[Vista} Opening folders that contain .exe files is very slow

Bottle · 19 Jan 2009 at 10:05

I've just done my second install of Vista 64 Premium + SP1 + all updates and have a strange problem with it that didn't happen in my last install of the OS.

I use the Windows Explorer to navigate through disks/folders (NOT Internet Explorer).

When I open a folder that contains any .exe files (especially large ones), Explorer stalls and takes an age to come back to life. The window greys-out and I get the "Application not responding" message at the top. It seems like Vista is scanning the entire .exe file before it finds the icon image for it.

It's rather annoying, especially since my previous install of Vista didn't do this and I haven't done anyting different in the installs as fas as I can tell.

Any suggestions?

philjohn · 19 Jan 2009 at 10:57

on access virus scanner kicking in?

Bottle · 19 Jan 2009 at 11:37

philjohn said:
on access virus scanner kicking in?

I wish it was that simple. I use Sophos and have tried turning off on-access scanning. I also thought it might have been my Roxio software and so I uninstalled it, but to no avail. I turned the Vista search service off as well.

Bottle · 30 Jan 2009 at 11:56

Bump. Anyone?

BlackDragon · 30 Jan 2009 at 12:15

I have the same problem.

Firefox will chuck all my downloads into the downloads folder. Everytime I navigate to this folder, Windows will spend ages indexing it or something (the address bar slowly fills up with green), and I wish it would bloody stop because it takes 5 mins or so and will hold up all the other Explorer based windows.

Any solutions?

jvowles · 30 Jan 2009 at 13:36

I am interested in a solution too...this happens to me.

m4cc45 · 30 Jan 2009 at 15:23

Try turning indexing off does that make it any better?

(Stop the indexing service if you want to termporarily test it) also check Windows Defender isn't also scanning this. So you'll have indexing, windows defender and AV scanning this one folder so it may slow it down.

Immediately when I read the question I would have put money on AV. Sophos is notorious for not listening to the options you select (i.e. I turn off suspicious file scanning and it still does it, turn off on-access scanning and it still scans). It's very strange.

M.