[inane5]

-- The context --
I'm running windows xp home edition. I have all relevant updates installed. My computer is a P4 2.4ghz, 512 mb.

-- Here's my problem --
Often times when I have a window open (such as my computer or my documents), everything will become slow. When I open task manager, it says that Explorer.exe is taking up 100 percent cpu.

Symptoms usually occur when:
-I'm moving files from folders
-I'm scrolling down to see files in a folder.
-I double click a folder with many files in it (10 gigs of files).

-- More context --
-My drives are defragged nice and blue.
-I run norton anti virus in the background all the time.
-I have disabled all the visual affects in windows xp except for the last one.
-I am not sharing anything on the network.
-The problem can happen even when nothing else is running
-I usually end explorer.exe completely and start it back up. I'm too lazy to restart.

-- MY QUESTIONS --
1. Is there anything more I can do to prevent this?
2. I read that microsoft admitted to problems with explorer hogging 100% cpu. But these problems often pertained to right clicking. Is my problem the same thing?
3. I'm pondering whether I should switch to windows 2000 instead. Can someone point out things available in XP that aren't available in 2000? I might not switch if I come to realize that windows 2000 doesn't meet basic standards that I've taken for granted in xp. (note: I don't use remote desktop or other fancy stuff. I usually just play games, watch divx movies, download stuff, and occaisionally use my USB2 port.)

----Please help.

[jcdios]

Try cleanbooting and see if the problem still occurs.

If it does not, than the problem is something loading on startup.

[inane5]

what do you mean by cleanbooting? Nothing runs on startup except microsoft products and norton. I've made sure of that.

any input on question 3?

[Rollin' Rog]

No input on 3 from me, but have a look at this thread regarding the high cpu usage associated with Explorer:

http://forums.techguy.org/showthread...716#post702716

[inane5]

I did what the link said. It worked beautifully. Thanks.



--------------- CASE RESOLVED -----------------

If anyone experiences problems with windows explorer when dealing with folders containing many movie files, follow this:

http://forums.techguy.org/showthread...716#post702716

[Rollin' Rog]

Outstanding, you're welcome.

It's amazing how that registry entry can affect the opening of folders even when you are not running any avi files.

[jdroberson]

I was also experiencing this issue and tried the posted solutions without success. i was able to resolve the issue by logging in as a different user and renaming the desktop directory of my primary user account. when i logged in again a new folder is created automatically and everything was back to normal. a corrupt file on the desktop I would imagine.
John
jdroberson@stcloudstate.edu

[stax]

JD's fix [Resolved - windows explorer.exe 100% CPU usage] saved me from a reformat on my Dell 4600 XP. The Dell techs were dedicated but useless -- appeared to be working off a script, and decided I had a virus. As per his advice, I logged in as Admin in XP safe mode (that gave me a clean desktop) and then renamed Desktop folder via My Computer. Once I had done that, I was able to re-boot as myself, (with a clean desktop and a low CPU usage) and navigate to that Desktop_OLD folder and delete it.

Obviously, the corrupt file on my desktop was loading every time I booted up, and then explorer.exe would pump up to 99% CPUs trying to make sense of it. (I was able to copy my desktop files to a back-up before I deleted it -- just very slow sledding with the CPU maxed out like that.) JD's fix was a lifesaver!