Resolved "My Computer" Opens Slow in Windows Explorer

When using Windows Explorer to work with files and folders, I have noticed that opening My Computer takes 30 to 45 seconds before you can see the various drives and subfolders. Previously, it opened within a few seconds.

I first noticed this a few weeks ago but didn't think much about it. I have been using Windows Explorer quite a bit lately and it is a bit of a nuisance. I can't recall exactly when it started or what things I have downloaded and installed in the past few weeks. I tried looking at Event Viewer but that didn't seem to help.

Any thoughts as to what may be causing this and/or what I could do to help it out?

 

Do you happen to have a disk in the CD/DVD drive?
Take it out and try again.

 

I would do the basics, Disk Cleanup (I delete Temporary Internet Files using Control Panel -> Internet Options, Disk Cleanup doesn't clean them up completely ). Run Error Checking (CHKDSK) on all the drives.

I would not rule out malware, so you might want to get a second opinion to your current antimalware.

Matt

 

Pete,

I disabled all of the non MS shell extensions and there was no change. There was one that I was couldn't disable - Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper. Don't know if that would be a problem. I will try the HD diagnostic but I can't figure out what my HD manufacturer is short of taking my HD out. Is there a way to determine this. I have looked at SIW, Belarc, and the paperwork that came with my computer and can't come up with it. Any suggestions?

ephemarial - didn't have any CDs in any of the drives.

Mattman - I had run the maintenance items as well as Malwarebytes prior to submitting this thread. I will try another malware scan. I ran CHKDSK. I left while it was running and when I came back there was no record that it had completed running and no log that I could find. So I am assuming all was well on that front.

 

For HD type – My Computer – rt click hard disk – properties – hardware tab – will show model of all disk drives

This shouldn’t delay things for time you’re saying. But it will speed things up a bit. How much will depend on number of shares across network.

My Computer – Tools – Folder Options – View.
Uncheck: Automatically search for network folders and printers.


ps - Almost fogot - if have any mapped drives - unmap them and try again

 

Do not forget to back up your registry.

 

Pete,

I was able to delete the Icon Cache but it had no effect. I didn't make a change to the Update Mode Refresh List. The values looked a bit different that what you described - see screenshot. Should I change one of those?

ephemarial - When I got to HD Manufacturer via My Computer, this is what was displayed: Manufacturer (Standard Disk Drives). Under Folder Options in Windows Explorer, the block you referenced was not checked. I don't know if I have mapped drives. If that is something I would have had to do, then I don't.

I did a System Restore before I started mucking around in the Registry.

 

I just did a check in Device Manager > Disc Drives > and mine shows the HD as ST3160212ACE - which is a Seagate Hard Drive. Google that and you'll get all the info you want.
I got the same showing in Belarc Advisor. Cheers Neil.

 

Neal,

I have attached a couple of screenshots that show what I see in Device Manager and I still don't see anything that gives me a clue as to HD Manufacturer. The Array Properties does contain a number but I got zero when I Googled the number. Thanks for the input. I think I will just wait until I shut down this evening and break open the case to look on the hard drive.

 

Ah, it's a Dell with a RAID array. To test the HDD system use the Dell utility. Look up your User/motherboard manual or go to the Dell website and find out how to check the HDD system there.

It looks like one of the Dell computers that were supplied with Windows on a RAID 0 array. I thought that was a crazy move. I don't think they supply systems like that any more.

If the RAID 0 array breaks down, you cannot repair it. MAKE SURE YOUR DATA IS BACKED UP. Your drive system might be breaking down (if one of the HDDs in a RAID 0 array "fails ", it is toast).

Matt

 

Interim Post

You haven't lost me. I'm preparing to teach a class during the next two weeks and have been reluctant to break away (and do something strange to my computer) until I get my preparation completed. I should be able to get to the task at hand in the next day or so. Arie, I have run an Acronis Image and daily data backups to an external hard drive per your note. (Alway have used Acronis in this manner but your note caused me to step up the frequency).

 

I'm back. I'm not sure the delay I experience opening My Computer is worth all the effort I am going through but in any event here is what I have done lately.

Broke open the case to look at the hard drive (s) in conjunction with a normal, periodic cleaning. Although I thought I had a (1) hard drive that was about 320GB, I have discovered that I have 2 identical hard drives, both Seagate 160 GB. According the Arie's link in Post #13, that is the set up when you are using the RAID Level 0. That's about the extent of my understanding of that topic.

I have the Seagate HD Diagnostic disc. I set about to change the boot sequence so it would boot into DOS and got a menu a bit different from what I normally see - HD, CD, Floppy. Here is the menu I saw:

• Onboard or USB CD-ROM
• Onboard of USB Floppy
• Intel Array

Just below that were the following options:

• System SetUp
• HD Diagnostics
• Boot to Utility Partition

As the latter menu contained a HD Diagnostic option I thought I would go ahead and select that since I was there. Here were the results:

• Drive 0: ST3160023AS Pass
• Drive 1: No Device
• Drive 2: ST3160023AS Pass
• Drive 3: No Device
• Drive 4: CD DVD ROM Diagnostic Not Supported
• Drive 5: DVD + RW Diagnostic Not Supported

After I ran the above diagnostic, I put the Seagate HD Diagnostic Disc in and it apparently did boot in DOS but, although the mouse pointer was inoperable, it did appear on the screen. I'm not sure it booted properly into DOS. I tried using the up and down arrows which were very slow in responding - if at all. I couldn't select any of the options using the Enter key and finally had to turn off using the Power button. Any thoughts on what I can do to get the Seagate Diagnostic to run - or in light of the diagnostic shown above, do I still need to run it.

 

Hi Robert, when you open Task Manager > Performance what is the CPU showing while performing tasks? Neil.

 

Neil,

Not quite sure what I was looking for but I watched the Performance tab in Task Manager while I opened My Computer and the CPU Usage would jump to 70-80%, drop to 1-5%, then spike to 100%, then back to 4%. Then it would settle back to a steady 1-10% after My Computer opened up. The PF usage stayed at a steady 1.0 to 1.2 GB. Is that what you meant?

 

Yes. Doesn't look like there is anything hogging CPU output.
Usually if the CPU is stuck at 100% demand - it could be Malware or clashing software. Neil.

 

I tried once again to run the Seagate Diagnostics disk on my hard drive(s) with the same results described in a previous post. I even went back to the Seagate site and downloaded the diagnostic program for floppy disk. When I tried to run it, I got the same result as with the disk - I can see the DOS diagnostic program but I can't control it with arrows, enter key, esc, etc. The short scan did run on one of the hard drives, and passed, but I could never figure out which sequence of keystrokes made it work. I couldn't select the second hard drive to run the scan on it.

So I think I will just live with the time lag of 30 seconds for My Computer to open. It's not a huge problem - just an annoyance. I may try to go to the Seagate site to see if they can enlighten me on why I can't make the diagnostic CD or floppy programs run properly. I will leave this open for a few days to see if anyone else wants to chime in and then I will mark it as Resolved.

 

Your HDD system runs through a RAID controller. You can't run "standard" utilities on your drive system...unless it can load the RAID controller driver.

Go to Device Manager and look for the controller that runs the RAID system. Take note of the make and model, search around the RAID controller manufacturer's website for utilities to check your drive system. I said before, look around at Dell for HDD testing utilities, but I have done some checking myself on the Dimension 8400 and can't find anything specific.

Try the Dell Community Forums?

Matt