Question I have a problem with any folder which contains audio or video files ?

[Nero1024]

I don't really know when this behavior happened in windows, but it keeps slow reading audio files, (mp3, wav, etc.) and videos files too. Any folder which contain these files loads terribly slow. Task manager don't show any abnormal processing loads. When folder loads I can't even close it or go back a folder. When it's loaded I can scroll fine, but if I go folder back and open exact same folder it loads again. Any geniuses here to give any help?

 

[Grobe]

This may be caused of any reasons, but the most probable of my suspect list:

• You installed some software that contains a "filter" (right now I don't remember the correct term for software/drivers that make the os search function support file types it normally doesn't support) that reads into each and every multimedia file once you browse the folder where it's located.
• Something wrong with windows thumbnail/index underlying system, or maybe a permission issue prevent windows to update or read the thumbnail database properly.
• Faulty hard drive - go and check it's S.M.A.R.T. data using appropriate software.

 

[dwd999]

After the folder loads, what attribute column headers appear at the top? Attribute columns like Length or Album will slow things down since each file is searched for those attributes. Try deleting any attribute columns that you really don't need.

 

[Nero1024]

This may be caused of any reasons, but the most probable of my suspect list:

• You installed some software that contains a "filter" (right now I don't remember the correct term for software/drivers that make the os search function support file types it normally doesn't support) that reads into each and every multimedia file once you browse the folder where it's located.
• Something wrong with windows thumbnail/index underlying system, or maybe a permission issue prevent windows to update or read the thumbnail database properly.
• Faulty hard drive - go and check it's S.M.A.R.T. data using appropriate software.

Don't know about the software. It's pretty much the same I used all the time. Indexing was disabled, because I thought it's useless CPU eater. I just tried to index my whole system, but it changed nothing. Drive seems good. I really don't know what to do. Any more ideas?

 

[Nero1024]

After the folder loads, what attribute column headers appear at the top? Attribute columns like Length or Album will slow things down since each file is searched for those attributes. Try deleting any attribute columns that you really don't need.

I don't use any headers

 

[Grobe]

Drive seems good.

How do you know this for sure?

What does the S.M.A.R.T. data says (post screenshot or text output from a proper software like chrystaldiskinfo - if using text output, remember to enclose in code tags for best possible readable layout) ?

 

[Nero1024]

How do you know this for sure?

What does the S.M.A.R.T. data says (post screenshot or text output from a proper software like chrystaldiskinfo - if using text output, remember to enclose in code tags for best possible readable layout) ?

Aida64 shows 0 issues or errors. Perfectly fine. This behavior with audio, video exist on any drive I have

 

[Ralston18]

Try using Task Manager, Resource Monitor, and Process Explorer to observe system performance.

Process Explorer (Microsoft, free).

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

Use all three tools but use only one tool at a time.

First observe system performance with respect to reading other file types.

Then, leaving the tool window open, watch for what happens or changes when audio files are read.

Look for unknown or unexpected background apps, apps that get launched when audio files are clicked/read, some change in a system resource.

Also check Task Scheduler: opening an audio file may be triggering some action or activity.

 

[Nero1024]

Try using Task Manager, Resource Monitor, and Process Explorer to observe system performance.

Process Explorer (Microsoft, free).

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

Use all three tools but use only one tool at a time.

First observe system performance with respect to reading other file types.

Then, leaving the tool window open, watch for what happens or changes when audio files are read.

Look for unknown or unexpected background apps, apps that get launched when audio files are clicked/read, some change in a system resource.

Also check Task Scheduler: opening an audio file may be triggering some action or activity.

I tried all that, but it never worked. I think this issue started when windows 11 changed something with explorer at some point, but I am not sure. What I remember is that all files loaded instantly. To make it more confusing, sometimes I do something and issue seems to go away, but it goes back after awhile. Yesterday I tried to clean thumbnail cache and it seemed like it worked, but today it's the same problem. It happens randomly, but always reproduced when folder contains a lot of audio files, for example

 

[SkyNetRising]

Yesterday I tried to clean thumbnail cache and it seemed like it worked, but today it's the same problem. It happens randomly, but always reproduced when folder contains a lot of audio files, for example

Change folder view to List.
The problem happens, if you have a corrupted video file.
When thumbnail or preview is being created, corrupted file will cause process to stall/hang.

 

[Nero1024]

Change folder view to List.
The problem happens, if you have a corrupted video file.
When thumbnail or preview is being created, corrupted file will cause process to stall/hang.

Tried to change to list view, but my default view is "Tiles". Seems like it loads instantly now, but there is only one thumbnail in that folders, which is winamp icon. So, I don't think the issue is with thumbnails, as this issue occurs on any drive in all location

 

[SkyNetRising]

So, I don't think the issue is with thumbnails, as this issue occurs on any drive in all location

Any video file without a thumbnail is suspect for possible corruption.

You can either delete corrupted files or fix/recompress/remux them.
You can also turn off previews/thumbnails completely.

 

[DSzymborski]

"Date" can sometimes be a nightmare for these types of folders in Windows, especially if the have a lot of files. If you remove it, does it improve matters? Date Modified and Date Created tend to be more cooperative, depending on exactly what you need.

 

[Nero1024]

Any video file without a thumbnail is suspect for possible corruption.

You can either delete corrupted files or fix/recompress/remux them.
You can also turn off previews/thumbnails completely.

I try to solve at least issue with audio, because I don't have that much video files. All video files have thumbnails generated. Nothing is corrupted and opens perfectly fine

 

[Nero1024]

"Date" can sometimes be a nightmare for these types of folders in Windows, especially if the have a lot of files. If you remove it, does it improve matters? Date Modified and Date Created tend to be more cooperative, depending on exactly what you need.

I don't understand. How do you remove date or whatever you mean? This is example how everything looks on my side https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gQFDFFZoj4gGy4JNlTkz5F9J0Xg0-9yi/view?usp=drive_link

 

[Ralston18]

Using Task Manager, Resource Monitor, etc. is not intended as a fix.

The purpose is to determine what is different when audio files are slow to be read when compared to other file types. Or audio files/folders (if any) that do not have speed or performance problems.

What resource(s) if any change for the worse (slower).

E.g., one possibily being some other app is being opened/launched - either as the default app for the file type or perhaps via a Task Scheduler trigger.

There have been other ideas and suggestions presented and that is good.

Take a look in Reliability History/Monitor. There may be some relevant error codes, warnings, or even informational events being captured with respect to the original problem(s) and/or attempts to fix the problem.

You may discover some pattern of errors, etc. related to the attempts to open or read audio related folders and files.

 

[dwd999]

Is there any reason why you can't use List View? If you click on View at the top of the screen, what options does it give you? A simple List of names would provide the quickest response when you open the folder.

 

[Nero1024]

Using Task Manager, Resource Monitor, etc. is not intended as a fix.

The purpose is to determine what is different when audio files are slow to be read when compared to other file types. Or audio files/folders (if any) that do not have speed or performance problems.

What resource(s) if any change for the worse (slower).

E.g., one possibily being some other app is being opened/launched - either as the default app for the file type or perhaps via a Task Scheduler trigger.

There have been other ideas and suggestions presented and that is good.

Take a look in Reliability History/Monitor. There may be some relevant error codes, warnings, or even informational events being captured with respect to the original problem(s) and/or attempts to fix the problem.

You may discover some pattern of errors, etc. related to the attempts to open or read audio related folders and files.

I already answered to that. It doesn't work. These software shows absolutely nothing changing, other than explorer/indexer rising processor usage. Reliability History shows nothing, too. There are no known patters to me, that's why I am here in the first place. I am out of ideas and any easy solutions won't help, because I have tried them all. I never had that problem in the past, it started out of nowhere at some point

 

[Nero1024]

Is there any reason why you can't use List View? If you click on View at the top of the screen, what options does it give you? A simple List of names would provide the quickest response when you open the folder.

I can use any view, but when I use my preferable view, which is "Tiles", my problem persist. It doesn't happen in "List" view, but I don't want it. Windows should work perfectly fast with any view, especially with nvme SSD, especially if it worked like that in the past

 

[Ralston18]

Reference:

"These software shows absolutely nothing changing, other than explorer/indexer rising processor usage."

Which begs the question why?

I would use Process Explorer to determine what changes. First observe running processes when using List View even though you do not want to use List View.

Then switch to Tiles and look for what changes and may be causing the slow downs.

Test both ways (List vs Tiles) using other file types and audio file types.

The key is to find some difference in what the processor is or is not doing with respect to the file types.

= = = =

Check folder indexing:

https://www.partitionwizard.com/partitionmanager/windows-search-indexing.html

Agree that the behavior should be the same without regard to the "view": Tiles vs List.

 

[Nero1024]

Because it starts loading the given folder. Under the normal conditions it loads instantly. So far nothing suggested works. Solution is not found. Windows don't report any abnormalities