Windows File Explorer Status bar is slow when opening another folder.
Windows File Explorer Green Status Bar is slow when opening folders
Solution:
1. Launch File Explorer
2. For Windows 11, click the ellipsis, Choose "Options"
For Windows 10 only: from the Ribbon, again choose Options, then click "[x] Change"
Imperfect Solution - Windows Disk Shares - You do not have permission: Windows cannot access Share.
Windows Share "You don't have permissions"
"Windows cannot access Share"
Cannot map a share drive
when sharing a folder between two Windows PC's in the same local network.
2021.11.24 - Still work in progress. Steps are not yet working in all cases. Works sometimes.
There are three common issues:
* The Share was not built properly or Network Settings were not enabled
* Default Services do not auto-start
* Use fully-qualified credentials when logging in
I have spent days on this problem and have given up. The solution(s) below sometimes work, and are certainly needed, but the peer-to-peer sharing is broken, with intermittent and unpredictable failures. Dear Microsoft, this is embarrassing. Too many people are having this problem.
Comments:
Prerequisites
On all computers attempting to share, you must do these one-time-steps. Much fiddling is needed:
A. Click Start,
Type "Sharing" (a search)
Launch "Manage Advanced Sharing Settings"
B. In the Private Network(current Profile)
[x] Turn on Network Discovery
[x] Turn on Automatic setup of network connected devices
In File and Printer sharing
[x] Turn on file and Printer Sharing
C. On the same screen, scroll down to "All Networks"
[x] Use 128-bit encryption
[x] Turn off password protected sharing (if you trust all PCs in your network)
D. Click Start, type "workgroup"
Launch "Change Workgroup Name"
Click button "To rename this computer, click Change"
Note each computer's name
Note the "Workgroup" name (illustrated as "Wolfhouse")
Windows default name is "Workgroup"
*Using same steps for each computer,
Confirm all computers have unique names (e.g. Nancy, Mary, etc.)
Confirm all computers are in same Workgroup.
E. Starting Services.
These little-known services may not be set to run by default. Starting them is geeky. Unclear why these are not started automatically when File and Printer sharing is enabled. On some Windows machines, these were started; on others not. Curse the complexity here. This makes you think about Macintoshes.
1) Click Start.
Type "services.msc" (find Services)
2) Single-click "services.msc", choose "Run as Administrator"
3) In the list, locate "Function Discovery Provider Host"
Right-mouse-click, Properties
Choose Startup Type: "Automatic (delayed Start)" or set as "Automatic"
Repeat for four more services, next.
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4) Locate "Function Discovery Resource Publication"
Similarly, set as Automatic (delayed start)
5) Locate "TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper"
Set Automatic (delayed start)
Documentation:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/networking/cannot-access-shared-folder-file-explorer.
Note: This article recommends turning on the SMB 1.0. Do not do this. Huge security risk.
Note: Technically, these services are only needed on the workstation that hosts the share. But I recommend doing this on all workstations; this way they can host shares too. Invariably you will want this.
F. Network Adapter Settings
1) Start. Type "Network Connections".
(Note either Ethernet or Wireless/Wifi)
2) Right-mouse-click "Ethernet" (or Wireless/WiFi),
Select "Properties"
If Windows 10, uncheck [ ] "Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)
Double-click "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
Click button "Advanced"
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G. Continue with Firewall changes
(this step is only needed if this PC does not appear in File Explorer. Safe to run unconditionally.)
1) Click Start
2) Type "CMD" (no quotes)
3) Highlight the found DOS Command Prompt, click "Run as administrator"
4) Type this one-line command, no quotes:
(I found this was needed on Windows 10 computers)
netsh advfirewall firewall set rule
group="Network Discovery" new enable=Yes
Should report back: "updated (52) rule(s)".
5) Press Enter to run the command. When done, close the command prompt window.
H. Reboot
Repeat A-H for other workstations on the network.
From a remote machine, test by opening File Explorer's NETWORK folder (illustrated below), and look for the workstation's name and Share. Open the Share to confirm. You may be prompted for credentials; see below.
Building the Share
To do this right, build the share manually and do not use the Sharing Wizard.
Illustration shows Left-Nav with the "Nancy" computer expanded to show is broadcasted share-name.
1. Open File Explorer.
Right-mouse-click the folder to share. Illustrated here, C:\Data
Select "Properties"
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2. In Properties, click the [Sharing] Tab
Note: "Network path Not Shared"
Click "Advanced Sharing"
[x] Share this folder
Share name: "Data" (no quotes, no spaces, no punctuation, any name)
Click "Permissions" button
Grant Everyone [x] Full Control
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3. Return to File Explorer, re-highlight the shared folder.
Right-mouse click folder (e.g. C:\Data)
Select "Properties"
Select "[Security]" tab
Click button "Edit"
4. In the [Security] tab's EDIT
"Add"
Type "Everyone" (no quotes).
Click check names. Underlined when found.
Grant Everyone [x] Full Control (or at least Modify, Read/Execute/List/Read)
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Since this is only allowed for Private Networks, "[x] Full Control" is okay.
Why such busy steps to set a share? Microsoft has always done it this way.
Using the Share:
Use one of two methods. This is the key to the login problem.
x. On File Explorer's URL line, type a UNC path " \\Nancy\Data "
! This does not work in Windows 10/11. Credentials are now required!
From File Explorer, type "\\Nancy\Data" on the top url-line. Press Enter.
2. Instead, use File Explorer's Left-Nav
(this prompts for credentials)
From the Workstation that wants to see the share, use File Explorer's left-nav
On the Left-Nav, locate "Network"
Expand the Workstation (illustrated "Nancy"). Double-click the share.
(illustrated:"\\Nancy\Data")
Wait for the credential (login) prompt.
When prompted, type the remote workstation's name and a user-id
For example,
From a laptop named "MaryLeno", expand the "Nancy"'s share, double-clicking on "Data".
If prompted for credentials, type the remote-server's name, slash, and the remote user-id (do not type the share name!):
\\nancy\trayw
where:
Finding a User-ID:
On the workstation with the \Data-share, launch File Explorer.
Tunnel to folder C:\users
Note the name of the sub-folders. For example, mine is "trayw" (traywolf). The folder-name is the login account. The name is almost always shortened from what you would expect.
Optionally:
Launch a DOS command Prompt.
The >carrot icon is your user ID.
Remember, you are looking for the User-ID on the remote computer! It may be different than the ID on your local box.
There are concerns if "[x] Remember Credentials" and the remote user changes their password. Consider building a dummy-user-id on the remote box, whose sole purpose is to map drives. Login one time to set that User-ID. Steps not described here.
-end
Windows 11 Tuning - polishing some rough spots. Recommended settings for Windows 11.
Windows 11 spiffs and Tune
This is a long article, with many steps. Pick and choose what interests you. I do all of the steps on my Windows 10 and 11 computers. They fix a variety of annoyances. All are documented here for my reference. Most of these steps work on any version of Windows.
If this is a new computer:5. File Explorer Classic Context Menus (Cut, Copy, Paste)
-- oh my gosh, why would they change this?
6. Set Active Window Title Bar to a different color
7. Add "RUN" to Start Menu Tiles
8. Speed up ComboBoxes and other visuals
9. SendTo Notepad
10. Optimize the Windows Swap File
11. Significantly speed up USB drives
12. Turn off Hard Drive Write-Cache buffering
13. Setup a "Loser" account. Protect against Viruses.
14. Enable Hardware Administrator account (a non-Microsoft account)
15. MSConfig - Startup Programs
16. Windows File Explorer status slow - Green-bar
17. Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP - an obsolete protocol
18. Cleanup Windows Downgrade files (Temp files)
19. File Sharing Update
20. Turn off Start Menu advertisements
21 Turn off File Explorer advertisements
22 Turn off Search Bar "Search Highlights" (Search advertisements)
23 Calm-down lock screen advertisements
24 Add "Bit Rate" to Explorer View (Music)
25 Remove Bing from Windows Search Bar
26 Windows PowerSave issues
-----------------------------
1. Move the Windows Settings Icon (the Gear icon) away from the Programs list
2. File Explorer Icons Spacing
Windows 11: For touch screens, Microsoft gave more white-space around objects.
Illustrated left, the default Windows 11 spacing.
Illustrated on right, the recommended change; tighter, more items on screen:
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If on a desktop, consider tightening the icon spacing.
a. Launch File Explorer
b. Click the ellipsis . . ., "Options"
c. Select the [View] tab
[x] Decrease space between items (compact view)
Also recommended (especially for the next step):
[ ] Uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types"
[x] Show Hidden Files, Folders, or Drives
[ ] Show Sync Provider Notifications (stops some advertisements)
3. Launch File Explorer, defaulting to a favorite folder
Have File Explorer automatically open to a C:\Data or MyDocuments folder.
This works in all versions of Windows.
These are busy, but easy steps.
a. From the step above, set these File Explorer options:
[ ] Uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types"
[x] Show Hidden Files, Folders, or Drives
b. Delete or unpin any Microsoft-built File Explorer icons
From the Start Menu, delete/unpin all File Explorer icons (shortcuts, tiles) - this does not delete or uninstall the program; this just deletes the shortcuts and they will be rebuilt in a moment. Also delete any Start Menu File Explorer icons.
c. Launch File Explorer manually
Click Start: In search, manually search for "File Explorer"
Launch the program.
Tunnel to folder C:\Windows
In C:\Windows, highlight "explorer.exe" (note the .exe extension)
d. Right-mouse-click "explorer.exe", chose "Pin to Start"
e. Return to the Start Menu, right-mouse-click the new File Explorer tile;
(This is not the file-explorer icon in the Windows folder; choose the file-explorer tile in the Start Menu.)
Chose "Open File Location"
f. Right-mouse-click the File Explorer shortcut, select "Properties"
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g. In the 'Target' field, append a space-slash-e, comma, and a quoted path name
/e, "C:\data" or
/e, "%USERPROFILE%\DOCUMENTS"
Test by launching the new Start Menu icon. It should open in the new default folder.
4. Have File Explorer show File Extensions
5. Enable Classic Context Menus
Put Cut, Copy, Delete, and Rename back where God intended.
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This involves editing in the Windows Registry. If you have never been there, it is scary. Panic not.
a. Copy this key name into the clipboard, including the {braces}.
Do not include leading or trailing spaces.
b. Click Start, type "RegEdit".
Because this is the Current User registry key, do not "Run as Administrator"
c. On the left-nav's tree diagram, open HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Tunnel to \Software\Classes\CLSID
(Once in the Classes key, and immediately type "CLSID" to search for that key. It is right below "Calculator" and is no where near the dot-c items at the top of the list)
d. On the detail side, right-click in a blank area,
Select New, Key
Paste: {86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}
e. Click the new key to activate it. Create a new key inside that key by again, in the right-pane, in a blank area, right-click
New, Key
Name the key: "InprocServer32" (no quotes)
f. On the detail side (right side), double-click the "(Default)" value
Click OK, making no changes.
This changes the (Default) from "value not set" to (blank)
g. Close the registry editor
h. (Reboot for changes to take effect)
To test, launch File Explorer; right-mouse-click a file for its Context Menu.
To undo the change, delete the "{86ca1..." key, and reboot.
If technically-inclined, here is the .REG merge file:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32]
@=" "
6. Active Title Bar Color
Windows 11 TitleBar and window borders are white, making it hard to distinguish which window is active. See File Explorer Properties illustration above. This window is active, but the title bar is the same color as an inactive window. Also, the border style is a light grey. Make the active window "pop," while still maintaining a link with the color scheme.
a. Click the Start Menu, Gear icon
b. In left-nav, select "Personalization"
c. Select [Colors]
d. Scroll down in same menu, enable (turn on) "Show Accent Color on Title bars and Windows Borders"
This is not enough to activate all windows with the new title bar color. Continue with these geeky steps.
e. Click "Start", type "Regedit" (Does not need to be run in Administrative mode). Open the Registry editor.
f. On left-navigational tree, tunnel to this yellow-folder/key:
Computer HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors
g. Locate the detail value called "Active Title"
Double-click and set the value to "255 0 0" (space delimited), where 255 is red, 0 = no green, 0 = no blue. Search the Internet for "RGB Charts" to find the three-octet character code for all colors.
h. Close the Registry Editor
(note: The original, light theme, the default value was: 153 180 209 Red, Green, Blue, space-delimited)
Some programs won't respect this setting until after a reboot. Some programs, such as Windows Setup do not use this value at all - thanks Microsoft! However, many programs do, and the color will make it easy to find the active window.
7. Add "Run" to the Start Menu
The "Run" menu is handy for launching programs when you need to pass a parameter into them. For example, Start, Run, "Notepad.exe myfile.txt". This behaves differently than searching for the program at Start.
"RUN" can be run two different ways. I like using the Start Tile Icon.
Method 1: Pin the icon on the Start Tile Menu:
a) Click Start, type/Search the word "Run"
b) Right-mouse-click, "Pin to Start"
Method 2: Press Keyboard "Windows-key-R" (R for Run)
8. Make ComboBoxes and other visuals faster:
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9. Build a Send-To Notepad
I
often want to send html, .txt, and other ascii files into Notepad. Use
File-Explorer to "other-mouse-click" and send them into notepad without
bothering to use the RUN menu or to manually launch Notepad. I love
this change.
Add a new sub-menu to the right-mouse-click Context menus:
a) Using File Explorer, tunnel to this path:
C:\Users\(your userid)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
b) Right-mouse-click in a blank area on the detail side,
Select "Create a new shortcut"
c) In Location, type "Notepad.exe" (or browse to the executable's path)
Click OK
Name: Notepad
Try it out:
Microsoft dumbed-down this idea in Windows 11 where it now takes more keystrokes than in earlier versions of Windows.
.
Using File Explorer, find any ASCII text file.
Right-Mouse-Click,
Choose "show more options", Send-To, Notepad
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10. Optimize the Swap File (Geek Out)
The numbers are not important ,
but for most machines I pick 1500-1500, or 1800-1800, where both the
min/initial and max sizes are the same. Click "Set" to commit. Ignore warnings.
For example:
8GB RAM, set to 1500,1500
16GB RAM, set 1800, 1800 - choosing this even if you have more RAM
32GB RAM, set perhaps 2000, 2000. I use 1800.
The actual number chosen is not that important and it does not need to be in the increments above. Do not bother setting the swap file much larger than 1.5 to 2G. Larger
swap files take even longer to parse and the performance-loss may not be
worth the trouble. It slows down backups.
k) Reboot one last time, ignoring any warnings.
Optimize Swap File for older versions of Windows
11. Speed up USB drives
Windows uses a cache when writing to USB disks in order to keep a copied file from being corrupted if you should unplug the USB drive in the middle of a write operation. If you are a better user than that, and you would never unplug a drive while writing, you can significantly speed up the drive by disabling that cache.
This article, although written for an older version of Windows, it is still applicable. I make this change on my larger USB backup drives. I don't bother with USB sticks or cameras:
USB Backup Speeds Slow
Need a backup program. keyliner wrote one you can use for free.
https://keyliner.blogspot.com/2021/05/directorypulse-keyliner-backup-software.html
12. Turn off HardDrive Write Cache Buffering
Similar to the step 8's "Speed up USB Drives," the local Hard Disk
has a similar setting, which I also enable on my own computers.
*only do this on
battery-powered laptops or desktops with UPS protection.
a. Start, type "Control Panel"
Right-mouse-click Device Manager (run as Administrator),
Expand "Disk Drives"
b. Locate the hard disk by name (may be labeled as "ATA Device")
c. Select Properties, then the [Policies] tab,
[x] Enable Write Caching on the Device
[x] Turn off Windows Write-cache buffer flushing on this device*
13. Setup a Loser Account
Windows users can log in as standard users (with minimal rights to install and change things), or as god-like admin users. Malware folks like it when you run in administrative mode. Do what I do - I always run as a non-administrative user (which I call a loser account). Use this account for day-to-day work.
To make this work, build a second Administrative account, not tied to Microsoft. Use this account only when installing software or making system changes. Otherwise, run as an account with no rights to install software. This is not as bad as you think. Practically-speaking, once the machine is built, how often do you install software?
Steps here, too detailed to include in this article, but recommended:
https://keyliner.blogspot.com/2020/02/windows-10-administrative-accounts.html
Summary:
Build two accounts on every workstation: One is a 'loser' account (for day-to-day work" and a second "admini" account for software installs. At least one administrator account must be installed on the PC.
*If your current account is already an administrative account
(Windows
11/10 -- assumes you are logged in with an administrative, 'non-loser '
account for the account-build)
Build the new account:
1) Start, type "Users", and open "Other Users"
2) "Add other User" (add another account)
3) Select "I don't have this person's sign-in information"
4) "Add user without a Microsoft Account"
Complete the rest of the account setup, including the three lost password questions.
5) Once the user is built, select the new user from the already-displayed control-panel's User-list.
Change the new Admin's account type:
-For the admin account, make it an administrator.
Log out as yourself.
Then login as the administrator and demote your regular account to a Standard User. Make the admini password the same as your account, so there is one less thing to remember. Only use the admini account when UAC prompts for "installation rights".
14. Enable Hardware Administrator account (Optional)
Optional: This enables a computer-based Administrator account, which is useful in rare instances. This is a different account than the "admini" recommended above. This is here for my documentation. I build and use this account in rare instances. More often, I use the steps above, in item 13.
a) Start, type/search "CMD", Run as Administrator
b) Type this command: NET USER administrator /enable:yes
There will be a new user account, "Administrator" on the computer's initial login screen. Be aware it does not have a password enabled. Login once to set the account.
Use /enable:no to turn the account off.
Note: Starting with Windows 11, you have to login to the (new) PC at least one time with a "Microsoft Account" before you can build a "Local" account.
Alternatively, build a Local account with the steps found at item 13, above.
15. MSCONFIG - Startup Programs
Cleanup unneeded startup programs, save memory, faster computer, etc.. Auto-start programs live in multiple places, where "MSConfig" gives access to both "Services" and the "Startup" group. If you have never been here, this is somewhat interesting.
Start, type/search "MSCONFIG" (in Windows 11 it shows as "System Configuration")
Run as Administrator.
Open the [Services] tab
In the [Services] tab, ignore most entries, but I do give consideration to application auto-updater programs, especially for software that I know will never be updated, or I want to control when they update. For example, I unchecked these:
[ ] Asus Update Checker (a motherboard maintenance program)
[ ] LGHub Updater Service (Logitech Keyboard updater; I want to control)
[ ] Corel License Validation (My software is three versions behind, why keep checking?)
[ ] Foxit Updater (Foxit PDF Reader: if allowed to auto-update, they install unwanted other programs)
[ ] Xbox services, various (I am playing with turning these off)
Click "Apply"
Next, click the [Startup] tab and follow the re-direction to Task Manager (Startup moved in Windows 11):
In Task Manager, open the [Startup] tab,
Click the left-side Hamburger menu.
Choose the left-nav Speedometer icon
Disable things you don't need, but might want to use later. For example:
[ ] Status Monitor Application (for Brother Printer)
[ ] ControlCenter Launcher (again, for Brother Printer)
[ ] Cortana
[ ] Microsoft Teams (?)
These changes take effect on next reboot.
17. Disable protocol NetBIOS over TCP/IP
Next, add a new value in the same area:
Right-mouse-click any white space in the detail side, select "new DWord 32-bit value". Name the new key exactly as: "SubscribedContent-338387Enabled" (no quotes). Set its DWord value to hex zero (0).
A reboot is needed before it takes effect.
Other articles of interest:
Windows Power Save Problems
Partitions are not in the recommended order on New Install
Keyliner Backup Program.
Do you need a backup program? Backup to your SAN drive, OneDrive, GDrive, USB. No nag ware, no installation, no spying. Free.
https://keyliner.blogspot.com/2021/05/directorypulse-keyliner-backup-software.html
Raspberry Pi-Hole - A DNS SinkHole for security - a fun, but geeky project
Windows 11 System Event Log errors of interest:
Windows Event ID 2505 - Could not bind to transport
Windows Event ID 2 - Windows.Remediation
Windows Event ID 10010 - Did not register with DCOM
Windows Event ID 10016 - permission settings do not grant, could not bind
