Windows Explorer sometimes locks up when trying to open a folder...

Callender said:

It just means that windows won't automatically apply a folder template as files are added to folders.

Thumbnail preferences are handled by folder view settings.

Or by settings here:

So to be absolutely clear, you are suggesting that I...

1. Reset the folder view for the whole PC to default settings using WinSetView

2. Check the "Show thumbnails instead of Icons" checkbox in the Performance Options section of System Properties (sysdm.cpl>Advanced Tab> Performance>Settings)

And then run things for a while to see if the problem goes away?

Callender said:

No. I suggested disabling automatic folder template discovery including for libraries. You can do that with winsetview and even restore defaults if it doesn't work out.

Sorry, I'm not familiar with Winsetview

I have downloaded and run it, but I can't see an option for disabling "automatic folder template discovery" or "setting all folders and libraries to General items template"

Thank you

Its late Sunday night here now. I will do this after work tomorrow so that if things go wrong, it won't cause any issues, and I will have time to fix it.

Do you suggest I do this, and then leave it this way to see if the problem re-appears?

OK.

Alright, I did as was suggested.

- Set "General Items view for connected devices"
- Set set everything else to "Details view"

Once I did this, it was impossible to get any folder to show thumbnails... even with "Show thumbnails instead of icons" checked in Performance Options > Visual effects . Changing to "Pictures" in any folder customization didn't work. I could change it and apply it, but when I went back to look, it had changed back to General Items. This really affected the workflow. It wasn't so bad when using the OrderController software as it has a thumbnail function built in regardless of global settings, but outside of the OrderController it was real nightmare. Every icon had to be double clicked to open in XnView and selected for printing one image at a time.

We got most of the way through Monday morning before we had an Explorer lock-up opening a folder in Google Drive for Desktop (GDFD), from within the software. Its the same problem, and a forced shutdown was again the only way out.
I reverted the setting back in WinSetView

I haven't had much time to work on the problem during the week, However, in researching another problem we have been having with ACDSee Ultimate (one involving it crashing when accessing folders in GDFD) I may have stumbled upon a possible solution. Apparently, if I understand what they are saying correctly, Windows Defender has always-on protection, and this means that every time a new file or folder is created in, downloaded to, copied to, or synced in GDFD, Windows Defender will scan it. This scanning process can interrupt some software, so on Sunday night, I made the Google Drive Folder and all its subfolders exceptions in Windows Defender (Settings > Update & Security > Virus & Threats > Manage Settings > Exclusions).

So far we have got through Monday and Tuesday without a single Explorer lock-up. I will keep y'all informed.