Deleting files takes too long [solved]

[twinsen]

Explorer++ takes a very long time to delete files (v 1.2, XP).
If everything it is doing is essential, could it do it in a separate thread or something, so you can still navigate while the delete operation is still going on?
I may consider using an application toolbar shortcut just to delete files for now (assuming thats faster).

Tip for people who want fast deletes, you can do this (if you have the application toolbar parameters patch).
Create an app shortcut with these settings:

Name: del
Command: "c:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe" /k del %selected_files% & exit

Its super fast. Explorer++ should be that fast when you delete files with the delete key or right click mouse.

[shootist]

I'm running Win 7 64bit and Explorer++ nightly build from 1/15/2011 and don't see this. Select something from 10MB to a few hundred MB and hit the delete key and it is gone. Right click on the recycle bin select Empty and they are gone.

I did have this problem with another file manager program, Powerdesk 8, and that is how I found Explorer++. Are you sure it is not some other program that is locking up the files?

Just started using Explorer++ on another PC (Notebook) running XP and will check this tomorrow.

[ajs]

Hi twinsen, shootist,
I have Win 7 (unfortunately ) 64 bit, and copy/deleting files is slow with whatever file manager I use. This is because Windows 7 is TERRIBLY slow.
When deleting files from E++, it simply invokes the system command to "delete" (I think), so it should be the same speed of Windows Explorer.
The tip suggested by Twinsen is quicker because (I guess) the command prompt command is just quicker than the system command.

Beside all this, working on improvement on copying/deleting files and folders is something I am definitely planning to do, because 50 seconds to delete 110 MB in 4900 files is definitely too slow!
And changing the delete dialog from modal to non-modal mode is something I am planning to do soon.

[shootist]

Hi twinsen, shootist,
I have Win 7 (unfortunately ) 64 bit, and copy/deleting files is slow with whatever file manager I use. This is because Windows 7 is TERRIBLY slow.
When deleting files from E++, it simply invokes the system command to "delete" (I think), so it should be the same speed of Windows Explorer.
The tip suggested by Twinsen is quicker because (I guess) the command prompt command is just quicker than the system command.

Beside all this, working on improvement on copying/deleting files and folders is something I am definitely planning to do, because 50 seconds to delete 110 MB in 4900 files is definitely too slow!
And changing the delete dialog from modal to non-modal mode is something I am planning to do soon.

I posted about this problem on several forum asking why Win 7 is so slow deleting files and all the responses I got back were saying just the opposite. Since finding and removing the program that was slowing down the deletion of files and emptying the recycle bin it is now very fast. Copying 613MB's of image files from my E drive to my D drive takes a few seconds and the copy dialog box states that the copy starts off at 176MBs and drops to 101MBs. Then going to my D drive and selecting all those copied file and hitting the delete key the files are gone, BAM. Then right click on the Reccycle bin and selecting empty (Are you sure you want to delete these 76 object) and click OK and the files are gone, BAM.

Now when I had Powerdesk on my computer I would get a second dialog box (and I still get it if I'm deleting GBs of stuff) that would give me the number of files being deleted every second. It would show/say 4-7 items being deleted a second and I think it lied because it would take FOREVER. Now even if I get that dialog box it states the the number of items being deleted every second is in the 170++ range.

Just did another test and copied 1.18GBs of stuff, 37 items, from one drive to another. Selected that copied stuff and hit delete, GONE. Emptied Recycle and no dialog box, items just GONE.
Pretty fast for me. Just like XP.

This is on a 4 year old C2D 2.4Ghz (E6600) CPU overclocked to 3.3 with 6GBs of RAM.

[ajs]

Thanks shootist.
I tried to search the internet as well for the same issue, and the only thing I found was a lot of posts about "how slow win 7 is when it comes to copy/delete files". And my win 7 x64 is no exception. There is a difference though: i don't use the recycle bin at all, every time I delete the file directly.
I will try to search better. Perhaps you know some links which helped you fixing the problem (I don't have Powerdesk installed).
Anyhow thanks for your comment, it gives me some hope

[twinsen]

On different XP pcs the delete operation is not as painfully long.
I wouldn't be surprised if the virus checker on that PC has hooked into whatever mechanism is used for deleting files and decides to lock the file for ages or something to "scan" it.
When you right click a file, the menu that pops up is it just calling some win32 shell function (closed source)? If so it wont be so easy to change what happens when you click delete (without writing code for the entire context menu).
Hopefully making the delete dialog non-modal (ie can navigate while deleting) is not too hard.

[ajs]

Hopefully making the delete dialog non-modal (ie can navigate while deleting) is not too hard.

I started looking into this yesterday (even though now I am working on a different patch). Making the dialog non-modal should require just teh creation of a new thread which will handle the dialog and then the delete operation. Shouldn't be too hard, even though it may take some times to do it correctly.

[shootist]

Hi twinsen, shootist,
I have Win 7 (unfortunately ) 64 bit, and copy/deleting files is slow with whatever file manager I use. This is because Windows 7 is TERRIBLY slow.
When deleting files from E++, it simply invokes the system command to "delete" (I think), so it should be the same speed of Windows Explorer.
The tip suggested by Twinsen is quicker because (I guess) the command prompt command is just quicker than the system command.

Beside all this, working on improvement on copying/deleting files and folders is something I am definitely planning to do, because 50 seconds to delete 110 MB in 4900 files is definitely too slow!
And changing the delete dialog from modal to non-modal mode is something I am planning to do soon.

Just read this in another forum about the slow delete/move/copy of Win7.

Hi all

I stumbled across a critical update on the HP site (released silently last month) relating to a Microsoft Host Controller update. No idea if this is machine specific or generic but the link I used was

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/soft ... ct=3943716

I run an HP 6044UK machine, but I am assuming other manufacturers will have similar updates if this one is machine specific.

I had drives disappearing during copying, 99% CPU usage when copying, mouse stopping and all sorts of other problems and touch wood this has solved them all. I am currently backing up my 250 Gb of c: drive onto my external (using Windows back up just to test it) and after an hour and a half we're almost 40% done. Not quick but at least it seems to be doing what I need.

I was also directed towards the following link http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976972 but since the patch supplied by HP sorted my problems I haven't used it myself.

Sorry if this isn't a solution for you, but after the upgrade Windows 7 now feels like the asset I hoped it would be when I bought it, and not the lame duck it was becoming. Hope this helps if you have been as frustrated as I have with USB / external drive / lock up / copying issues

happy computing:/

[ajs]

thanks shootist. Unfortunately I have nor an HP machine nor an NVIDIA controller, but thanks anyway for the effort

[twinsen]

This problem is happening on a different XP machine.
It takes so long to delete a new folder, I kill explorer++.exe and open windows explorer instead.
If I go to the folder above the "deleting" folder in windows explorer the folder instantly disappears.
Wonder what was happening all that time explorer++ was doing nothing after the folder had gone...

I kept repeating the same process and eventually explorer++ took not too long. It still takes 5 seconds to delete an empty folder (despite the folder instantly disappearing from the file system)!
Background deleting should make this less of a problem: http://www.explorerplusplus.com/phpBB3/ ... t=deleting