Calculating time remaining

[Frank Rizzo]

Like many people I get the "Calculating time remaining" dialog when
copying large files and they take much longer to copy than under any
other OS.

I posted on this topic several month ago and none of the remedies
helped. Have there been any new developments on this front in the last
2 months?

 

[Richard Urban]

As mentioned here many times in the last 5 months, a person who is "in the
know" will use a third party file manager program - one that doesn't hook
into Explorer for it's functions. The one I use will copy/move a 10 gig file
just as fast as was possible under Windows XP, AND the time remaining times
are fairly accurate.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

 

[Adam Albright]

As mentioned here many times in the last 5 months, a person who is "in the
know" will use a third party file manager program - one that doesn't hook
into Explorer for it's functions. The one I use will copy/move a 10 gig file
just as fast as was possible under Windows XP, AND the time remaining times
are fairly accurate.

Oh stop it Richie... you know nothing!

The point that zooms over your head is Vista sucks at a basic core
function all operating system have and no amount of butt kissing and
shameless Microsoft apologists making lame excuses will change the
facts.

You shouldn't have to mess with file permissions, ensure proper
"ownership" or install hotfixes just to be able to copy or move a
bunch of damn files around on your system. Nor should you have to hunt
for some third party application to replace what Windows should do
automatically and quickly on it's own.

 

[Alfred]

Actually, Frank has a very good question. The "Calculating time remaining"
problem continues to be an issue for me too. In my case it occurs when
moving files on a network drive. Hopefully a hotfix soon - and no doubt
this will be solved in SP1.

 

[Alfred]

Can you recommend a file manager that doesn't hook into Explorer.exe?

 

[Rock]

Actually, Frank has a very good question. The "Calculating time
remaining" problem continues to be an issue for me too. In my case it
occurs when moving files on a network drive. Hopefully a hotfix soon -
and no doubt this will be solved in SP1.

There is already a hotfix for slow file moves/copies in a network setting.

 

[Andrew McLaren]

Hey Frank,

If you need to move large amounts of data around a network, you will get far
better performance by using Vista's "robocopy" command at a command prompt.

In the past, Robocopy was a Resource Kit utility. In Vista, it has been
moved into the core OS.

When you move files using the graphical interface, Explorer has to go
through any layers of GUI and COM code, plus its own error-checking and
recovery code, before it ever gets around to actually making each Win32
CopyFile() call. Explorer's design goals are oriented towards interactive
use; rather than being a bulk copy facility (that's Microsoft's excuse,
anyway). So, performance can be quite slow for big jobs. It is better in
Vista than in previous versions, but still slow for large volumes of data (a
large number of small files causes more performance heartache than just a
few large files).

Whereas robocopy bypasses all that stuff; it is a fairly tight, efficient
shim on top of the raw NT copy funcctions. One customer I worked with, moves
hundreds of gigabytes of data around the planet every night, just using
robocopy.

Hope this helps,
Andrew

 

[Richard Urban]

Total Commander from http://www.ghisler.com/ seems to do the job for me.
And, it had about 500 customizations compared to Explorers 10-15. It also
handles .zip files with aplomb - which is another issue posted here a bit.
The program is shareware. It is fully functional with a nag screen when you
fire it up. If you pay the registration fee you are sent a code which
removes the nag screen.

The default copy mode copies 32k chunks by default - the same as Explorer I
believe. You have the option of "large file copy" which copies 10240k by
default (this value can be changed by you but I leave it at the default).

This is one of the first programs I ever purchased on-line, about 10 years
ago. I have received every upgrade since then at no cost. The latest version
7.01 is fully Vista compatible.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

 

[MICHAEL]

Next to TrueImage and NOD32, this is some of the best software
you could ever spend money on.... worth every penny
and then some. Even more so, because this is something you
will use all the time. You'll quickly forget how bad Windows
Explorer is and how grateful you are that it does blow,
because now you are using a superior product.

http://www.gpsoft.com.au/
Directory Opus 9


-Michael

* Alfred:

 

[Adam Albright]

There is already a hotfix for slow file moves/copies in a network setting.

Which doesn't work for everyone on a consistent basis. The issue is
the Microsoft clowns so totally screwed up a simple process you
actually have several diehard fanboys and MVPs recommending third
party shells to replace Explorer.

The poor performance of Vista while doing copying and moving tasks,
even simple deleting is both laughable and shameful. People are paying
around $200 for a upgrade that can't even do simple copying or moving
of files in an efficient manner. If the Bozos in Redmond that released
this crap aren't clowns for letting this out the door in it's broken
state what would you call them? Einsteins?

For your further education Rock, this problem isn't limited to network
transfers either.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Total Commander from http://www.ghisler.com/ seems to do the job for me.
And, it had about 500 customizations compared to Explorers 10-15. It
also handles .zip files with aplomb - which is another issue posted here
a bit. The program is shareware. It is fully functional with a nag
screen when you fire it up. If you pay the registration fee you are sent
a code which removes the nag screen.

The default copy mode copies 32k chunks by default - the same as
Explorer I believe. You have the option of "large file copy" which
copies 10240k by default (this value can be changed by you but I leave
it at the default).

This is one of the first programs I ever purchased on-line, about 10
years ago. I have received every upgrade since then at no cost. The
latest version 7.01 is fully Vista compatible.

This program indeed copies files much faster than Vista. And indeed it
looks like it was written 10 years ago. The program makers would be
well served to change default fonts from something that present in
Windows 3.1 to something more modern. Other than that works great.

 

[Richard Urban]

<G> Functionality over form works well. I have just gotten so used to it
that it doesn't bother me. (-:

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

 

[Swingman]

"Richard Urban" wrote in message

<G> Functionality over form works well.

IOW, as opposed to Vista.

 

[Richard Urban]

No problems with Vista here, either personally or on the over 150 computers
I have installed Vista ON!

If you personally can't install and use Vista, maybe the problem is
somewhere other than the operating system - like sitting at the keyboard.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

 

[Swingman]

"Richard Urban" wrote in message

No problems with Vista here, either personally or on the over 150
computers I have installed Vista ON!

And you jumped to the ASSumption that I had problems with Vista, how?

If you personally can't install and use Vista, maybe the problem is
somewhere other than the operating system - like sitting at the keyboard.

Apparently the "problem" is that your intellectual capacity is not up to
grasping/appreciating the irony of your remarks about form and function in
this thread with regard to Vista.

Now go bother someone else with that p*ss poor attitude.

 

[Richard Urban]

I said: <G> Functionality over form works well. I have just gotten so used
to it
that it doesn't bother me. (-:



You said: IOW, as opposed to Vista.



You were alluding to that Vista has limited/no functionality. If that the
case you just have to spend a bit of time to become familiar with it.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

 

[Swingman]

"Richard Urban" wrote in message

I said: <G> Functionality over form works well. I have just gotten so
used to it
that it doesn't bother me. (-:

You said: IOW, as opposed to Vista.

You were alluding to that Vista has limited/no functionality.

Nope ... but that Vista, ironically, and humoursly (notice the emoticon),
definitely has an abundance of "form" at this point that perhaps outweighs
some aspects of its "functionality", at least judging from the many posts in
this forum.

I also have an aged based perspective that makes it difficult not to notice
the current cultural shift to "if it looks good, it must be", and can't help
but wonder how much of that has crept into the development of operating
systems these days.?

IOW, you got me wrong ... I'm and old hand, been through all this before
starting with Win 3.0, and am basically impressed with Vista.

But neither am I blind to its current, albeit expected, state at this stage
of its development.

I apologize if I mislead/confused you.

 

[Guest]

Actually, Frank has a very good question. The "Calculating time remaining"
problem continues to be an issue for me too. In my case it occurs when
moving files on a network drive. Hopefully a hotfix soon - and no doubt
this will be solved in SP1.

In my case it happens when i want to move 10MB of files from my desktop to a
directory on another local partition....
incidentally, the calculating time remaining dialogue box has been there for
nearly 40 minutes now

but seriously though... what is with all this? suggesting to use a file
manager just to do file copying and moving? That shouldn't be necessary.
Pull your finger out microsoft and fix this issue already!

 

[Adam Albright]

In my case it happens when i want to move 10MB of files from my desktop to a
directory on another local partition....
incidentally, the calculating time remaining dialogue box has been there for
nearly 40 minutes now

but seriously though... what is with all this? suggesting to use a file
manager just to do file copying and moving? That shouldn't be necessary.
Pull your finger out microsoft and fix this issue already!

The reason the fanboy crowd suggest using a third party file manager
and many admit they use one themselves is they can't bring themselves
to be directly critical of anything Microsoft does. In my opinion this
totally blows any creditability they might have otherwise had on ANY
topic. Sadly many posters in this newsgroup are nothing but Microsoft
butt kissers and post accordingly, rarely being objective.

Vista's file handling routine isn't just broken, it's a joke.

There are several things you can do until hopefully it gets fixed in
SP1.

In no particular order try:

Disable Remote Differential Compression if it is checked.

To find out, go to Control Panel, Programs and Features, Turn Windows
Features on and off listed in the left window pane, wait till the list
is generated then look for the item I mentioned.

Install the hotfix

Learn more about it here:

http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=295759

Take over ownership of all your hard drives.

This isn't as hard as it may sound. Right click, properties on each of
your hard drives in Windows Explorer EXCEPT for your root drive which
you shouldn't mess with since Vista likes to claim it as your own. If
you routinely write files to your root drive anywhere expect for the
special folders Vista provides kick yourself of that bad habit and
either create a new partition on your physical drive that is the root
or move all your data to another physical drive.

To take ownership, right click on a drive letter in Explorer. Under
the security tab, check group or users names. There should be a
listing for you (the owner) ie whoever you log in as. If so,
highlight, click edit, make SURE you have a check mark for all
permissions under allow. If you don't see yourself as a owner listed
you first need to add yourself, (who you're logging in as)then do the
above step.

These three things either alone or in combination help with the slow
file transfer problem. Sadly it still pops up once in awhile even if
you make all the changes and as the loud mouth gang will testify, this
doesn't happen on all systems. A weird problem for sure.

 

[RobertSeattle]

My resolution to the "Calculation" hang was to remove an (old/cheap) D-
Link Switch between my Vista machine and the Network server.
Something in that switch's workings confused Vista's "Calculating"
"feature" (which should be turned off !!!!)

Once I took out the D-Link Fast Ethernet Switch - problem gone.