Desktop Toolbar performance after upgrade

[Milleniumaire]

Hi,

My work PC has just been upgraded from Windows 2000 to Windows XP
Professional 2002 with Service Pack 2.

I have noticed that when I click on the Desktop >> button on my task
bar in order to display a list of my desktop programs, it takes about
10 seconds to populate the list which is too slow to be useable. Once
displayed, if I click anyware on the desktop and then on the Desktop >>
button again, the list appears instantly, however if I wait for more
than 10 seconds then it reverts back to taking too long.

Any idea why it is taking so long to display the Desktop toolbar? Is
there anything I can do to speed this up?

This was not a problem with Windows 2000.

Paul.

 

[microtom]

Hi Paul

Has your Dektop eventually been redirected to another location than
C:\Documents and Settings\<Paul>\Desktop?
Check the Desktop value found in:
start - run - regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell
Folders

Tom

 

[Milleniumaire]

Hi Tom,

That registry item has been set to:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop

This directory only has 5 shortcuts so I'm not sure how it is finding
all the entries in my own user desktop directory.

Paul.

 

[microtom]

Hey Paul

Sounds pretty unusual. Are you sure you wher echecking the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive and not the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE?
The Desktop shell folder value in the user hive should point to your
personal desktop.

Tom

 

[Milleniumaire]

Oops, sorry Tom you are correct I was looking at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

I've checked HKEY_CURRENT_USER and this is pointing to my own user
desktop area.

Paul.

 

[microtom]

Hi Paul

No problem. Is it possible that you have a link that points to a
network resource on your desktop. Sometimes this can be caused by links
refering to samba servers or similar.
Try this:

-Create a new folder e.g. C:\Temp\Desktoptest and copy all of your
links from your desktop to the newly created Folder.
-Then right click the Taskbar and choose "Toolsbars" - "New Toolbar"
and point to the newly created folder.
-Check if this is showing the same behaviour.

If you have any links on your desktop which point to network resources
you could uncheck the option "Automaticall search for network folders
and printers" in the Explorer option's "View" tab.

Tom

 

[Milleniumaire]

Hi Tom,

I had a desktop icon that pointed to a network resource that didn't
exist. Now that I have deleted the shortcut everything is working
okay.

Thanks for your help.

Paul.

PS. Is it possible to remove the additional desktop toolbar that I
created?

 

[Milleniumaire]

Tom,

Don't worry about my removal question. Having deselected the newly
created toolbar it appears to have disappeared from the list of
available toolbars. I'm sure I tried this earlier and it was still
listed, however, the new option was called Desktop as was the original
so maybe I deselected the "system" Desktop rather than my newly created
version!

Thanks for your help.

Paul.