Slowdown with long filenames

[paul_barr]

I got a new PC (800mhz 256Mb) 6 months ago and installed Win98se. I have experienced a slowdown when using explorer to look at directories but couldn't work out why. Now I seem to have narrowed it down to long filenames. My photographs (1000's and no they are not porn!!)are carefully filed in directories with titles, the max directory depth is 7 and the max length of directory characters is 76 characters, the max filename is 52+3. Now I know that when I'm digging in the depths the Explorer gets very slow. This is also experienced with ACDSee 3v1
These lengths do not seem to exceed the 8 directory and 255 characters I have read is the maximum.

Any help would be appreciated

[diurnal]

When you look at picture , your RAM is being used up every time yoiu view. Eventually you started running off your harddrive and that slows everything down. I recommend Rambooster at www.cnet.com (http://www.cnet.com)
go to downloads section and type in rambooster. It recovers the lost memory.
cya

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Murph's Law: 1.Everything takes longer than you think
2.If anything can go wrong it will
3.Nothing is as easy as it looks

[paul_barr]

diurnal

I'm not viewing the picture Just looking at the directories and files using Explorer and it happens very quickly after reboot particularly if I am looking in directories with long names?. I have found a similar effect after viewing pictures with ACDSee 3v1 but that takes a long time. A reboot is the only answer.

I have tried shortening the file names and it seems to help!!!???

[mjc]

About the only thing I can think of is to increase the amount of space dedicated to your name cache...go to System properties, click on the perfomance tab, then File System...set it for Network Server (or download a program called Cacheman (http://www.outertech.com/)). The file name cache (standard size is some thing like 512 items) which is based on an average length file name ...so that would probably be something like 5000+ characters...so you would end up with only 100 names cached........and then back to accessing the drive for each name request (much slower.....)

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[paul_barr]

mjc

thanks for the tip, I tried looking at the number of directory/files I can look at and the slowdown happens suddenly after a similar number... so looks like it could be it...I tried changing to Net server but does not help... looked up Name cache on this site and got no info..care to expand on name cache and should I still try Cacheman?

ta

P

[mjc]

Name cache is an area of memory set aside to cache....file names, so the disk doesn't have to be accessed for the names. Yeah try cacheman...you can play around with the various caches with it, and since you are using a fairly large number of pics with fairly long names you may want to devote a little more memory to some of the caches (like the name cache)...

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[paul_barr]

I tried Cacheman and while it's a great little program it does not appear to solve my problem....so I'm on the scrounge again for more help.

Having devised a routine that replicates the problem every time I thought it may be easier to explain in detail and this may help to throw light on it.

After boot up I start working through the directories in My Docs using Windows explorer, I'm just clicking the directory and waiting for the list of files initially the responce is good but suddenly after a similar, but not exact number of directories (about 40 with 3-25 characters each) and files (about 1200 with 5-50 characters ea)the responce gets very slow. 5 seconds is typical for the first delay and after a few more directories the response is up to 30+ seconds and then I get bored and reboot.
During the delay there is no disk action happening and just after the screen refreshes there is a small disk action - What the hell is it doing???

Once slow the explorer will shut down but the icon stays in the task bar for a considerable time, open explorer again and its slow.

any takers on this one???

[mjc]

When was the last defrag?


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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[paul_barr]

I defraged a few days ago, but get this.. I just thought mmm I wonder if it does it with a CD.. and No it does not??

[diurnal]

Have you scanned your computer for viruses? And is the virus protection updated?
Also hit F8 before you get to windows and select command prompt only. Then type in scanreg_/fix. There might be a space in between that command, im not sure, just try it like that. Then try it without a space "_" means space

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Murph's Law: 1.Everything takes longer than you think
2.If anything can go wrong it will
3.Nothing is as easy as it looks

[mjc]

hmmm....very interesting...

Ok, when was the last time you cleaned out the "recent docs" list?

Start -> Settings -> Taskbar & Start Menu -> Start Menu Programs -> Documents menu -> Clear.

Does ACDSee add a thumbnail preview for pics to the right click context menu? Automatically generated preview? Any preview options?

If so you may have to hunt down the mru (most recently used) list for that and clear it too......


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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.