Anyone have this problem?

[cgratti]

I have copied over pictures from my CF card to my hard drive on my PC. When I open the folder containing the pics, the PC seems to hang, it takes about 2 minutes to finally get to view the pictures as thumbnails. This also happens if I try and "list, icon, or detail" the images in the folder.

I am thinking maybe the CF card contains hidden files that are copied over and the folder is loaded with numerous copies of the same cache type file. Anyone have any ideas as to why my PC hangs when I try to open a folder with pics from my Drebel. I just reinstalled the operating system and it still hangs.

They are all JPEG images, not RAW.

MY PC SPECS ARE:

1GHz Athlon Processor
1GB PC-133 RAM
128MB G-Force 4 Ti-4600 Vid Card
90 GB Hard Drive (partitioned to 30 and 60GB partitions) this happens on both partitions.
WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL

[Tom W]

I wonder if something is eating up your clock cycles. Do you use Ad-Aware and/or Spybot? If you have some spammy-based TSR running in the background, these two programs will find it.

[cgratti]

I wonder if something is eating up your clock cycles. Do you use Ad-Aware and/or Spybot? If you have some spammy-based TSR running in the background, these two programs will find it.

yea, I ran it and it found nothing. This only happens for pics from my Drebel, everything else runs smooth as silk.

I dont have anything unecessary running, just my nortons anti-virus and the basics that Windoze needs to run.

[leony]

Win XP looks at every file for dimensions and other meta data. if you have large files and a lot of them, it will cause a delay as your comp is comparatively slow for a system optimal for image editing of files from 6MP camera.

Your major bottle neck seems to be RAM at 133. is your HD 7200 or 5400?

Turn off XP's default "bells" and it'll speed up your system considerably.

Right click on "My COmputer" -> Properties
on Advanced tab go to Performance Settings. Pick "Best Performance".

this'll help a little.

[Tom W]

I'm not an expert at this, but if it were me, I'd probably erase the CF card with the computer and then reformat it with the computer, followed by reformatting it with the camera before use.

I'm one of those "keep trying stuff until it works" kind of people.

[cgratti]

Win XP looks at every file for dimensions and other meta data. if you have large files and a lot of them, it will cause a delay as your comp is comparatively slow for a system optimal for image editing of files from 6MP camera.

Your major bottle neck seems to be RAM at 133. is your HD 7200 or 5400?

Turn off XP's default "bells" and it'll speed up your system considerably.

Right click on "My COmputer" -> Properties
on Advanced tab go to Performance Settings. Pick "Best Performance".

this'll help a little.

My XP is tuned fine, I have turned all uneeded stuff OFF. It's not the RAM, I know its only 133, but a Gigabyte of RAM is more than sufficient. I am a HEAVY online gamer, so my machine can handle the work. It will hang even if I only have 10 pictures in the folder or 10,000. I burned all my pics to a DVD-RAM cd and deleted the folder, then defragmented my HD and still it hangs.

I am getting a MAC in the fall..... I cant friggin wait!

I also reformatted the CF card in both the PC and Camera and vice-versa. nothing.... I went as far as to take the cover off my case to cool it down think heat problem, nada....

[Scottes]

Do you have anti-virus running? That will causes slowdowns, too.

[cgratti]

Do you have anti-virus running? That will causes slowdowns, too.

Yes, Nortons 2004 Pro.

I have had the camera since February, and have not had a problem with over 1000 images on my pc and Nortons.

I deleted the 1000 images from my pc and and only have about 100 now and still it hangs. It just started to hang on day, and hasnt stopped.

[leony]

If you have Norton System WOrks, use WinDOctor to find out where the bottle neck is.

[CanonUser]

Your 30GB partition is probably filling up to the point that XP is having a hard time moving swap files around. Also, I notice that as my Data HD fills up, it takes more time for my PC to open a folder full of RAW files. I have an 80GB HD for OS & Programs only. All swap and temp files are stored on the same drive where the photos are.

Regards,
Alan

[Tom W]

Your 30GB partition is probably filling up to the point that XP is having a hard time moving swap files around. Also, I notice that as my Data HD fills up, it takes more time for my PC to open a folder full of RAW files. I have an 80GB HD for OS & Programs only. All swap and temp files are stored on the same drive where the photos are.

Regards,
Alan

Good point, Alan. I hadn't thought of that. I keep my swap file on a separate partition with plenty of room to grow. Old Win98 trick to keep it from getting fragmented.

[cgratti]

Your 30GB partition is probably filling up to the point that XP is having a hard time moving swap files around. Also, I notice that as my Data HD fills up, it takes more time for my PC to open a folder full of RAW files. I have an 80GB HD for OS & Programs only. All swap and temp files are stored on the same drive where the photos are.

Regards,
Alan

My swap is on the 60GB drive, and my pics and OS are on the 30GB drive.
The 30 GB drive is only 48% used.

Grrrrrr..... I want my MAC!

[Tom W]

Your 30GB partition is probably filling up to the point that XP is having a hard time moving swap files around. Also, I notice that as my Data HD fills up, it takes more time for my PC to open a folder full of RAW files. I have an 80GB HD for OS & Programs only. All swap and temp files are stored on the same drive where the photos are.

Regards,
Alan

My swap is on the 60GB drive, and my pics and OS are on the 30GB drive.
The 30 GB drive is only 48% used.

Grrrrrr..... I want my MAC!

Dang it! There's a fine line between a challange and a PITA and I think your computer has crossed it.

Lemme think - OK, is the HD with the swap file fragmented?

[scottbergerphoto]

Dang it! There's a fine line between a challange and a PITA .........

Great line Tom. I hope you don't mind if I use that on this side of the Mason-Dixon Line. :P
Scott

[dn7elson]

I am thinking maybe the CF card contains hidden files that are copied over and the folder is loaded with numerous copies of the same cache type file.

No real hidden files on the CF (caveat, being the restoration files on the Lexar Pro CF). Now, you might have a corrupted image file on the CF that never gets deleted/erased and might transfer and give you some fits. You should really format the CF after you transfer the files each time you put it back into the camera. It's quicker than erasing the images and ensures that you don't have any corrupted files on the CF.

[Conk]

Finally Dale said what I was thinking after reading all these posts. I would teld to think that your computer is having difficulty reading your cf card also. Try another card before reformatting the one that is giving you trouble and see if it works.

[CanonUser]

If there is any problem with the CF, Windows wouldn't be able to copy or move the files. If Windows can, it means the file system (FAT 16/32) is compatible. If the files are of incompatble format or corrupted, Windows will not be able to open the file or build a thumbnail preview. The fact that you copied the files and Windows successfully built the thumbnail files point to a problem exists in the PC, not the CF. Check your BIOS, fans, Windows setting again for possible cause.
Regards,
Alan

[Tom W]

I don't know all the algorithems of Windows any more (OK, I never did), but XP does have a penchant to try something repeatedly for a while, and then move on to the next task. Previous versions (98, 95, etc.) were more apt to try and then go all blue-screen on us. So it may be reasonable that the computer is encountering a file that is corrupted in an odd way that the computer tries to deal with it and then finally moves on to the next file.

I don't know how to get rid of such a file if there is one. Can you scandisk a CF?

[leony]

i've only needed to "norton disk doctor" (aka scandisk++) my cf card once. one of the files couldn't be copied because of some "disk error" - that fixed it. it was a RAW file too, so it wasn't one of those "damaged JPEGs" that you see on-line from time to time.

It said one of the sectors was bad (a known issue when you don't format CF cards and just delete files) - re-formatting the card solved the problem.

PS: unless you're using 2G+ card, always format with FAT and not FAT32. FAT 32 makes the camera write to the card slower. dunno why, but it does. don't believe me? do your own test.

[cgratti]

does NTFS have anything to do with it? I am on an NTFS file system

[leony]

NTFS has nothing to do with it. my advice is get a 2nd HD - a 7200 rpm one. partitions are on the same physical drive, so even though your files & your swap are on different drive letters, the HD has to go back and forth on the same drive - causes delay.

BTW, Win XP doesn't ever use more than about 1/4 of ram you got. that ram is used by Photoshop, which come with its own memory management. including its own swap.

Here's how my PC set up:

P4 2.6 overclocked to 3.2Ghz, Multithreading.
1G of DDR 3200 Dual Chanel RAM

3 HD drives:
120 GB 7200 RPM for storage of files
60 GB 7200 RPM for Windows & Programs
250 GB SATA 7200 RPM for swap and additional file storage of RAW files.

AND NEVER LET WINDOWS MANAGE YOUR SWAP FILE. NEVER. set a fixed size of say 500Mb - and you'll be OK.

Here's something not many know:

Your RAM is 1000 slower than your processor, and your HD is 1000 slower than your ram. There fore by getting a faster or 2nd HD for swap you can improve your system's performance a lot. Typicaly 20%.

[cgratti]

NTFS has nothing to do with it. my advice is get a 2nd HD - a 7200 rpm one. partitions are on the same physical drive, so even though your files & your swap are on different drive letters, the HD has to go back and forth on the same drive - causes delay.

BTW, Win XP doesn't ever use more than about 1/4 of ram you got. that ram is used by Photoshop, which come with its own memory management. including its own swap.

Here's how my PC set up:

P4 2.6 overclocked to 3.2Ghz, Multithreading.
1G of DDR 3200 Dual Chanel RAM

3 HD drives:
120 GB 7200 RPM for storage of files
60 GB 7200 RPM for Windows & Programs
250 GB SATA 7200 RPM for swap and additional file storage of RAW files.

AND NEVER LET WINDOWS MANAGE YOUR SWAP FILE. NEVER. set a fixed size of say 500Mb - and you'll be OK.

Here's something not many know:

Your RAM is 1000 slower than your processor, and your HD is 1000 slower than your ram. There fore by getting a faster or 2nd HD for swap you can improve your system's performance a lot. Typicaly 20%.

I do have a 2nd HD, and my swap is on the 2nd drive (7200RPM), this problem has me perplexed. I usually figure these things out but this problem has me down for the count. The problem isnt a life-threatening one, I can still work on the pc, it just causes me to lose some time waiting for the pictures to appear.

[photoguynorth]

Often when windows is slow opening a directory, it is because there is something it is looking for that is not there - for example - if you have shares listed in your 'my network places' that are not accessible, of if you have mapped drives, etc., that explorer will wait for those to time out before displaying files. Have you installed any new utilities/programs - sometimes these add extensions to explorer that can do the same thing. Although it might act like it is only camera files, it may not be related.
Just some things to consider....

[cgratti]

Often when windows is slow opening a directory, it is because there is something it is looking for that is not there - for example - if you have shares listed in your 'my network places' that are not accessible, of if you have mapped drives, etc., that explorer will wait for those to time out before displaying files. Have you installed any new utilities/programs - sometimes these add extensions to explorer that can do the same thing. Although it might act like it is only camera files, it may not be related.
Just some things to consider....

no nothing. it worled perfectly fine one day and then just stopped working. I am thinking a hardware problem, I am going to get some new RAM and try that first. Maybe my memory is going bad, but what puzzles me is that I dont have a problem with anything else, just with opening folders with pictures in them.

[donb]

http://www.knitwitology.net/pickabar/archives/004323.html

Photoshop...