Icons slow to load

[nk33]

When I browse folders or when I go to my desktop after not being there for a while, the icons take a good few seconds to show. By this I mean that they take a while to change from the symbol you get when nothing is associated with the file, to the symbol it is supposed to look like.

I hope this makes sense. I will clarify further if you don't know what I mean.

My computer has the following specs:

2.8 GHZ intel pentium
1.5 GB Ram
256 MB Leadtek Nvidia Geforce 6800GT AGP 8x Video card

...please help as it gets annoying and is worrying considering the specs of my pc.

[sp_100]

Try System Restore if this just started to happen. Let us know if this is not an option ...

[nk33]

not an option...This has been happening for a while just haven't bothered about it because it didnt seem that important.

I wouldn't usually be worried but I think the specs I have on my machine mean that this shouldn't happen.

thanks

[yoni5002]

Hi what you need to do is incrising the Icon Cache:

Windows uses the shelliconcache file to speed up the display of your icons, but if it fills up, it then must be emptied over and over again. If the cache needed by all your icons exceeds the shellicon cache, you end up with incorrectly displayed icons. I will show you how to add an Increase Icon cache option to your Advanced Settings in Folder Options in Windows 9x and WinXP, so that increasing your icon cache becomes a simple matter of selecting your choice for the amount of cache you want assigned to your icons.

Open the registry.. Click on Start/ Run and type "Regedit" no quotes:

Step One
Go to this key:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\Advanced\IconCache]
In the right hand pane, you should have these values and data.

Text=Icon Cache Size
Type=group
Bitmap=SHDOC401.DLL,6
HelpID=update.hlp#51140

If not there, add them. All are string values.

Step Two
Here we'll add our first icon option.

Create an IconCache subkey named Small, such as:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\Advanced\IconCache\Small]

In the right hand pane, add these values. Note that all are string values, except for HKeyRoot which is a dword value.

RegPath=Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersi on\\Explorer
Text=1024 Icons
Type=radio
CheckedValue=1024
ValueName=Max Cached Icons
DefaultValue=2048
HKeyRoot=dword:80000002
HelpID=update.hlp#51140

Step Three
Now we add the Medium option.

Create a Small subkey named Medium, such as:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\Advanced\IconCache\Medium]

Values and data to add:

RegPath=Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersi on\\Explorer
Text=2048 Icons
Type=radio
CheckedValue=2048
ValueName=Max Cached Icons
DefaultValue=2048
HKeyRoot=dword:80000002
HelpID=update.hlp#51140

Step Four
Next we'll add the Large option.

Create a Medium subkey named Large, such as:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\Advanced\IconCache\Large]

Values and data to add:

RegPath=Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersi on\\Explorer
Text=4096 Icons
Type=radio
CheckedValue=4096
ValueName=Max Cached Icons
DefaultValue=2048
HKeyRoot=dword:80000002
HelpID=update.hlp#51140

Step Five
Now, we'll add the final option.

Create a Large subkey named Huge, such as:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\Advanced\IconCache\Huge]

Values and data to add

RegPath=Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersi on\\Explorer
Text=8192 Icons
Type=radio
CheckedValue=8192
ValueName=Max Cached Icons
DefaultValue=2048
HKeyRoot=dword:80000002
HelpID=update.hlp#51140


Step Six
To finish up, go to this key:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer]

In the right hand pane, create or edit the following string value:
Max Cached Icons
and enter 2048 as the value.

Exit the registry, refresh, and then open any folder, click View/Folder Options/View and look under Advanced Settings. You should now see the result of your editing, with four new options for setting icon cache.

If you're not having any icon problems, just leave it at default, but should you ever notice an icon display problem, simply choose a larger icon cache size and reboot. It just might do the trick!

Hope this help

Yoni5002º
_________

[nk33]

After all that work, it's still the same, even on the largest setting.

Thanks for your help anyway.

[yoni5002]

Wow, Ok, try this one now

Go to:

Hkey_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer

The value (you may have to add it) called "Max Cached Icons" REG_SZ
and increase this value to 8000, that should do it.

Yoni5002
_______

[nk33]

But its on 8192 already....

[yoni5002]

have you cleanned your system lately? Have you defragmented your HDD, Have you cleaned the Windows Registry?? Have you seen the use of your proccesor and your Ram in the system? Can you change some visual efects to see if there is any improvment?

Yoni5002º
________

[sp_100]

Check Event Viewer (Start - > Settings -> Control Panel - > Administrative Tools - > Event Viewer) for possible errors/related events.

Is your box on a network? Which network services/protocols/clients do you have installed/enabled? Any mapped drives? External drives? Other peripherals?

Right-click My Computer -> Properties -> Advanced tab -> Settings under Performance -> Adjust for best performance -> OK -> OK.
Right-click Desktop -> Properties:

Set Windows Classic for Themes.
Disable Web Content and all Effects.

[nk33]

I have cleaned reg, and spyware, 99% system idle on CPu, no mapped drive, just one external one, this happens with it off as well.

Everything else runs lovely, I play brand new games on full resolution, with graphics quality on full wack for shadows etc and they play so smooth! why this delay with the icons?

[yoni5002]

?

Yoni5002
________

[tunis]

Originally Posted by nk33

I have cleaned reg, and spyware, 99% system idle on CPu, no mapped drive, just one external one, this happens with it off as well.

Everything else runs lovely, I play brand new games on full resolution, with graphics quality on full wack for shadows etc and they play so smooth! why this delay with the icons?

As Yoni asked, how long since u defragmented the drive? WHat about a disk cleanup/ trash combined with a cluttered drive can cause the lag ur talking abt. Worth a check.

[nk33]

ok, will try, thanks very much

[yoni5002]

Hi nk33 reviewing what I told you to do I think I omitted something that was also important... Just refresh the icon cache by deleting the IconCache.db file from your profile directory

In Xp you'll find it here:
C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Local Settings\Application Data\Iconcache.db

Erase it out and don't worry Windows will automatic re-build it...

Hope this help

Yoni5002º
_________

[nk33]

thanks, i think it was the defrag that did it but its alright now!