Guest George Valkov Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 I noticed that when I try to open a picture from my desktop, Windows Picture and Fax Viewer shows immediately, indicating the "Generating Preview..." status for about 7 seconds, and there is extreme disk activity all the time. After that the picture is displayed. The same happens every time I click on a picture file, to open it. I decided to investigate what is wrong, so I used Sysinternals Process Explorer to pause the process during "Generating Preview...", then I examined the stack, but only found genuine Microsoft DLLs, the active thread was using some file system filter which was causing the disk activity. Then I examined what files were accessed using Sysinternals Process Monitor. I was astonished to find that Windows Picture and Fax Viewer succeeded to scan all directories on all hard-disks (I have more than 300 000 files and a lot of directories) in just 7 seconds! But why on Earth would it do so? What a bad design from Microsoft! - I asked it to show me a picture, but it scanned all directories on all disks - every single one was in the log of Process Explorer! A little more investigation and I found that this problem will only occur, if in the same directory where the picture is, there are one or more shortcuts that point to deleted target. Gotcha! Windows Picture and Fax Viewer was trying to repair my shortcuts! This is not part from Explorer, but the Picture Viewer DLL it self. I can show the File Open or File Save dialog box from any program, then show all files on the desktop, right-click a picture and select Preview -- and it will scan all directories on all disks trying to repair the missing shortcuts. This is not a good design. Windows should only ask me about broken shortcuts when I click on them, not when I click on other files. Yes, right... it didn't ask me, it just consumed resources in the background.
Guest Alias Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 Re: Windows Picture and Fax Viewer George Valkov wrote: > I noticed that when I try to open a picture from my desktop, Windows Picture > and Fax Viewer shows immediately, indicating the "Generating Preview..." > status for about 7 seconds, and there is extreme disk activity all the time. > After that the picture is displayed. > > The same happens every time I click on a picture file, to open it. > > I decided to investigate what is wrong, so I used Sysinternals Process > Explorer to pause the process during "Generating Preview...", then I > examined the stack, but only found genuine Microsoft DLLs, the active thread > was using some file system filter which was causing the disk activity. > > Then I examined what files were accessed using Sysinternals Process Monitor. > I was astonished to find that Windows Picture and Fax Viewer succeeded to > scan all directories on all hard-disks (I have more than 300 000 files and a > lot of directories) in just 7 seconds! > > But why on Earth would it do so? What a bad design from Microsoft! - I asked > it to show me a picture, but it scanned all directories on all disks - every > single one was in the log of Process Explorer! > > A little more investigation and I found that this problem will only occur, > if in the same directory where the picture is, there are one or more > shortcuts that point to deleted target. > > Gotcha! Windows Picture and Fax Viewer was trying to repair my shortcuts! > This is not part from Explorer, but the Picture Viewer DLL it self. I can > show the File Open or File Save dialog box from any program, then show all > files on the desktop, right-click a picture and select Preview -- and it > will scan all directories on all disks trying to repair the missing > shortcuts. > > This is not a good design. Windows should only ask me about broken shortcuts > when I click on them, not when I click on other files. Yes, right... it > didn't ask me, it just consumed resources in the background. > > Use something like Crap Cleaner to clean out your temp files and this behavior will disappear. Why, I haven't a clue. -- Alias To email me, remove shoes
Guest Kelly Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 Re: Windows Picture and Fax Viewer Hmm, interesting....have sent it on. -- All the Best, Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP) Taskbar Repair Tool Plus! http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm "George Valkov" <a@b.com> wrote in message news:u4%232UbQ6HHA.1148@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >I noticed that when I try to open a picture from my desktop, Windows >Picture > and Fax Viewer shows immediately, indicating the "Generating Preview..." > status for about 7 seconds, and there is extreme disk activity all the > time. > After that the picture is displayed. > > The same happens every time I click on a picture file, to open it. > > I decided to investigate what is wrong, so I used Sysinternals Process > Explorer to pause the process during "Generating Preview...", then I > examined the stack, but only found genuine Microsoft DLLs, the active > thread > was using some file system filter which was causing the disk activity. > > Then I examined what files were accessed using Sysinternals Process > Monitor. > I was astonished to find that Windows Picture and Fax Viewer succeeded to > scan all directories on all hard-disks (I have more than 300 000 files and > a > lot of directories) in just 7 seconds! > > But why on Earth would it do so? What a bad design from Microsoft! - I > asked > it to show me a picture, but it scanned all directories on all disks - > every > single one was in the log of Process Explorer! > > A little more investigation and I found that this problem will only occur, > if in the same directory where the picture is, there are one or more > shortcuts that point to deleted target. > > Gotcha! Windows Picture and Fax Viewer was trying to repair my shortcuts! > This is not part from Explorer, but the Picture Viewer DLL it self. I can > show the File Open or File Save dialog box from any program, then show all > files on the desktop, right-click a picture and select Preview -- and it > will scan all directories on all disks trying to repair the missing > shortcuts. > > This is not a good design. Windows should only ask me about broken > shortcuts > when I click on them, not when I click on other files. Yes, right... it > didn't ask me, it just consumed resources in the background. > >
Guest George Valkov Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 Re: Windows Picture and Fax Viewer Thank You! "Kelly" wrote: | Hmm, interesting....have sent it on. | | -- | | All the Best, | Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP) | | Taskbar Repair Tool Plus! | http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm | | | | "George Valkov" <a@b.com> wrote in message | news:u4%232UbQ6HHA.1148@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... | >I noticed that when I try to open a picture from my desktop, Windows | >Picture | > and Fax Viewer shows immediately, indicating the "Generating Preview..." | > status for about 7 seconds, and there is extreme disk activity all the | > time. | > After that the picture is displayed. | > | > The same happens every time I click on a picture file, to open it. | > | > I decided to investigate what is wrong, so I used Sysinternals Process | > Explorer to pause the process during "Generating Preview...", then I | > examined the stack, but only found genuine Microsoft DLLs, the active | > thread | > was using some file system filter which was causing the disk activity. | > | > Then I examined what files were accessed using Sysinternals Process | > Monitor. | > I was astonished to find that Windows Picture and Fax Viewer succeeded to | > scan all directories on all hard-disks (I have more than 300 000 files and | > a | > lot of directories) in just 7 seconds! | > | > But why on Earth would it do so? What a bad design from Microsoft! - I | > asked | > it to show me a picture, but it scanned all directories on all disks - | > every | > single one was in the log of Process Explorer! | > | > A little more investigation and I found that this problem will only occur, | > if in the same directory where the picture is, there are one or more | > shortcuts that point to deleted target. | > | > Gotcha! Windows Picture and Fax Viewer was trying to repair my shortcuts! | > This is not part from Explorer, but the Picture Viewer DLL it self. I can | > show the File Open or File Save dialog box from any program, then show all | > files on the desktop, right-click a picture and select Preview -- and it | > will scan all directories on all disks trying to repair the missing | > shortcuts. | > | > This is not a good design. Windows should only ask me about broken | > shortcuts | > when I click on them, not when I click on other files. Yes, right... it | > didn't ask me, it just consumed resources in the background. | > | > | |
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