A Win 8 File Explorer curiosity - ideas?

[ubuysa]

This isn't a problem as such, but it is curious and I'd welcome any insight you might have...

On my laptop (Windows 8 Pro) the standard Windows File Explorer can be started from two places; a pinned shortcut icon in the taskbar and a shortcut icon on the desktop.

The desktop icon was created by right clicking on C:\Windows\Explorer.exe and selecting Create Shortcut. The target of this shortcut is of course C:\Windows\Explorer.exe.

The taskbar icon was created by right-clicking on an open File Explorer taskbar icon and selecting Pin To Taskbar from the menu. The target of this icon is C:\Users\Tony\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries.

The curiosity is that using the desktop icon starts File Explorer instantly (less than 1 second) whereas when using the pinned taskbar icon it takes 2.6 seconds to start. I'm at a loss to explain why there should be such a time difference?

My best guess is that it's either my anti-virus or intrusion detection system (I run Comodo Internet Security) but I've tried it with all the CIS features turned off so that it's not effectively doing anything and the time difference is still there. The acid test would be to uninstall CIS completely of course, and I may do that at some stage just to see, but that's a fair bit of work.

So do any of you have any suggestions as to why these two shortcuts should have such wildly different startup times given that they start the same thing?

Again, this isn't a problem and it's not bugging me - well, not much anyway.

 

[nathanjrb]

I think in this example the answer your looking for is... instant tea :tt2:

 

[ubuysa]

I think in this example the answer your looking for is... instant tea :tt2:

Instant tea? How dare you Sir!

I've managed a reasonable workaround by changing the target of the pinned Taskbar icon to C:\Windows\Explorer.exe. Now it opens instantly. All very strange though......

 

[Kalisnoir]

Well the first one you are opening just the .exe (one area of the HDD) - in the second one you are opening the .exe and then navigating to a section of the HDD (two areas of the HDD).

That's my theory anyway. Anyone else got any ideas?

 

[ubuysa]

Well the first one you are opening just the .exe (one area of the HDD) - in the second one you are opening the .exe and then navigating to a section of the HDD (two areas of the HDD).

That's my theory anyway. Anyone else got any ideas?

Possibly, though I'm not convinced. In any case this is an SSD so no seek time is required and 2.6 seconds is just not on! Many thanks for responding though.

 

[Kalisnoir]

Possibly, though I'm not convinced. In any case this is an SSD so no seek time is required and 2.6 seconds is just not on! Many thanks for responding though.

Ah right okay. Even with a HDD 2.6 seconds is a long time but it was all I could think of ha. Even my 1TB that only has 85GB left opens instantly but I do have them consolidated / defragged once a month. My SSD opens instantly as well so all I can think of is that maybe you have some windows settings on that is slowing it down or like you said some software is interfering with it for whatever reason. Sorry can't be of any help dude.

 

[ubuysa]

Ah right okay. Even with a HDD 2.6 seconds is a long time but it was all I could think of ha. Even my 1TB that only has 85GB left opens instantly but I do have them consolidated / defragged once a month. My SSD opens instantly as well so all I can think of is that maybe you have some windows settings on that is slowing it down or like you said some software is interfering with it for whatever reason. Sorry can't be of any help dude.

Thanks for trying to help.

 

[ubuysa]

I might have the answer (only might, mind ).

The fast shortcut has a target which is C:\Windows\explorer.exe (an executable file) so Windows simply executes the named program. It just so happens that File Explorer defaults to displaying the libraries.

The slow shortcut has a target which is C:\Users\Tony\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries (a folder). I think that what happens here is that Windows checks the Library structure making sure that all the library contents are available before passing control to explorer.exe and that's where the extra processing and time goes.

I can't imagine what else it could be? Anyway, as I said earlier, I've changed the Taskbar shortcut to point straight at explorer.exe. Works for me.

Edit: Another curiosity I've just noticed is that the forum software insists on inserting a space between \Li and braries even though I typed Libraries as one word. I guess \Li has special meaning to the editor?

 

[Rakk]

On my laptop (Windows 8 Pro) the standard Windows File Explorer can be started from two places; a pinned shortcut icon in the taskbar and a shortcut icon on the desktop.

Pressing the Windows key and E at the same time also opens up Windows explorer - which is what I always do cos well I'm lazy

 

[dogbot]

Interesting since I'm running W7 and get the same sort of thing but with Internet explorer (I think it's been reported before on the forum).

On my old AMD desktop it used to start straight away but on the Vortex III (Intel) it takes several seconds to get going for the first time after booting.

 

[ubuysa]

Interesting since I'm running W7 and get the same sort of thing but with Internet explorer (I think it's been reported before on the forum).

On my old AMD desktop it used to start straight away but on the Vortex III (Intel) it takes several seconds to get going for the first time after booting.

Oh good, it's not just me then. Try changing the shortcut target in the taskbar icon to %windir%\explorer.exe, that speeded it up a treat for me.

Rakk, I use WinKey+E when I want My Computer, but I do like File Explorer opening at the Libraries.

 

[vanthus]

On Windows7,I usually just right click the start button/open Windows explorer,not sure if this works on Windows8 if you have that interface.

 

[ubuysa]

On Windows7,I usually just right click the start button/open Windows explorer,not sure if this works on Windows8 if you have that interface.

Thanks vanthus, I run Start8 so I do have access to the Start button and the start menu. The issue (if you can call it that) is not starting File Explorer, it starts fine. The issue is that starting it with an icon pinned to the taskbar takes much longer than starting it any other way. I was just curious as to why?