Slow SW file Icon updates in Windows Explorer XP only

I have a strange anomaly that I have noticed on 2 computers running
SW2004 sp3 under XP but not on an older computer running windows 2000.
The file icons for solidworks take a long time to update when
scrolling through a large number of files (100 or more). I can scroll
through any other file type under similar circumstances with no
hesitation, but not solidworks files. It would seem to me to be the
icon itself, or maybe something to do with the ability of SW to show
thumbnail graphics in windows explorer (which I have unchecked).
Anyone else have this issue? It's really slowing me down.
Mike

 

I too have this same problem on my XP machine. I did not have this problem
on my previous machine which was Win2K.

Unfortunately, I can not help you with a solution. However I can elaborate
on my setup here a little and see if your setup is similar. Basically, I do
not work on local files at all. I work from a file server (Samba I
believe). So when my Windows explorer is open to whatever job I am working
on, it is actually looking at my server. I have tried copying a large
folder locally and I do not have this problem. Therefore I figure it has
something to do with an XP setting that does not like my server very well or
something (that's a little above me).

 

I'm experiencing the same on the two XP machines.

The only solution I can think of is to start limiting the size of the
folders on the network.
Currently some folders have up to 5,000 files.

In Windows explorer, go to folder options\view and uncheck 'do not
cache thumbnails'. I think this has helped me some. Even though I am
not showing thumbnail graphics in SolidWorks, windows still displays
an icon with each filename.

I would love to see a real solution to this since it is quite annoying
to have to wait everytime you do a file\open.

 

Turn off the switch in SolidWorks under Tools, Options, "show thumbnail
graphics in windows explorer" and use the Windows Explorer"View" menu to
select "Thumbnails".

Using the Windows Explorer thumbnails gives you bigger thumbnails that you
can see, and it takes less time to repaint them.

matt



(Michael Brusich) wrote in

 

I am working on all files locally. I don't have the "show thumbnail
graphics" option checked. The odd thing is, if I have a folder full
of Jpg's for instance, I can tool through them instantly, but with SW
files, I move the slider and wait 5, or so seconds before the windows
file icons update and the window relinquishes control to me. I have
noticed a few postings to windows xp groups about this (files
associated to other programs however) but no good solutions (that
worked anyway). I thought someone might have the magic bullet.
Thanks in advance.
Mike


(Hey Matt!)

 

Hey Mike!


Uh. hmmm. Maybe you have the "Do not cache thumbnails" unchecked?
(Windows Explorer, Tools, Folder Options, View, Files and Folders, Do not
cache thumbnails)

Caching makes a big thumbs.db file in every folder, which might be causing
that. I have that turned ON, so my thumbnails are not cached. I mainly
work locally as well.

Matt


(Michael Brusich) wrote in

 

Perhaps I was not specific enough. My problem is not with the
thumbnails, it's with the updating of the file tree and the associated
icons. In this case the sw part icon. I did however try the "do not
cache thumbnails" switch, to no avail.
If you go to any folder with several hundred files in it, as soon as
the folder is clicked a default windows icon appears in front of all
the files. Normally this icon changes instantaneously to the icon
associated with the file. In my case, with SW files only, this update
can take up to 10 seconds. (a virtual eternity that is testing my
sanity).

Mike

"YES" in Greensboro Coliseum, NC tonight, I'm psyched. Saw them
several times 20 years ago! Ok, I'm old.

 

Oh, those icons. Okay, sorry, I misunderstood. I don't know what it might
be. If you wanted to experiment, Explorer Folder Options would be a good
place to start. What are your folder display settings?

matt

(Michael Brusich) wrote in

 

In the control panel under system>advanced>Performance I tried the non
default setting "adjust for best performance" and noticed no
difference in behavior.
One other difference between the Win2000 pc and the 2 xp pc's is the
video card brand. The win2000 pc uses a fire gl2 and the 2 xp pc's
that are experiencing this slow behavior use nvidia Quadro FX 750 and
1000.
Are others experiencing this problem using nvidia cards? Looking for
a connection.
Mike

By the way the "YES" concert was awesome. Especially since Jon
Anderson is 60 years young.

 

I am using the nVidia Quadro4 750 XGL. But, since I only see this when
working from remote folders, I doubt that the video card/drivers are the
cause.

However, I don't think that it is a network problem either. We are a very,
very small company with very little network traffic. My files open very
fast. So that leads me to believe that it is not a bandwidth problem. And,
I never had this problem until I moved from Win2K to WinXP. Therefore, I
think it is definitely a WinXP problem. But I can't figure it out though.
I reformatted and reloaded my OS (WinXP) a while back (for other reasons)
and this problem didn't get any better.

 

The two WinXP machines showing the icon slowdown problem here are both
running Quadro FX-1000's. Its most noticable when Windows Explorer is set to
"List" view, i.e., horizontal scrolling required. The big directories are on
one of the machines so we know its not network-related.

Richard

 

We have here the same problem,
It started since we moved from SW-03 to SW-04-SP3, only on XP (on
Win-2K it is much faster although those are much slower machines), and
only in network folders (in local folders it behave as expected). We
use Novell file server some use Microsoft client to access the server
and some Novell client (4.90 SP1a) and the problem on all XP machines
is the same.

 

Ditto here. We have FireGL 2 cards but I don't believe this is video
card/driver related. One of our programmers here believes its due to
all the extra 'overhead' in XP. (Oh, thats XP Pro.)

 

It is apparent that we have found the culprit to this problem. Everyone
that posted that has this problem has one thing in common, Windows XP. Now,
anyone got any clues as to why or how to fix it?

 

Well this is interesting. I really believe it has something to do
with the method by which xp retrieves the file icons for certain
programs. I've read in other newsgroups, similar problems with other
programs (paintshop I think it was) and the slow icon problem.
I am going to contact my VAR about this and see if they may be of some
help. I am going to refer them to this thread in the newsgroup and
maybe all those having this problem can do the same. I work with good
sized assemblies and am constantly fetching files, so over time, this
behavior is slowing me down.
If anyone else finds a solution PLEASE repost to this thread and
please shoot me an email.
Thanks.
Mike

 

I have found a post that addresses the problems we are experiencing.

http://www.tek-tips.com/gviewthread.cfm/lev2/67/lev3/70/pid/779/qid/647815