Why is Windows Explorer slower in W2K than NT4?

[Keith Macdonald]

I've upgraded a PC (300MHz processor, 128Mb RAM, 3Gb free disc space) from NT4 to W2K Professional. Browsing files on disc using Windows Explorer takes much longer. Click on any folder to open it, and it takes several seconds to get a response. Is this normal? FWIW, I've checked and foreground applications are already set to have priority.

[Sean Stecker]

Keith,

Just a generic answer but, depends on how much software and services are installed onto your machine. My desktop utilizes over 170 Mb of memory after a fresh reboot. So your 128 Mb of Ram could be a bottleneck, depending on your conditions. I haven't had much experience with a 300 Mhz machine, but a 266 with 128Mb of Ram runs just like you describe. Seems to me to be a simple horsepower issue. Win2K needs much more than NT 4.

Hope that helps,

Sean
www.swynk.com/friends/stecker


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Keith Macdonald at 1/16/01 3:37:52 AM


I've upgraded a PC (300MHz processor, 128Mb RAM, 3Gb free disc space) from NT4 to W2K Professional. Browsing files on disc using Windows Explorer takes much longer. Click on any folder to open it, and it takes several seconds to get a response. Is this normal? FWIW, I've checked and foreground applications are already set to have priority.

[Brian McMahon]

Keep in mind that in some situations all possible network locations are enumerated. I've noticed that the "save as..." functions in many programs are now incredibly slow because of all the possible locations a file could be saved. There is not just your local computer and mapped network drives, but network locations of all kinds depending on your particular LAN or what you have under "My Network Places". This can make it seem like the Explorer is slow, when it is simply the Explorer trying to enumerate all possible locations.

The other possibility is Active Desktop, I'd shut it off if it's on. Active Desktop is a piece of $#!^ as far as I'm concerned and it is slow no matter what. What ever happened to WINFILE.EXE and the NT 3.51 days?


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Sean Stecker at 1/16/01 6:59:28 PM

Keith,

Just a generic answer but, depends on how much software and services are installed onto your machine. My desktop utilizes over 170 Mb of memory after a fresh reboot. So your 128 Mb of Ram could be a bottleneck, depending on your conditions. I haven't had much experience with a 300 Mhz machine, but a 266 with 128Mb of Ram runs just like you describe. Seems to me to be a simple horsepower issue. Win2K needs much more than NT 4.

Hope that helps,

Sean
www.swynk.com/friends/stecker


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Keith Macdonald at 1/16/01 3:37:52 AM


I've upgraded a PC (300MHz processor, 128Mb RAM, 3Gb free disc space) from NT4 to W2K Professional. Browsing files on disc using Windows Explorer takes much longer. Click on any folder to open it, and it takes several seconds to get a response. Is this normal? FWIW, I've checked and foreground applications are already set to have priority.