DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

Vista's long goodbye

40 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/vistas-long-goodbye.54309/

eddie
eddie Original post #1
Apr 6, 2007 at 1:28 AM
Source: The Register
Vista's long goodbye : Deleting files can take forever

Windows Vista suffers from a bug that causes many machines to stall while deleting, copying and moving files, a flaw that has provoked consternation in online forums.

"I've seen this bug in action, and trust me, it's as if you're copying over a 64k link using only 256mb of RAM," one Reg reader complained. "To add to the problem, you can't cancel or anything."

According to a thread on Microsoft's TechNet site, Microsoft has issued a hotfix for the problem, but it has failed to quell the outrage. For one thing, individual users must get Microsoft's approval before the fix can be downloaded, according to our tipster. And for another, hotfixes are more of a pain to install than patches.

We've contacted a Microsoft spokeswoman, who promised to see if a patch for the problem in the works. Meanwhile, Vista users continue to grumble.

"I simply can not believe that I updated to a new computer and put windows Vista on it to find that it's not even capable of moving and deleting files in an efficient manner," one disaffected user posted in the Microsoft forum. "Microsoft must be kidding! The most basic of features that I use all the time is a slow train wreck." ®

P.S. I know it is old news but it might be new for some people and in my search on forums, I could not find any such topic. If it has been, then please merge it with the earlier thread
mediator
Apr 6, 2007 at 1:38 AM
Its a news for me alright! It seems I'll be installing integrated VISTA-SP1 then. :oops:
goobimama
Apr 6, 2007 at 1:52 AM
This has happened to me as well... many times.
H
Apr 6, 2007 at 2:13 AM
I have not been experiencing any such problems at all,i have copied files over 7.94 gb without any problems in Windows Vista Ultimate.In fact i am currently using vista.
goobimama
Apr 6, 2007 at 2:22 AM
^^ Doesn't happen every time....

Btw, are you a HD movie collector?
Ankur Gupta
Apr 6, 2007 at 12:22 PM
Well yeah this problem happens with me more often that not..hope a patch is included in SP1....
Vishal Gupta
Apr 6, 2007 at 12:40 PM
I hv also noticed that Vista takes more time to copy/move/delete files than XP. I hv noticed a BIG difference in deleting files...
kalpik
kalpik #8
Apr 6, 2007 at 2:45 PM
Can confirm! Happens here too!
tarey_g
tarey_g #9
Apr 6, 2007 at 3:10 PM
Ya , happened to me too once, one small file took 2 mins to delete.
T
thunderbird.117 #10
Apr 6, 2007 at 4:15 PM
Ok. How long it takes to delete 4 GB file?. :D
mediator
mediator #11
Apr 6, 2007 at 4:49 PM
^+How long it takes to defragment then? :shock:
tarey_g
tarey_g #12
Apr 6, 2007 at 4:55 PM
It does not happen always , but i happpens. it happend with my installation once in 1 month. So definitely a fix is needed .

I did defrag too , it was normal.
eddie
eddie #13
Apr 7, 2007 at 1:18 AM
Ok so Microsoft accepts the flaw (partially) and they released a hotfix (not a patch) but they will not give it to you until you ask nicely and politely
*support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/931770

So much for spending more than 20,000 bucks on an OS that wouldn't even copy-paste properly.
techtronic
Apr 7, 2007 at 11:43 AM
I have not experienced this even once.
I deleted about 3.6 GB worth of Very Important Data (Porn). It took the same time as XP
goobimama
goobimama #15
Apr 7, 2007 at 1:25 PM
^^ pr0n is not the same as junk. Please correct yourself. In fact, on many computers, it is the only meaningful form of data that exists...
tarey_g
tarey_g #16
Apr 7, 2007 at 2:16 PM
goobimama said:
^^ pr0n is not the same as junk. Please correct yourself. In fact, on many computers, it is the only meaningful form of data that exists...

Yes porn is definitely not junk , pls correct your post or i will report it to mods :D
techtronic
Apr 7, 2007 at 2:56 PM
goobimama said:
^^ pr0n is not the same as junk. Please correct yourself. In fact, on many computers, it is the only meaningful form of data that exists...

Lol :D

tarey_g said:
Yes porn is definitely not junk , pls correct your post or i will report it to mods :D

Lol :)
goobimama
goobimama #18
Apr 7, 2007 at 3:52 PM
I deleted about 3.6 GB worth of Very Important Data (Porn). It took the same time as XP

LOL right back at ya...
R
rake #19
Apr 7, 2007 at 7:39 PM
The problem differs from configuration to configuration. There is no standard cure of this problem. One fix is to have latest manufacturer supplied Chipset drivers for your motherboard. Most of the companies have released new drivers already either in final or beta version.

MS requires you to call them, so that they can find how many people are having this problem with file copy & on what computer configuration.

You can download the fix from these links for the applicable configuration you have. I got these yesterday night from Microsoft Tech support myself. Although X64 version is also available on *hotfix.xable.net

Vista X86 = *hotfix.xable.net/download/index.php?dir=Language%20Neutral/Vista/&file=Windows6.0-KB931770-x86.msu

Vista X64 = *hotfix.xable.net/download/index.php?dir=Language%20Neutral/Vista/&file=Windows6.0-KB931770-x64.msu

or rapidshare *rapidshare.com/files/24670720/Windows6.0-KB931770-x86.msu.html


Disable download managers if you are downloading from the above links. Size = 176 KB

Another fix is to uninstall Remote diffrential Compression from Windows Vista, if you don't need it. Home users won't need it anyway.

In Windows Vista, go to control panel - > Programs -> Add\Remove Windows Components & uncheck "Remote differential Compression", then click on ok.

Make sure "Windows Update" & "Background intelligent transfer service" are running else you will not be able to install any "Microsoft Update" or .msu files in Windows Vista.
kalpik
kalpik #20
Apr 7, 2007 at 11:24 PM
Welcome back GX! :D
M
mehulved #21
Apr 7, 2007 at 11:25 PM
gx i thought you were not supposed to make another id on this forum? And you make a new one with your email id of yahoo - gxsaurav06
R
rake #22
Apr 7, 2007 at 11:29 PM
I don't wanna post here right now, already banned myself for 1 month insted of 2 weeks. Just came here to post this fix thats it
H
Harvik780 #23
Apr 7, 2007 at 11:31 PM
goobimama said:
^^ Doesn't happen every time....

Btw, are you a HD movie collector?
No i burn backups of my Xbox 360 games.
eddie
eddie #24
Apr 7, 2007 at 11:53 PM
BTW, those hotfixes are not supposed to be redistributed...so technically those links are illegal.
djmykey
djmykey #25
Apr 8, 2007 at 7:55 AM
See this might be one of the reasons that M$ recommends high end hardware for Vista. I havent used it much but in our office no one complained abt this. I even took back my group head's laptop which had vista installed, he was deleting something like 7 GB of data and it went off in 5-6 mins. The laptop was a Dell one with 1 GB of ram nothing special (Latitude 610)
R
rake #26
Apr 8, 2007 at 10:21 AM
It is a known bug in explorer.exe. if you are using some other file manager, copying does not takes this much time.
hittheswitch
Apr 8, 2007 at 11:28 AM
Hey.... this is a very prominent thing in Vista... It happens most o the times....
For the first few second...the dialog box freezes..... Its very stupid of Vista.....
casanova
casanova #28
Apr 8, 2007 at 7:09 PM
Never happened with me but i feel the copying and moving is slow.
Vishal Gupta
Apr 8, 2007 at 10:49 PM
Even if u delete a simple 300 KB file, sometimes it shows "Calculating time" for a few seconds and then start deleting it and shows the progress bar for a few seconds. In XP it hardly took 1 sec. to delete such files.
FatBeing
FatBeing #30
Apr 8, 2007 at 11:15 PM
This is strange.. is this supposed to be a problem on just 32-bit? Because I've been using 64-bit for a few days and copying and moving is just like XP...
eddie
eddie #31
Apr 9, 2007 at 1:46 AM
The hotfix provided by Microsoft is available for 64 bit as well. So there is no reason to believe that the problem exists only on 32 bit. It could be that you have the updated drivers (or something else) that rake was talking about.

BTW this thing seems to have been slashdotted sometime back and people with the responses "me too" clearly outnumbered the ones with "not me"
*it.slashdot.org/it/07/03/27/038227.shtml
Vishal Gupta
Apr 9, 2007 at 2:18 PM
@FatBeing
It doesnt happen to all users. ;) and u are one of those lucky users...
emailaatif786
Apr 9, 2007 at 3:23 PM
Beta has more than that
anandk
anandk #34
Apr 13, 2007 at 10:57 PM
wanted 2 copy some imp ofc files 18mb of mine urgntly to my lappy from a cd. ya ! it just hangs :oops: so updated using the patch link provided above. Stl unable to do so ! :mad: so whadda i do ??? unfortunately i have instld only vista home prem oem on my lappy. been trying since eve ! must copy 'em ...:(
mediator
mediator #35
Apr 13, 2007 at 11:07 PM
With no intention to start an OS fight here, I can only suggest u to do it via Knoppix Live Cd or damn small linux (Live USB...50MB I guess) or just upload it on gmail or rapidshare and download it again. :)
anandk
anandk #36
Apr 13, 2007 at 11:11 PM
^ how do i do it ? has it been provided in any of the recent digit dvd/cd ? remember which month ??? ready to try anything :)
mediator
mediator #37
Apr 13, 2007 at 11:27 PM
I dunno about latest digits, coz digit's Linux section is pathetic! U have knoppix in ur september 2004 edition, but then I dunno if that version will work correctly. U can download damn small linux, its only 50 MB I guess or u can download Knoppix from its site but its around 700 MB. I hope atleast CD burning or USB install takes place in VISTA without any problems.
Having a knoppix LiveCD is always useful. I have saved myself plenty of times with it, be it grub restoration or backing important files. :)
praka123
praka123 #38
Apr 14, 2007 at 12:34 AM
knoppix can write into ntfs partitions using latest ntfs-3g right?
mediator
mediator #39
Apr 14, 2007 at 10:09 AM
I dunno much about ntfs-3g writing capabilities, but had a discussion lately. They say it can read though and for backing the stuff what else do u need.
anandk
anandk #40
Apr 14, 2007 at 12:48 PM
^ thanx guys :) i used a usb drive instead of the cd and it worked. copied real fast. maybe the cd was defective ???? dunno ...