Slow network folder access times

Things you’d like to miss in the future...
Vocalpoint
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Joined: 06 Nov 2009 14:01

Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by Vocalpoint »

Can confirm it has nothing to do with Synology (Specifically). I have noticed XY getting more cranky too with the network as of .300 or so. Running all WIndows 10 (two v1809's and the rest v1909) and two Windows 2019 servers.

It is a total PITA sometimes trying to access shares or another machine. And I always test with File Explorer side by side and it never has an issue accessing anything.

So if you are truly using the Windows API - it is clear you are not using it the same way the real Explorer does.

And - just because you have not changed your network code in a long while - does not mean that other things have not changed in the OS - or your changes from several years ago - are now becoming antiquated and need a tuneup.

I would love to see an XY update that focuses on nothing but a wholesale network tuneup.

VP

Vocalpoint
Posts: 163
Joined: 06 Nov 2009 14:01

Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by Vocalpoint »

Here is what I get each day when starting XY for Network...
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followed by..
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I have played with every combo of the controls (Safety Belts and Network) and now nothing comes back at all. Have started to review ALL my configuration settings as something has really gone south in this last update.

VP

admin
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Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by admin »

Why don't you use "Cache Servers" (Configuration | General | Safety Belts, Network | Network | Cache network servers)?

Anyway, the new 64-bit version will rewrite all this from scratch. We'll see....

Vocalpoint
Posts: 163
Joined: 06 Nov 2009 14:01

Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by Vocalpoint »

admin wrote: 10 Jul 2020 18:48 Why don't you use "Cache Servers" (Configuration | General | Safety Belts, Network | Network | Cache network servers)?
I do have that on. Still no joy. Can't cache servers if I cannot get any to show up.

Would love to know which options you recommend to be on (Or off) to maximize network folder browsing speed. Or - let me know where I need to look to clean out old server references that maybe slowing things down. I have used XY for a long while and I am certain there are nooks and crannies in here that reference computers and shares that have long since been removed. Maybe XY is hitting snags trying to communicate with servers/machines that are not longer there?

Related question - a few versions ago - I used to see a command called Browse for Network Server when I right clicked directly on the Network icon on the tree - have not seen that for a long while now.

I did finally find it under Tools->Special but was it removed from the icon?

VP

admin
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Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by admin »

It's still there. Do you get any context menu?

Vocalpoint
Posts: 163
Joined: 06 Nov 2009 14:01

Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by Vocalpoint »

Here is what I see...
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Ideas?

VP

admin
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Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by admin »

Tick Configuration | General | Menus, Mouse, Usability | Context Menus | Custom items in shell context menu

Vocalpoint
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Joined: 06 Nov 2009 14:01

Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by Vocalpoint »

That is checked here - but there is no option to add "Browser for Network Server" in the list:
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?

VP

admin
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Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by admin »

Cannot explain. It points to the fact that something fundamentally deep with your network does not work with XYplorer.

Vocalpoint
Posts: 163
Joined: 06 Nov 2009 14:01

Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by Vocalpoint »

admin wrote: 10 Jul 2020 21:08 Cannot explain. It points to the fact that something fundamentally deep with your network does not work with XYplorer.
Have to disagree.

Another machine that is three feet away from me has the Browse for Network Server context menu in addition to "Show 64 bit Context Menu" when I right click on it's Network icon. Same network. Same version of XY installed.

Something is different with the config on my main machine.

VP

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Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by admin »

Interesting! I had checked the source code before I wrote that and I did not see any way how it could fail. Let me know if you find the difference in config.

Vocalpoint
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Joined: 06 Nov 2009 14:01

Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by Vocalpoint »

Don

So I did a bunch of testing and found a number of very old entries in my config file - none of which really improved network browsing after removal.

However - one setting that I had on and then turned off - seem to make a world of difference. When I started seeing issues a while back and then started clicking thing on and off under Safety Belts and Network - I found that having a combination of Fast Network Enumeration, Assume Servers are Available and Cache Network Servers - results in a super slow mode when I can click on a server and then a shared folder - but the contents of the folder would take maybe 3 or 4 seconds to appear. This was 100% reproducible across a variety of folders on different servers.

But - as soon as I unchecked Fast Network Enumeration and left the other two items checked on - things returned to normal. XY can access network folder fast and fluid - maybe not 100% as fast as File Explorer but good enough for me.

So - not sure what the deal is with Fast Network Enumeration - but there is something not right there - at least in combination with the other two.

Cheers

VP

admin
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Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by admin »

Thanks for testing. "Fast Network Enumeration" was fast in Win8 but is not anymore in Win10. Might be an idea to rename that option...

BTW, did you find an explanation for the missing context menu item?

Midas
Posts: 8
Joined: 11 Jun 2016 14:54

Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by Midas »

NEW FINDINGS

I had done some more testing regarding the slow network share access and found the following:

What makes network access slow for me is the TREE LIST in the folder pane!

Here the observations:
a) Clicking into a folder with lots of entries is fast (although the full list needs to be compiled and displayed)
b) Clicking into a folder WITHIN that long list of folders is slow (although the long list had already been compiled and displayed, and the subfolder into which the click leads only contains a handful of files)

The difference is: for a), entries are just displayed in the main pane, however for b) entries are displayed in the tree view in the folder pane.

Following these observations, I played around with the folder view and switched to "mini tree" view, so that only the current folder is displayed in the tree - and voila, all speed issues were gone!

So the question is: why is listing many folders from network devices within the tree view suddenly slow? And why is it not slow loading the entries for the main view? And: when loading the list for the folder pane, it had been already loaded before for showing it in the main view, so I would expect it to be lightning fast...

admin
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Re: Slow network folder access times

Post by admin »

Check out this:
Attachments
Check existence of subfolders in tree.png
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