Windows XP slow to open/create new folders or files, HELP!

Hello,

I am having a huge problem with one of our PC's on the network. When this PC is connected to the network, it is very slow to open or create a new file or folder. It doesn't matter if you are going through the toolbar and clicking File, Open (or new) or whether you right click on the desktop and click "new" - the PC will hang the second the mouse touches the option before it is even clicked.

It will hang for 25-30 seconds or longer, then it will return the next drop down menu. This happens whether I am trying to access something local on the pc, or on the network.

I can see the "packets sent" number increase when I am watching the network connection, as if it is going through the network before doing anything locally.

I have anti-virus running, all XP patches are installed, I have run 3 different types of spyware/malware detection, I have run a registry cleaner (even though this pc is less than 2 months old). The PC is a Dell Optiplex 745, 2Gb RAM, 1Ghz network connection, 1.58 Ghz processor. There are approximately 100 other PC's on the network, 30 of them being this model/type and this is the only PC having this issue.

I have unchecked the option through folder options to automatically check for new network printers or shares. I have also run netstat -a to see if there are any invalid connection attempts being made. There are none.

This happens on any login ID, and it happens regardless if there are drives mapped to network shares or not. It happens with user id's already created, or ones that are newly created.

I am at a loss!! The second I unplug the network cable, everything works fine!

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I'd be eternally grateful!!!

Thank you in advance for your help!

re: Windows XP slow to open/create new folders or files, HELP!

It could be that the network card is defective.

re: Windows XP slow to open/create new folders or files, HELP!

I considered that, but the network card is integrated so I'm not able to switch it out. Is there any way that you know of to run a test on it to see if it's faulty?

re: Windows XP slow to open/create new folders or files, HELP!

i only test i know of are speed tests (SpeedTest), u can check to see if your getting the right internet speed.

since its integrated, u could install a second gig card into the PCI slot.

re: Windows XP slow to open/create new folders or files, HELP!

Thank you, I will try that and see what I can find out!

re: Windows XP slow to open/create new folders or files, HELP!

Well no luck. First, I uninstalled the on board NIC (Broadcom gigabit) and rebooted. I went into the BIOS and turned off the on board NIC and let it boot up without any network connection.

Once it rebooted, I rebooted again, went back into the BIOS, turned the on board NIC back on and let it reboot and auto detect the NIC. Once that completed successfully, I put back in the IP addresses (this network uses static IP's), plugged the cable back in and tested it. It still did the same thing.

So I disabled the onboard NIC again and put in a brand new 10/100 ethernet card. I let the system boot up and auto detect that one as well, put in the settings and tested it and I have the same problem.

I have noticed that after the first time when the mouse moves over the "new" option and it takes a minute for the pop up menu to appear, the next 2 or 3 times after that it works fine if you do it in rapid succession, then it will pause again on the 4th try.

I'm out of ideas! Does anyone have any other suggestions?

re: Windows XP slow to open/create new folders or files, HELP!

I'm not sure if this will help you:

I got so sick of how long it takes XP to connect to a network drive that is not mapped, I just make sure that any directory from one machine that is needed on another is mapped (using Tools|Map Network Drive...) on the second machine.

re: Windows XP slow to open/create new folders or files, HELP!

Found this site when trying to troubleshoot same problem. You've probably resolved the issue one way or another by now -but I'm putting this here for anyone else who stumbles across this post looking for the answer.

The problem we had occurred when someone had a new computer deployed. We discovered the problem when the old computer was disconnected from the network. There were no mapped drives to the old computer. To be sure we reconnected the old computer and low and behold creating a new folder worked again.

To solve the problem we did a regedit and looked for her old computer name. We deleted the entries containing references to her old computer. Now it works.

Ironically I was just starting to read an article that I think would have told us how to find out what network connection was causing the issue when we discovered the relation to her old computer. Basically you issue a "netstat" command from a command window and look at all the connections. Then try to create a new folder and issue the "netstat" command again and look for any new entries. The local computer will be on the left and the entry on the right is the machine that is trying to be connected to (either IP address or machine name). Then you will need to do a "regedit" and search for the foreign machine and delete them.

See: http://www.articlesbase.com/computer...ow-546027.html

re: Windows XP slow to open/create new folders or files, HELP!

this post is a year old

re: Windows XP slow to open/create new folders or files, HELP!

Hello,

Well, that's true......but someone (facing the same problem) in future may visit this thread and (probably) find a solution in REPLY #8 (although I dont know whether #8 is correct.....I am in a hurry and so I have not read REPLY #8 completely).

Thanks.......
AmbrNewlearner