A
Adam Albright
Earlier today the ususal fanboy monkeys jumped up and down and made
their usual noise throwing feces around. Lost in that orignal thread
was a link to a possible fix of a long discussed problem. While the
monkeys jumped and danced, I did a little research and read through
the entire 100 plus post thread and summerize the results below.
If you're interested in more of the discussion, find it here:
http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1138289&SiteID=17
In summary:
As some have discovered, copying and moving files in Vista seems way
slower then in prior versions of Windows. This is discussed at length
in the Microsoft TechNet thread linked above. What may be a total
shock to the fan boys club here though I'm sure they will pretend they
knew all about it, is Microsoft ADMITS this is a bug. More on that
later. Read some comments from that thread first, then I'll get to the
fixes.
Selected comments from posters over at Microsfot TechNet:
"God NO KIDDING! I've never experienced a message box with a
"calculating remaining time" message that then stays on the screen for
20 or 30 seconds when I am just attempting to delete a desktop
shortcut!" --prowlerdog
While Rick hit a homerun saying this about the problem:
"Not to beat a dead horse, but I am having the same problem, and agree
with the previous posts about programmer speak. I am a loyal MS
customer but this is ridiculous. If this isn't fixed shortly I will
definetely change the OS to XP, and NEVER recommend Vista to anyone.
This is so basic; how did this ever get out of Beta?"
A very good question to ask. Well Vista Boys, since many of your boast
you were Vista Beta testers, how did this bow wow of a bug even slip
past you?
A poster called Steve added:
I concur here. I am having the same problems. I believe the last time
I tried to move about 800k bytes to my SATA 150 RAID 0 setup, it took
over 60 seconds."
"I have recommended to everyone I know that Vista is a bad idea,
especially to my co-workers and supervisors at my workplace. Sounds
like this should be high priority for patch Tuesday. To get the big
guns out I'd say: "Well, in the Gnome/Ubuntu Linux GUI I can transfer
a file instantaneously--how long does it take in Windoze?"
The fact that users have reported command-line file transfers do not
have the same problem highlights an interface issue, and not an
underlying API problem. This should be a quick fix for the big
machine that is Microsoft
Should be, but hasn't been. Yet. Understand kiddies? No, you dummies
NEVER understand, you just go on faking you know what you're talking
about. Makes me laugh. Really."
Contra said it best:
"Within an Operating System's file system, there are 4 simple file
control functions. Yes there are others, but they are built upon
these. Copy, Delete, Load (with a specified program), and Save (from a
specified program). Move is simply a combination of copy and then
delete.
These functions were written and perfected in the 70's-80's, yet
somehow, not so much in Vista. To do so is not missing a simple bug as
you seem to think, rather it is a massive display of incompetence.
If what some say here is true, that it takes longer to copy files from
one hard disk to another than it takes to download said files from the
Internet, than this is a massive disservice to the community that
Microsoft is trying to serve."
................................................................................
Ok, enough of that. Over a 100 similar comments if you care to read
them on the forum I linked to above. I read them all because buried in
the noise is a fix. Actually, a couple,maybe three.
Usual cautions apply. This may not resolve the problem for everybody.
If one fix doesn't work, try the second one or try both. Just set
Restore points first it case they mess up your system. I did try the
first, and it worked so well I decided to share it here. Your mileage
may varry. Everybody's system is different, another fact the fan boy
crowd never seems to learn, so nobody can guarantee results, but worth
a try, the process is simple and fast.
First a bit of history. From time to time Microsoft releases what have
come to be called hotfixes. While they write a Knowledgebase article
on it, they may require you "prove" you need the fix and may not let
you simply download it directly, often you have to call them like for
this one. This of course can be highly annoying to have a possible
fix, and then get told what it is, then they don't make it available
and worse in some cases make you call and beg while pleading your
case. Typical Microsoft arrogance.
Luckly, others think like I do and think that policy is stupid. So
somebody posted this hotfix on their site where you can download it
from.
Nice list of kinds of goodies below. The hotfix you want if you have
the Explorer copying/moving files way slow problem is titled KB931770.
I tired the 32 bit version, not the 64 bit version.
Get both here:
http://hotfix.xable.net/download/index.php?dir=Language Neutral/Vista/
You may also want to read the full Microsoft KB article prior to
proceeding with install it. That is linked below:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931770
You can try to get the hot fix from Microsoft over the phone if you
prefer. The link up further in my post is much faster, tested and the
same files. Even that was discussed to death in that other forum. LOL!
Some worried if it was a "genuine" Microsoft hotfix or a phony. It
does have the official Microsoft Digital signature, you can't see that
until you download the file, but you can see it before you install if
you tend to be a little paranoid on these kinds of things. ;-)
Ok, enough of my preaching. Download the file (the hotfix) it is a
small file that auto runs similar to other Microsoft patches once you
download it, (recommend you save to your desktop so you can find it.
The icon looks like a DVD in a box. Cute!
........................................................................
Testing...
Prior to running I tried copying a medium size video file from one
hard drive to another. Happens I have a file that is just a few
hundred bytes over 1 GB, so I keep it around just for tests like this.
Prior to installing the hotfix it took me 44 seconds to move this file
from one hard drive to another. After the hotfix it took 20 seconds
plus the progress bar while still off, it acted more like it did under
XP. I did the test 10 times and the results I give are the averages of
those tests.
If it works, stop. If not try this:
.......................................................................
Possible Fix #2 (assorted comments from the other forum I mentioned
earlier) I did NOT try this, no need for me.
I had the same problem for deleting, moving, or copying a file. I
installed the patch (the one above) but without results, and finally
the problem was due to the Windows Search service (SearchIndexer.exe)
or Wsearch service. One day, it seems this service stopped anormally,
after a sofware has been installed, after a setting has been changed,
I don't know why, but the fact is it was impossible to restart it
(error 5). So I simply desactivate this service, because indexation is
not required for me. And now I don't have any problem, I can delete,
move or copy a file instantly, and the calculating time remaining
doesn't appear more.
You da man, Fabian !!!!!!!!
That did the trick. I get INSTANT deletes now. I even copied an 8GB
file ( a cooked dbspace ) from an internal drive to a external usb
drive and them deleted it from the usb drive.(The usb box just has an
ultra ata drive inside). The copy took about 5 minutes. Vista said
25.5MB/sec. The delete took less than 1 second. Emptying the recycle
bin took less than 1 second.
I had previously queried in this thread if anyone else had problems
with the search service not starting. Mine will not start, so I
thought there might me a relationship there. Nobody responded to my
post. I put my search service on manual. That did not stop the slow
deletes.I should have thought to just DISABLE it.
I guess the reason that the deletes work so fast when doing "del" in a
shell is that Vista is not trying to clean his indexes from the shell.
Seems inconsistent. I guess he cleans it in the background (if the
service would start, that is). One would think that the deletion code
would see that the service is not running and not try to
do anything. It must be wasting time trying to send a message to the
service which is dead.
Anyway, I'm glad you figured it out. Everyone should try this to
verify that this is the only thing that is slowing up deletes.
Then we can start bitching about the search service. ;-)
I noticed Explorer had major issues with deleting files and unzipping
files when I had AVG (the free version) installed. Once I removed AVG
and installed Avast (also free edition) everything was OK again... Do
you use AVG anti-virus?
their usual noise throwing feces around. Lost in that orignal thread
was a link to a possible fix of a long discussed problem. While the
monkeys jumped and danced, I did a little research and read through
the entire 100 plus post thread and summerize the results below.
If you're interested in more of the discussion, find it here:
http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1138289&SiteID=17
In summary:
As some have discovered, copying and moving files in Vista seems way
slower then in prior versions of Windows. This is discussed at length
in the Microsoft TechNet thread linked above. What may be a total
shock to the fan boys club here though I'm sure they will pretend they
knew all about it, is Microsoft ADMITS this is a bug. More on that
later. Read some comments from that thread first, then I'll get to the
fixes.
Selected comments from posters over at Microsfot TechNet:
"God NO KIDDING! I've never experienced a message box with a
"calculating remaining time" message that then stays on the screen for
20 or 30 seconds when I am just attempting to delete a desktop
shortcut!" --prowlerdog
While Rick hit a homerun saying this about the problem:
"Not to beat a dead horse, but I am having the same problem, and agree
with the previous posts about programmer speak. I am a loyal MS
customer but this is ridiculous. If this isn't fixed shortly I will
definetely change the OS to XP, and NEVER recommend Vista to anyone.
This is so basic; how did this ever get out of Beta?"
A very good question to ask. Well Vista Boys, since many of your boast
you were Vista Beta testers, how did this bow wow of a bug even slip
past you?
A poster called Steve added:
I concur here. I am having the same problems. I believe the last time
I tried to move about 800k bytes to my SATA 150 RAID 0 setup, it took
over 60 seconds."
"I have recommended to everyone I know that Vista is a bad idea,
especially to my co-workers and supervisors at my workplace. Sounds
like this should be high priority for patch Tuesday. To get the big
guns out I'd say: "Well, in the Gnome/Ubuntu Linux GUI I can transfer
a file instantaneously--how long does it take in Windoze?"
The fact that users have reported command-line file transfers do not
have the same problem highlights an interface issue, and not an
underlying API problem. This should be a quick fix for the big
machine that is Microsoft
Should be, but hasn't been. Yet. Understand kiddies? No, you dummies
NEVER understand, you just go on faking you know what you're talking
about. Makes me laugh. Really."
Contra said it best:
"Within an Operating System's file system, there are 4 simple file
control functions. Yes there are others, but they are built upon
these. Copy, Delete, Load (with a specified program), and Save (from a
specified program). Move is simply a combination of copy and then
delete.
These functions were written and perfected in the 70's-80's, yet
somehow, not so much in Vista. To do so is not missing a simple bug as
you seem to think, rather it is a massive display of incompetence.
If what some say here is true, that it takes longer to copy files from
one hard disk to another than it takes to download said files from the
Internet, than this is a massive disservice to the community that
Microsoft is trying to serve."
................................................................................
Ok, enough of that. Over a 100 similar comments if you care to read
them on the forum I linked to above. I read them all because buried in
the noise is a fix. Actually, a couple,maybe three.
Usual cautions apply. This may not resolve the problem for everybody.
If one fix doesn't work, try the second one or try both. Just set
Restore points first it case they mess up your system. I did try the
first, and it worked so well I decided to share it here. Your mileage
may varry. Everybody's system is different, another fact the fan boy
crowd never seems to learn, so nobody can guarantee results, but worth
a try, the process is simple and fast.
First a bit of history. From time to time Microsoft releases what have
come to be called hotfixes. While they write a Knowledgebase article
on it, they may require you "prove" you need the fix and may not let
you simply download it directly, often you have to call them like for
this one. This of course can be highly annoying to have a possible
fix, and then get told what it is, then they don't make it available
and worse in some cases make you call and beg while pleading your
case. Typical Microsoft arrogance.
Luckly, others think like I do and think that policy is stupid. So
somebody posted this hotfix on their site where you can download it
from.
Nice list of kinds of goodies below. The hotfix you want if you have
the Explorer copying/moving files way slow problem is titled KB931770.
I tired the 32 bit version, not the 64 bit version.
Get both here:
http://hotfix.xable.net/download/index.php?dir=Language Neutral/Vista/
You may also want to read the full Microsoft KB article prior to
proceeding with install it. That is linked below:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931770
You can try to get the hot fix from Microsoft over the phone if you
prefer. The link up further in my post is much faster, tested and the
same files. Even that was discussed to death in that other forum. LOL!
Some worried if it was a "genuine" Microsoft hotfix or a phony. It
does have the official Microsoft Digital signature, you can't see that
until you download the file, but you can see it before you install if
you tend to be a little paranoid on these kinds of things. ;-)
Ok, enough of my preaching. Download the file (the hotfix) it is a
small file that auto runs similar to other Microsoft patches once you
download it, (recommend you save to your desktop so you can find it.
The icon looks like a DVD in a box. Cute!
........................................................................
Testing...
Prior to running I tried copying a medium size video file from one
hard drive to another. Happens I have a file that is just a few
hundred bytes over 1 GB, so I keep it around just for tests like this.
Prior to installing the hotfix it took me 44 seconds to move this file
from one hard drive to another. After the hotfix it took 20 seconds
plus the progress bar while still off, it acted more like it did under
XP. I did the test 10 times and the results I give are the averages of
those tests.
If it works, stop. If not try this:
.......................................................................
Possible Fix #2 (assorted comments from the other forum I mentioned
earlier) I did NOT try this, no need for me.
I had the same problem for deleting, moving, or copying a file. I
installed the patch (the one above) but without results, and finally
the problem was due to the Windows Search service (SearchIndexer.exe)
or Wsearch service. One day, it seems this service stopped anormally,
after a sofware has been installed, after a setting has been changed,
I don't know why, but the fact is it was impossible to restart it
(error 5). So I simply desactivate this service, because indexation is
not required for me. And now I don't have any problem, I can delete,
move or copy a file instantly, and the calculating time remaining
doesn't appear more.
You da man, Fabian !!!!!!!!
That did the trick. I get INSTANT deletes now. I even copied an 8GB
file ( a cooked dbspace ) from an internal drive to a external usb
drive and them deleted it from the usb drive.(The usb box just has an
ultra ata drive inside). The copy took about 5 minutes. Vista said
25.5MB/sec. The delete took less than 1 second. Emptying the recycle
bin took less than 1 second.
I had previously queried in this thread if anyone else had problems
with the search service not starting. Mine will not start, so I
thought there might me a relationship there. Nobody responded to my
post. I put my search service on manual. That did not stop the slow
deletes.I should have thought to just DISABLE it.
I guess the reason that the deletes work so fast when doing "del" in a
shell is that Vista is not trying to clean his indexes from the shell.
Seems inconsistent. I guess he cleans it in the background (if the
service would start, that is). One would think that the deletion code
would see that the service is not running and not try to
do anything. It must be wasting time trying to send a message to the
service which is dead.
Anyway, I'm glad you figured it out. Everyone should try this to
verify that this is the only thing that is slowing up deletes.
Then we can start bitching about the search service. ;-)
I noticed Explorer had major issues with deleting files and unzipping
files when I had AVG (the free version) installed. Once I removed AVG
and installed Avast (also free edition) everything was OK again... Do
you use AVG anti-virus?
