\Greaves\admin\rebuild" and the cursor changes to the rotating circle (I must find out its proper name) for about ten seconds, although it seems like a minute.

Task manager shows Explorer soaking up 89% of the CPU:-

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Explorer itself shows the search bar in action. I confess that i neither know nor like this new search bar (search any forum for "stick-in-the-mud" )

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I found this post which suggests "Make sure "Automatically search for network folders and printers" is not checked", but I do not see that option in my options box:

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I timidly tried the option in www.how-to-geek, but that didn't seem to remove the sluggishness, apart from which I occasionally like to search for files, so I have checked it OFF, then checked it back on again.
And rebooted since then ...

Fixing Explorer is my "Win7 project for the day", although there's no real urgency. I feel sure I must have corrupted something, because I don't see a great many complaints here or elsewhere about Explorer's sluggishness.

[JoeP]

Have you done any tweaking of Windows settings? Have you used any system cleaning programs (i.e. Ccleaner)? Have you disabled and then reenabled Windows search?

Joe

[HansV]

The "Automatically search for network folders and printers" option is for Windows 7 Professional, not Home.

Did you install new software, in particular system utilities?

[HansV]

Have you disabled and then reenabled Windows search?

Joe, that's exactly what Chris described in his post:

I timidly tried the option in www.how-to-geek, but that didn't seem to remove the sluggishness, apart from which I occasionally like to search for files, so I have checked it OFF, then checked it back on again.
And rebooted since then ...

[viking33]

Chris,
Just a LITTLE off subject but a very handy option to use under Folder Options is "Use check boxes to select items." If you hover over a file, for example, it will bring up a check box that you can use to select one item and then go on to another in order to select multiple files and not have to left or right click them or use Ctrl key.

[viking33]

Fixing Explorer is my "Win7 project for the day", although there's no real urgency. I feel sure I must have corrupted something, because I don't see a great many complaints here or elsewhere about Explorer's sluggishness.
--------------------------------------------
Another thing you might try if you suspect system file corruption.
Start>Run> Enter will bring up a black "DOS" type box.
Type in SFC /scannow ( make sure the space is there between the sfc and the forward slash )
It will start a rather lengthy scan of your system files and will ask for your Win 7 DVD if it finds some to replace. It's always a good procedure to use and keep in mind, if some little gremlin gets into your system.

[ChrisGreaves]

H1 Joe, and thanks for the checklist/catechism!

Have you done any tweaking of Windows settings?

As little as possible.
I got my fingers burned by trying to customize Windows 7 before I really knew what I was doing (I still don't feel I know what I am doing). At that time I reinstalled from the recovery partition and have restricted my tweakings. I might still have an outstanding problem with permissions.
I generally browse the web and read a half-dozen essays on e.g. "How to inhibit Autoplay", and then choose the solution that works through Win7's GUI.

Have you used any system cleaning programs (i.e. Ccleaner)?

Not one. For reasons outlined above. I figure that with a 90GB free space on drive C I ought not to treat cleanup as a high priority.

Have you disabled and then re-enabled Windows search?

Yes. This I did after a browse of the web. I ignored the fixes that suggested hacking the registry and went with the straight-forward GUI form solution.
I've hacked the WinXP registry, but I don't feel confident, yet, about hacking Win7.
In disabling Windows Search I knew I'd be deprived of "search", but figured that that simple tweak was worth the discovery process. That is, If disabling Search resolved the sluggishness it might be worth it, but the sluggishness was not resolved, so I checked it back on.

My comment about "Win7 project for the day" relates to reining in my desire to get everything working now and instead to try one small change each day, until I've worked out what goes on.

[ChrisGreaves]

... option is for Windows 7 Professional, not Home.

Sheesh! I can't even get out of my depth properly (grin)

Did you install new software, in particular system utilities?

No, Hans, I did/have not.
At least, nothing terribly novel.
Revo Uninstaller, clients like Firefox, Thunderbird.
On reflection, I'm not sure that I understand what you mean by "system utilities".
I'm still working on getting my regular production runs to work, e.g. getting Outlook 2002 to emit emails, setting up a printer for 2-up printing etc.
Here's what Revo sees right now in terms of application software:

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[ChrisGreaves]

"Use check boxes to select items."

Bob, thanks for this; duly filed away with reverence for future reference.
(Two hours later) The check boxes have invaded my Word 2002 File Open dialogue box, and I am finding them distracting. My eye is drawn to them when they appear scant milliseconds after the dialogue box is populated.

[JoeP]

Is Windows Search finished indexing? You can check by going to Start and typing "index options" (without the quotation marks) in the search bar. Click on "Indexing options".

Joe

[ChrisGreaves]

Type in SFC /scannow

Thanks Bob.
About 10 minutes in all:
"Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations."

Nonetheless this might be a nifty little DOS batch file to run at reboot, say, once a week?
You know how I love DOS!

[ChrisGreaves]

Click on "Indexing options".

Hmmmm!
:strokes chin:
I thought that I had turned Indexing OFF.
Puzzling that only 690 items are indexed. I would have expected 23,000 or some large number, indicating all files on my system. But 690?

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I see that under "Advanced Options" both check-boxes are OFF ("Index Encrypted Files" and "Treat similar words ...").
I see that under "File Types" all check-boxes are ON ("Index Properties Only"), which suggests that perhaps I, or some renegade operating system which shall remain unnamed, have managed to turn indexing back on.

I await instruction from my superiors before making changes exploring the Modify button!

As an aside, I have MSE set to run a Quick Scan at 2 a.m., so if I am up at 4am and Explorer is sluggish I tend to assume that MSE is still doing the night run. That is, I'm trying to give a fair shake to known overheads.

[ChrisGreaves]

Start>Run> Enter will bring up a black "DOS" type box.

Since you mention it, I haven't seen the Run box, and I miss it greatly.
I used to: Ctrl-Esc R mspaint.exe
Now I have to type mspaint into the search box, then let go the keyboard, find the mouse, slide, and click.

P.S. I hope you don't mind me correcting the typo in your smiley-of-choice.

[JoeP]

For the run box use Win+R. You can also customize the Start Orb - right click the Start orb, select Properties. On the "Start Menu" tab, click "Customize", Scroll down and "check" the box next to "Run" to add the Run command to the Start menu.

Joe

[ChrisGreaves]

... the box next to "Run" to add the Run command to the Start menu.

Joe, I'm so happy that I just picked up one of the cats and gave it a cuddle.

Just be glad that you weren't sitting alongside my chair ...

[Argus]

Since you mention it, I haven't seen the Run box, and I miss it greatly.
I used to: Ctrl-Esc R mspaint.exe
Now I have to type mspaint into the search box, then let go the keyboard, find the mouse, slide, and click.

I don't know if I'm missing something here, Chris. If I type something in the search box on the Start menu and Windows finds it and puts it at the top, I just hit Enter, or if not selected, I move up and down quite quickly with the arrow keys, no need for a mouse.

As for the Run command, even if it's not present on the Start menu, Winkey-R brings up the dialogue box (unless it's been disabled by policy etc.), as Joe mentioned. And I thought you wanted to avoid using the mouse, so if one is used to Winkey-R there is no change in MO. True, if there is no Winkey, and one has to use Ctrl-Esc, it does matter very much if there is a Run command present on the menu, or not.

[ChrisGreaves]

I don't know if I'm missing something here,

I think you are, Argus; you're thinking too highly of me.(grin)
Both your suggestions work just fine.
It's me who has never got around to using the "Win" key (what a dream that is!) and turned into some kind of novice-user with Win7.
I saw something I didn't understand, and reached for the mouse!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

"Windows finds it and puts it at the top, I just hit Enter, "
Spot-on. Thanks.

"Winkey-R brings up the dialogue box " Ditto.

Suddenly I feel quite modern. I've even found a page of WinKey shortcuts

[Argus]

It's me who has never got around to using the "Win" key...

Suddenly I feel quite modern.

The first months with a winkey-keyboard(?), some 10 years ago or a bit more, I too was so accustomed using Ctrl-Esc that it took some time changing habits (and before that I felt a little behind the times and the rest of the world in the post-win9x era, but I did find my way around the OS, moving to the tray etc. via the keyboard without a winkey.

On the other hand, I was quite early with some other hardware, such as a MS IntelliMouse [with a scroll wheel ] and at the time Excel 7 (Office 95) didn't support it, so one had to use some extra software/drivers. But a year later, or so, I was behind again, since Office 97 had native support for the wheel (well, 97 RTM'd some months after the IntelliMouse, but it took some time before it became common). At least until I upgraded Office.

[ChrisGreaves]

Is Windows Search finished indexing?

(later) There is some indexing going on.
I am running a Word2002 VBA job, and issued a doc.saveAs which fired up the message "word cannot complete the save due to a file permission errorr".
A Google search delivered this Microsft kb page which states in part "This problem can occur when the Index Server has catalogued the Word documents."

The recommended solution is to download and install SP3 for Office 2002.
But I did that two days ago!
(later still) My fault, I appear to have a CR/LF in the filename string:

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[ChrisGreaves]

I await instruction from my superiors before making changes exploring the Modify button!

... and no-one having told me not to, I tried "Modify" just now:-I thought I'd have a shot at removing these few folders from the Indexing corrall.
Clicking Modify brought up an immediate response that my Outlook installation has a problem. Judging from the icon, it appears to be Outlook2010 that's a problem.
The trial version of Office 2010 is present on this machine, but is not activated.
I do have Outlook 2002 operational from my office 2002 SP3 installation.

Now I wonder if the Indexing service is spending 10 seconds struggling with Outlook 2010 every time I switch folders in Explorer?

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