Slow directory listings

[Guest]

Win2k server running stand alone at present with two mirrored drives in
software, using FAT32 large drives (sata) and multiple partitions (c to p)at
32 gb each. 3.8ghz P4 2 gb ram

For 6 months no problems.

Now, started to be extremely slow to list directory contents.

for example ''g'' drive contains just 320 folders with maybe 10 files in
each. Use explorer to view one directory and takes about 2 minutes to load.
Task manager shows explorer not responding, but wait and all is well. can
not trace when this started sadly. After loading once, no problems.

Questions:- 1) any ideas please? 2) Any way of making win2k read all the
hard disks at start up, so listings are in memory/cache???

One issue maybe a clue. Takes 2 minutes to ''save settings'' on close
down, but already looking for what that is.

Any help much apprecietd,
John R Somerset UK

 

[Steve Parry]

In

Win2k server running stand alone at present with two mirrored drives
in software, using FAT32 large drives (sata) and multiple partitions
(c to p)at 32 gb each. 3.8ghz P4 2 gb ram

For 6 months no problems.

Now, started to be extremely slow to list directory contents.

for example ''g'' drive contains just 320 folders with maybe 10 files
in each. Use explorer to view one directory and takes about 2
minutes to load. Task manager shows explorer not responding, but wait
and all is well. can not trace when this started sadly. After
loading once, no problems.

Questions:- 1) any ideas please? 2) Any way of making win2k read
all the hard disks at start up, so listings are in memory/cache???

One issue maybe a clue. Takes 2 minutes to ''save settings'' on
close down, but already looking for what that is.

re this issue try ...

start
run
type
gpedit.msc

navigate to

Computer Configuration
Administrative Templates
System
Logon

Maximum retries to unload and update user profile ...

set enabled and to say 5 ... default if not configured is 60!!

also see

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;837115&Product=win2000

in particular

"User Profile Hive Cleanup Service"

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en

 

[Andrew Rossmann]

[This followup was posted to microsoft.public.win2000.general and a copy
was sent to the cited author.]

Win2k server running stand alone at present with two mirrored drives in
software, using FAT32 large drives (sata) and multiple partitions (c to p)at
32 gb each. 3.8ghz P4 2 gb ram

For 6 months no problems.

Now, started to be extremely slow to list directory contents.

for example ''g'' drive contains just 320 folders with maybe 10 files in
each. Use explorer to view one directory and takes about 2 minutes to load.
Task manager shows explorer not responding, but wait and all is well. can
not trace when this started sadly. After loading once, no problems.

Questions:- 1) any ideas please? 2) Any way of making win2k read all the
hard disks at start up, so listings are in memory/cache???

One issue maybe a clue. Takes 2 minutes to ''save settings'' on close
down, but already looking for what that is.

Why FAT32 on a server? It's unsafe and unreliable.

Have you defragged recently?

FAT (any version) is sensitive to the number of directory entries. At
some point (I think around 256), it will suddenly get VERY slow. With
long filenames, you can hit that limit very fast as long filenames can
take up mulitple directory entries.

 

[Guest]

Thanks all

mainly solved myself in meantime.

ran the uheapclean utility to solve the slow closedown
and seems to have cleared the directory issues as well.

As for defrag, seeems like O&O server defrag was the
problem drivers, even though software was removed (so SLOW!)
but difficult to defrag and all other software will not run on ''server''
version...any others that will??.....but using FAT32 for compatability
with old DOS programs for eeprom programmers etc.......but not used as
a server -was just set up that way as had a licenced version and did raid in
software.

thanks again for suggestions

[This followup was posted to microsoft.public.win2000.general and a copy
was sent to the cited author.]

Win2k server running stand alone at present with two mirrored drives in
software, using FAT32 large drives (sata) and multiple partitions (c to p)at
32 gb each. 3.8ghz P4 2 gb ram

For 6 months no problems.

Now, started to be extremely slow to list directory contents.

for example ''g'' drive contains just 320 folders with maybe 10 files in
each. Use explorer to view one directory and takes about 2 minutes to load.
Task manager shows explorer not responding, but wait and all is well. can
not trace when this started sadly. After loading once, no problems.

Questions:- 1) any ideas please? 2) Any way of making win2k read all the
hard disks at start up, so listings are in memory/cache???

One issue maybe a clue. Takes 2 minutes to ''save settings'' on close
down, but already looking for what that is.

Why FAT32 on a server? It's unsafe and unreliable.

Have you defragged recently?

FAT (any version) is sensitive to the number of directory entries. At
some point (I think around 256), it will suddenly get VERY slow. With
long filenames, you can hit that limit very fast as long filenames can
take up mulitple directory entries.

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