Buggy windows explorer behavior

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Guest

I have not seen anything about this in the newsgroups, but when exploring the
files and folders on my computer, and especially when working with the DVD
drive, I find that there are often duplicate drives created in the folder
window. At one time all my drives were duplicated: two of each! It is
annoying and never has occured in WinXP.

Also, when I write to a DVD using the Vista built in CD/DVD writing
software, there are frequent errors, and the process frequently freezes,
sometimes to the point where I must push the power button to shut down and
gain control. Is anyone else having these problems? I have been trying to
write a DVD of files and so far have been unable to get the files written due
to the constant freezing. Another problem is that when I erase a DVD/RW,
the files that were erased are still listed in explorer, even if I close
explorer and reopen it. I can select folders and drill down to sub-folders
with no errors, just as if the files were on the dvd. Only when I try to run
a file do I finally get an error. Ejecting the dvd and reinserting it
usually clears the windows and lists the dvd as blank. I have made a bug
report about this but would like to know if my experience is unique. (It has
happened on all three clean installs I've done of VistaBeta2.)
 
I have not seen anything about this in the newsgroups, but when exploring the
files and folders on my computer, and especially when working with the DVD
drive, I find that there are often duplicate drives created in the folder
window. At one time all my drives were duplicated: two of each! It is
annoying and never has occured in WinXP.

Also, when I write to a DVD using the Vista built in CD/DVD writing
software, there are frequent errors, and the process frequently freezes,
sometimes to the point where I must push the power button to shut down and
gain control. Is anyone else having these problems? I have been trying to
write a DVD of files and so far have been unable to get the files written due
to the constant freezing. Another problem is that when I erase a DVD/RW,
the files that were erased are still listed in explorer, even if I close
explorer and reopen it. I can select folders and drill down to sub-folders
with no errors, just as if the files were on the dvd. Only when I try to run
a file do I finally get an error. Ejecting the dvd and reinserting it
usually clears the windows and lists the dvd as blank. I have made a bug
report about this but would like to know if my experience is unique. (It has
happened on all three clean installs I've done of VistaBeta2.)
Click to expand...

Have you done any deleting in the registry to change the way shortcuts
look?
 
No, I've done nothing in the registry to change the way shortcuts look? What
would that have to do with the problems related to the file system? and cd
burning?

Jo
 
No, I've done nothing in the registry to change the way shortcuts look? What
would that have to do with the problems related to the file system? and cd
burning?
Click to expand...

There are some tweaks to the registry to remove the shortcut arrows that
will result in there being duplicated items showing in Windows Explorer.
 
Thanks, Michael, but I didn't make any registry changes. I appreciate your
offer of help! This has been true since the beginning of my installs on all
3 clean installs I've done. Are you saying this hasn't happened to you? I
don't have anything unusual that should cause this, but I may use Explorer
more than most casual computer users and thus see the behavior more than
most. I've especially been testing the CD/DVD writing capabilities of
Vista...don't think much of them so far. It writes MUCH slower to my DVD/RW
drive than XP and often crashes/freezes during writes.
 
Thanks, Michael, but I didn't make any registry changes. I appreciate your
offer of help! This has been true since the beginning of my installs on all
3 clean installs I've done. Are you saying this hasn't happened to you? I
Click to expand...

Nope, even when I upgraded to 5456 explorer has worked "normally" for me.
I still don't like some of the features but nothing has been doubled.
don't have anything unusual that should cause this, but I may use Explorer
more than most casual computer users and thus see the behavior more than
most. I've especially been testing the CD/DVD writing capabilities of
Vista...don't think much of them so far. It writes MUCH slower to my DVD/RW
drive than XP and often crashes/freezes during writes.
Click to expand...

So it's doing that with the default writing ability or have you installed
some 3rd party disc burning software? I've never bothered with the
default disc burning stuff since it is so limited in options. I have
installed an ASPI layer manually and also installed and used Nero 6
without problems (I consider Nero 7 to be too bloated and
system-intrusive).

If you're just using the default stuff, then perhaps your problems stem to
some hardware or driver issues.
 
I am using the default burner, though I tried to install Roxio and then
uninstalled it. This problem predated the Roxio install, however. I see the
doubles in the folder window on the left side of the screen (you need to
click on "folder" at the bottom to get the window), not the right side of the
screen, in case that makes a difference. I've never had a double on the
right side.

The bigger problem seems to be the way explorer doesn't update the contents
of a cd/rw or dvd/rw disk when it has changed. I've even erased the disk
(got successful erase message) and the files are still listed as there. I've
drilled down several levels, found a program and begun an install of the
program! Sort of weird. But if I eject the disk and put it back in, it
shows it as blank, so it was erased. It appears that the os is still
accessing the files from the old file table and doesn't update to the new
file table until the disk is ejected. That doesn't happen in XP and I don't
think it should happen in Vista. (With DVD disks (and maybe CD/RW's, too) I
don't think the files are every fully erased, just written over).

Thanks again for the feedback.
 
Hey, Jo. Sorry to butt in. Did you turn Bitlocker on? Just
wondering how things went.


-Michael
 
Jo said:
I am using the default burner, though I tried to install Roxio and then
uninstalled it. This problem predated the Roxio install, however. I see the
doubles in the folder window on the left side of the screen (you need to
click on "folder" at the bottom to get the window), not the right side of the
screen, in case that makes a difference. I've never had a double on the
right side.

The bigger problem seems to be the way explorer doesn't update the contents
of a cd/rw or dvd/rw disk when it has changed. I've even erased the disk
(got successful erase message) and the files are still listed as there. I've
drilled down several levels, found a program and begun an install of the
program! Sort of weird. But if I eject the disk and put it back in, it
shows it as blank, so it was erased. It appears that the os is still
accessing the files from the old file table and doesn't update to the new
file table until the disk is ejected. That doesn't happen in XP and I don't
think it should happen in Vista. (With DVD disks (and maybe CD/RW's, too) I
don't think the files are every fully erased, just written over).
Click to expand...

I've seen a duplicate CD drive too, without ever trying to write on it.

Apart from this, refreshing the Explorer contents doesn't work.
Often it needs to be closed and reopened to see new items.
 
I've seen a duplicate CD drive too, without ever trying to write on it.

Apart from this, refreshing the Explorer contents doesn't work.
Often it needs to be closed and reopened to see new items.
Click to expand...

Well, they've goofed up explorer pretty badly IMO. Even after returning
the list view, it's still a far cry from the simple usability that it had
in XP and before. That's why I'm using a 3rd party explorer replacement
called Xplorer2 <http://zabkat.com>.
 
Yes, Michael, I did try Bitlocker, but I was afraid to leave it on. I did as
you suggested and encrypted the disk, then turned it off and went into WinXP.
My restore points weren't deleted! But I have a flash drive that is sort of
buggy in that I can't boot the os with it plugged in. I think it hangs
beyond the point where it would need the password on the drive to start Vista
with bitlocker on, but I am not sure, so I didn't want to risk not being able
to boot at all. If I ever dual boot Vista once it is a retail os, though,
I'd probably find a way to use bitlocker. I also didn't know what would
happen if I lost my usb flash drive or it was damaged, etc. I wasn't sure if
the password I was given would work without the flash drive.

But thanks for asking!
 
Glad you tried it. Your Bitlocker password will let you bootup
if Bitlocker can not read the key from the USB flash drive.
You don't need both at the same time.

Remember, you can have Bitlocker encrypt the Vista volume
and then turn off bootup authentication- Vista stays encrypted,
but you don't need a key or password. It boots normal.

USB has been flakey for many using Vista, and Bitlocker has had
its own issues with reading from some USB flash drives. I expect
much of this will be fixed by RC1- if not already.

Take care,

Michael
 
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