2

10GB of files: 516 files in 14 folders.

Why does it take a significant amount of time to list contents (10-25 seconds) in the explorer? This laptop is maxed out in terms of RAM and has a SSD drive. No Antivirus is installed.

gatorback
  • 1,091

2 Answers2

1
  1. If you add more columns to the explorer display, it becomes horribly slow. check if you have other than the default columns there:Name, Date modified, Type, Size.
  2. Disk fragmentation can be a major issue, but only on non-SSD. If so, run DEFRAG /D C: in a (admin) command window, or use the graphic interface (disk properties/Tools). On an SSD, forget this, it does not do anything good.
  3. ZIPs and other cabinet-style files are slowing it down considerably, as the Explorer looks into them and checks all the content. Not much you can do, except moving them all in a sub-folder.
Aganju
  • 10,161
1

I have found the solution is Reset Folders and apply across all your folders here:

It might help to reset the windows view to the default settings across all your folders. If your current view (basically what columns are displayed and how the icons look in each explorer window) requires that each file be opened to access certain information, it will definitely slow it down.

It's an easy fix to apply that default view across all your folders at once. This means that all your folders will have the view settings of a new installation of Windows 10.

To reset your current file explorer view to default, search for "Folder Options" at the start gem, select "Change search options for files and folders" (it's a control panel widget), and a "Folder Options" dialog will appear. Select the "View" tab, and you'll see "Folder Views" at the top. Click on the "Reset Folders" button and allow it to apply across all your folders. Then your view will be reset to default across all of your folders. After applying this, all your folders will appear similarly when you open them. You may then find that the directories open again with speed. If you make a change (such as adding a column to show bit rates), and it slows it down, you'll know why.

Why does this work faster? Because in the default view, windows doesn't need to open each and every file n the directory to pull up the requested info to show in the view, so it's much faster.

credits for: BigJohnnyO

Click Ok
  • 3,935