File explorer slow/Never loading solution

It worked partially. In fact I double checked that Windows Search was still dead. I have a survielance video archive of about 12k files and 2TB. Big but not unmanagable from a computer standpoint. I am tearing out my hair though. It sits, and sits, and sits, only for me to reverse sort the Date.Modified. The bar takes about 6 minutes to complete. Don't even bother to tell me that is an unmanageable folder. The file size has no bearing on how accesable the file attributes are, because they reside in the FAT( even though it's NTFS, it still is a FAT)

How &&*#ing complex is that action?! Does MS have to make everything so piss slow that Win8 on a new PC is as fast as windows 3.11 on a IBM AT? Oh, now it's done...

Sorry

razghost said:

Ok so since upgrading from 7 to 10 file explorer has been a absolute nightmare! Everything was either incredibly slow, didn't happen or only partially load. After enduring this to this day I have decided enough is enough and started diagnosing by limiting the startup services using MSconfig.

After going through enabling startup services groups at the time and restarting the computer everytime! Eventually I found the service that was causing the problems with file explorer. The service is called Windows search and once disabled it restored functionality to file explorer. The search function in file explorer works but the search in the taskbar doesn't.

Step by step guide:
1. Hold Win+r to open run
2. Type msconfig and hit ok or enter
3. Click Services
4. Navigate to Windows search (you can sort the list in descending alphabetical order)
5. Uncheck tickbox
6. Click apply then ok
7. Select to restart now

Hope this works for you.

On Windows 10, Download folder sort has been F(*&^%G ridiculous trying to do any kind of sorts. Based on web searches and other suggestions, I really didn't want to mess with config files to solve this problem if I didn't have to. My default for folder views is ALWAY Details, never thumbnails. So, as has been suggested in other places, and here, there were some comments about adjusting the properties of the folder to resolve the problem. I followed this advice - and I did so by going to Download folder > Properties. **NOTE: I selected my Download folder from Explorers Quick Access or Frequently Used (because I tried this method multiple times)**. I followed the steps to uncheck selections under General > Advanced > untick items, then select all subfolders, etc. Then went to Customize > changed to 'General' instead of Pictures as was defaulted > and checked "Apply to all subfolders".

This did not resolve the problem well, it seemed like maybe the first time I went back to Explorer, it was better - but problem returned quickly after that.

After searching online again for the hundredth time, I found a comment that said to access the Downloads folder via C: -> Users -> [yourusername], instead of via Favorites/QuickAccess/FrequentlyUsed shortcuts - then right click on Download Folder from THERE and proceed to change the properties as indicated above.

OMG this immediately resolved the issue -- all folder sorts worked instantly! I then proceeded to ShutDown to verify that when I rebooted, the changes would still be in affect. I received an error -- "explorer.exe application error -- The instruction at 000blahblahblahEL9 reference memory at 00X000blahblahblah.B88. The memory could not the read. Check OK to terminate program" So slightly concerned, clicking ok was pretty much all I could do at that point. ShutDown. On reboot, no errors occured, everything worked fine and Explorer sorts still worked instantly!! HALLELUIAH!!! Huge high five to the guy who suggested that one!!!

I'm not even sure I'm posting this in the correct area. I joined the forum specifically to tell everyone that this solution WORKED! I've spent all day with Microsoft's online chat support with three different representatives and none of them had a solution. They tried EVERYTHING including scans for corrupt files, even going so far as to create a new user, and even reinstalling Windows. This solution immediately worked.

My files including file explorer and pictures and documents weren't downloading very quickly and even not at all. The pics and documents and such were there, but the thumbnails were either completely absent or blank white pages. It was like the files could never fully download or materialize. I'm sooooo relieved. I was ready to make do temporarily and then get an apple laptop ASAP. This will keep me from having to do it right away. I think I will eventually. To the author of this solution...THANK YOU!!!!!

razghost said:

Ok so since upgrading from 7 to 10 file explorer has been a absolute nightmare! Everything was either incredibly slow, didn't happen or only partially load. After enduring this to this day I have decided enough is enough and started diagnosing by limiting the startup services using MSconfig.

After going through enabling startup services groups at the time and restarting the computer everytime! Eventually I found the service that was causing the problems with file explorer. The service is called Windows search and once disabled it restored functionality to file explorer. The search function in file explorer works but the search in the taskbar doesn't.

Step by step guide:
1. Hold Win+r to open run
2. Type msconfig and hit ok or enter
3. Click Services
4. Navigate to Windows search (you can sort the list in descending alphabetical order)
5. Uncheck tickbox
6. Click apply then ok
7. Select to restart now

Hope this works for you.

This worked GREAT for me! Thanks.

You, sir, deserve a million thanks

I had the same problem this week. Opening explorer to "this PC" was slow. I suspected bad handling of an offline network drive, or something in quick access. After reading here about the search indexer, that has been a pain since Vista, but improved in 7, and that I haven't had any problem with for years, I dropped some indexed folders and now explorer opens at once without the 10 second delay.

For those that aren't familiar with the search indexer it has to be said: You don't need to flush the baby out with the bathwater. Don't just shut off the search and everything bad that leads to.

Do like this:
1. Press start and type "index" and press enter. This opens control panel - Indexing options. There you have all folders and special folders that the search indexer cares about.
2. Click "modify" button and uncheck everything that you don't need indexed. Selecting a folder in the lower view will highlight it in the browser above so you don't have to guess where it is. You don't have to index files on a SSD, except for start menu if you use it much.
3. When all your heavy files (my problem was 30000 photos on my HDD) are unchecked, click Ok. Then it will rebuild the index when you let it idle.
4. Optionally, to speed the process up - click "advanced" button and then click "rebuild" to build the index from scratch.
5. Done.

Now you have both a lean index and the search capabilities intact. Unindexed items will be slower to search.

I was having the same problem and was searching online for an answer but didn`t find a good one as I don`t want to turn search off because I use the service to search for documents, etc fast.

So here it goes at least in my case the solution was simple and figured it out on my own:

1. Click on the slow loading File explorer icon from the taskbar and let it load.
2. Check if in the "Frequent folders" you have listed a folder which is on a network location not on your own pc. If you do, just right click on the "Frequent folders" text and click on "Remove from quick access".

After the remote folder is no longer in the Frequent folders list everything will be fast as before.

Regards!

Check windows search as previously stated under msconfig and also double check this
Go to control panel Administrative tools Services
Go window search and see if window search was running, mine was not
Tried to start
And then recieved the fix error 1053
So next
Under control panel
Indexing options then advance and then rebuild
Seems to fix problem

Better fix than just turning of windows search under msconfig as it did fix the problem
but with windows search unchecked received a search warning in outlook 2016
although Searching still seemed to work?????

I bought a new HP laptop from Amazon and was facing the same issue (Windows Explorer loading forever) and was on the verge of returning it
Then I tried your solution. WORKED LIKE A DREAM ! Thank you

Worked for me thanks