While I'm using Windows Explorer to browse the folders and files on my PC, I find that I can open up some folders, and explorer will take ages to show the files in that folder.

My PC is quite fast, lots of RAM etc. Why is explorer so slow !?

Because its explorer. :)

You have almost certainly got some spyware/adware or other type of horrible stuff which has infected your machine.

Originally posted by Mooseyb
Because its explorer. :)
100% correct in every way, go to the top of the class!

Could be any number of things...

- Highly fragmented drive
- Something using up a high proportion of your systems resources
- Some software (search bar possibly) that still has remnants in the registry trying to load up files that don't exist anymore...

The usual scan, update, etc... seems to be in order.

A HijackThis log might provide some clues too.

Originally posted by Martin_s
Could be any number of things...

- Highly fragmented drive
- Something using up a high proportion of your systems resources
- Some software (search bar possibly) that still has remnants in the registry trying to load up files that don't exist anymore...

The usual scan, update, etc... seems to be in order.

A HijackThis log might provide some clues too.

Thanks Martin.

I've just run Spyware Seek and Destroy, so I'm quite sure spyware is at a minimum.

Not done a defrag for months though ... will report back after a defrag.

What's in the folders that it slows down on - any media files?

Originally posted by fnkysknky
What's in the folders that it slows down on - any media files?

Nope, it's just source code files (relatively small). Other folders of a simular nature open straight away.

:(

Originally posted by Jamie
Nope, it's just source code files (relatively small). Other folders of a simular nature open straight away.

:(
Ah....

Ok.. that might be why... if it's stuff like vbs code, etc... then you could just be seeing a lot of anti-virus checking activity, as obviously code is a main vector for virus infection.

Originally posted by Martin_s
Ah....

Ok.. that might be why... if it's stuff like vbs code, etc... then you could just be seeing a lot of anti-virus checking activity, as obviously code is a main vector for virus infection.

It's 'C' code Martin.

The folder contains 142 files (.c .s .h .o and project files) ... a total of 15 MB (also includes some zips and GBA rom images).

Funny thing is, that when I click on the same folder a second time, it opens straight away !!! :suspect:

Think it may soon be time to do a clean install of XP.

I found out that if you delete a folder and create a new one, the slowlessness dissapears, do copy paste the folder's content before though ;).

That's one of the merry things that make Window$ so detestable ;).

Originally posted by Jamie
It's 'C' code Martin.

Funny thing is, that when I click on the same folder a second time, it opens straight away !!! :suspect:


That'll be the indexing service doing it's job!. The Indexing service puts a 'bookmark' on a page or a file when you open it. Then when you want to open it again, your pc knows where to look straight away;) .

I would agree with a good Defrag!. If you are using XP i have a couple of tips.
1. Defrag in safe mode....This means the Defrag can scan parts of your HD that would normally be taken up by programs running.
2. Reduce your page file to 0.... This will let the Defrag scan the area of HD normally taken up by the Page file.

Or you could download Diskeeper9 (30 day trial). This is a brilliant Defrag program and you can set it to do a boot Defrag so you are getting a Defrag before ANY program is running.

Good point that actually vidster - first thing I always do when I've installed Windows on any machine is disable the indexing service - never found a use for it and it slows the machine.