Resolved "This folder is empty" error message

When using Windows Explorer, I keep getting in the right pane, a blank folder with "this folder is empty." I click into another folder, then back again, and all of a sudden, the first folder shows all its icons. Earlier I rebuilt the icon database (I forget how, it was a few weeks ago), but that didn't resolve anything.

Any suggestions? This happens anywhere I click on my D partition. It is really a hit and miss operation; usually things are fine, but of course it makes me nervous when Windows tells me that my folder is empty.

 

What is your "D" partition? Usually that is a backup of what your "C" was when the PC was factory new unless you changed it or added something there.

 

the d partition is my documents partition. It has lots of folders and nested folders.

 

Have you tried running a chkdsk on the partition?

If I were you I'd back up the files in that folder to another location ASAP.

 

Tried changing the attributes. Some have said that running this from the command prompt works: attrib -h -r -s /s /d d:\*.* (the d: would be my d partition).

I'll see if that works.

I'll run a checkdisk command also.

 

When you run chkdsk, from an Admin level command prompt, make sure you include the /f parameter, like so: "chkdsk d: /f "

Oh, and btw, I would try chkdsk before fiddling around with attributes; it's more likely to yeild a positive result...

masterroming

 

I just ran the checkdisk from the partition properties dialog, and it found nothing.

 

In Windows 7 that would be:

C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\IconCache.db​

 

OK I can try deleting that, if that would be safe to do. Would it?

 

To delete it, get to an elevated cmd prompt and type (or copy and paste) the following four commands:

ie4uinit.exe -ClearIconCache
taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F
del "%localappdata%\IconCache.db" /A
shutdown /r /t 0 /f​

(Note the that last command reboots the computer).

As Windows is loading it will automatically rebuild the IconCache.db file.

 

Thanks for that input, but that didn't work. After rebooting, surfing through my Explorer favorites, after 4-6 clicks into various folders, at least 2 came up "empty," only to magically have their contents re-appear a few seconds later.

This is really annoying. Unfortunately, all the explorer substitutes have thier own quirks as well (and I've tried many).

 

Sounds more like a slow hard drive, (and possibly computer).

 

Could be, but it is a quad-core that is only 2 years old, with 4 gigs of RAM. I wouldn't think that hardware would be a problem. I don't know about the hard drive itself, though. I have it listed on the My System link to the left.

 

A 5400 RPM HD is slow but, I don't think it would cause that much of a delay. Does the same 'pause' occur in Safe mode?

 

I'll try. Safe Mode with networking would be ok for this purpose?

 

Without networking.

 

Went ahead and took the plunge w/o networking.

Man I can't believe this! I dont' recall the last time my computer was so fast. NOt only did i not get that error message, but clicking on a folder icon brought everything up so quickly.

I have always heard that the Aero didn't slow down windows, but I'm wondering now if I revert the Windows theme back to the classic mode, if I won't notice a similar increase in response time. I felt like I was on a new computer. This is, of course, if what safe mode weeded out was all the additional stuff that loads with Windows. If its anything else that I've installed (that is holding me back), then of course the classic mode theme wouldln't help.

And again, no "this folder is empty" error messages.

EDIT: I guess we can cross hardware off the list of suspects.

 

Fairly easy to try.

 

So far, it sure seems a lot faster. And I've only noticed one time (right after getting rid of Aero) that I had that "empty folder" syndrome.

It seems just as fast as when I was in Safe mode. I know I've experimented with these older, pre-Win7 themes before. I don't know why I didn't notice the speed difference. Oh well.