[Redlazer]

I have a question.

I know that generally speaking, desktop icons will slow down your computer.

However, i was curious as to a few details on the subject.

Is it only programs? or do Folders and shortcuts to folders do the same thing?

Why do they cause a slowdown?

Is it a continuous slowdown, or just at startup?

Is it hardware related, I.E., would a modern day computer be able to handle it more efficiently?

Does XP handle icons better? Does Windows 2000 Pro?

Do files slowdown (i would assume that to be true, for certain) the computer?

Also, do keep in mind im considering the continuous action of the PC, and not necessarily startup, when i ask if it slows down the pc.

My boss keeps bugging me because i have roughly 20 icons on the desktop at work, and id love to shut the bugger up : )

Thankyou,

Red

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Hello Redlazer.

I don't know where this "urban legend" came from, but the ammount of icons do NOT affect the startup of your computer. It may seem like it, since they are the first to load, but it is not the icons that slow your computers startup, or anything else for that matter.

Slow startups can be caused by:

1. Too many startup programs
2. Not enough RAM
3. Slow processor
4. Nearly full hard drive
5. Fragmented hard drive
6. damaged hardware
7. corrupt operating system
8. infections

The ones that are red, are most likely the cause of your problem. If you would like to try to figure out what's wrong, I'd be glad to help. Just make sure it is okay with your IT administrator (if you have one) and your boss.

If so, and you want to find out what's wrong, do this:

Download and run hijackthis Do a scan and then save a log. Take the log and ATTACH IT (do not post) to your next post. In order to attach it, you will either need to change the .log extension to .txt, or you will have to put the log into a compressed (zipped) folder.

We do not like to post hijackthis logs in sections other than the malware forum as we do not want to encourage people to post malware issues in this forum.

I am not looking for malware. I am looking for what programs or combinations of programs might cause this behavior. If I notice any malware, I will redirect you to the malware forum.


BTW, I have 50 icons on my desktop, and my computer is just fine.

Edited by computerwiz12890, 30 June 2006 - 05:43 PM.

[computerwiz12890]

Hello Redlazer.

I don't know where this "urban legend" came from, but the ammount of icons do NOT affect the startup of your computer. It may seem like it, since they are the first to load, but it is not the icons that slow your computers startup, or anything else for that matter.

Slow startups can be caused by:

1. Too many startup programs
2. Not enough RAM
3. Slow processor
4. Nearly full hard drive
5. Fragmented hard drive
6. damaged hardware
7. corrupt operating system
8. infections

The ones that are red, are most likely the cause of your problem. If you would like to try to figure out what's wrong, I'd be glad to help. Just make sure it is okay with your IT administrator (if you have one) and your boss.

If so, and you want to find out what's wrong, do this:

Download and run hijackthis Do a scan and then save a log. Take the log and ATTACH IT (do not post) to your next post. In order to attach it, you will either need to change the .log extension to .txt, or you will have to put the log into a compressed (zipped) folder.

We do not like to post hijackthis logs in sections other than the malware forum as we do not want to encourage people to post malware issues in this forum.

I am not looking for malware. I am looking for what programs or combinations of programs might cause this behavior. If I notice any malware, I will redirect you to the malware forum.


BTW, I have 50 icons on my desktop, and my computer is just fine.

Edited by computerwiz12890, 30 June 2006 - 05:43 PM.

[Redlazer]

Yeah, i know all that : D

My computeris not running slowly, however, my boss told me thaticons on my desktop would slow down my computer.

Would you mind telling me what sort of credentials you have? Just so she hasnt a leg to stand on.

How fast, exactly, does your desktop get to a usable interface? from when you see the first icon appear on your desktop.

Thankyou,

-Red

[Redlazer]

Why not?

Heres the log.

Attached Files

•  hijackthis.txt   2.83KB   94 downloads

[computerwiz12890]

that icons on my desktop would slow down my computer.

Once again, not quite true. And I can (and I will) get several other trusted techs to come explain this. That way your boss can see it from different techs other than just me.

Would you mind telling me what sort of credentials you have? Just so she hasnt a leg to stand on.

I am A+ certified for hardware, and plan on going for the software version in a few days. I have graduated from high school with honors and awards for my excellence with computers. I am also working in the IT department of the 3rd largest bank in Louisiana.

How fast, exactly, does your desktop get to a usable interface? from when you see the first icon appear on your desktop.

1 mintue, 5 seconds.


Your HijackThis log is clean, and I do not see excess or unnecessary programs starting up. However, I do have a couple of suggestions that could speed up your computer:

1. Defragment the computer. Go to My Computer. Right-click on your hard drive and select Properties. Go to the Tools tab and click on Defragment Now.

2. Run Tune-up. Here's how you do it:

Download and install Tune Up 2006 Trial

Click on Clean up & Repair. Run TuneUp DiskCleaner. Delete all junk files, except for backup files. Afterwords, return to the Main Screen.

Click on Clean up & Repair. Run TuneUp RegistryCleaner. Fix all errors. Afterwords, return to the Main Screen.

Click on Optimize & Improve. Run TuneUp RegistryDefrag, which will take a few minutes and need a reboot.

After the reboot, start Tune Up again. Click on Optimize & Improve then click on TuneUp System Optimizer. In the menu to the left called "Wizards", choose System Advisor. Note some of the advice it tells you.


Something tells me it will start up a bit faster after all this. If not, then you may need more RAM. Let me know how it goes.

Edited by computerwiz12890, 03 July 2006 - 08:11 PM.

[Facedown98]

that icons on my desktop would slow down my computer.

Sorry to bud in, but I just couldn't resist... I have a folder on my computer which holds all of my stuff. Pictures, documents, you name it. The folder is 3.31 gigabytes large, and contains 558 folders. Each and every one of those folders has a different icon from that default folder icon. (took me 3 years to populate it) I go into that folder about ten times daily on both my computer, and our secondary. I have never known browsing it to be slow as a result of changing the appearance. Just my 2 and 1/2 cents

[warriorscot]

The urban legend is actually based in fact, to many icons on your desktop will slow it down, if youre running windows 3.1 older OSs did use to get a hit with to many icons, and certainly to many icons on the desktop is messy and disorganised and bad for productivity but 20 isnt bad at all.

XP does handle them better so much there is no performance hit, but like i said you would on older OSes and i suppose if you had icons in the hundreds it would maybe slow down 2000 for a second or two while it loads the images for the icons but nothing siginificant.

Icons dont cause slow down, to many running programs might, or widgets or animated icons if you use them not normal ones, what i do with icons is organise them in folders for easy organised access i have about 8 icons at minimum 12 at the moment. 20 isnt bad and pretty normal if a little on the sprase side.

I do go on at my father with his work laptop having to many icons on the desktop, but not because of a slow down but because its bad practice and slows down productivity and just plain messy, he has NO space at all on his dektop left without icons.

A folder with alot of files cna sometimes slow down the computer if you are browsing through them quickly, especially in xp as it loads file data checks for images associated etc. but the files have to be big and alot of them i have only one folder that this occurs, and its my music folder on my data partition over 25 gigs of mp3 sometimes takes a bit if there are alot of single files it can slow down if they arent in folders.

Edited by warriorscot, 03 July 2006 - 05:53 PM.

[wannabe1]

I'll have to agree with warriorscot and the others here. Sometimes the machine will take a bit to render the actual icon graphics, but the placeholders and links load with the desktop.

Try starting the machine with the icons hidden and with them displayed and see if you can detect the difference in start time. I think you'll find they are within a few seconds of each other. It's the actual programs that load at startup that can cause a slow startup.

wannabe1

[dsenette]

just so you can have extra "geek cred"....i've been working on computers in some form since i was 7 (i'm 24 now)...windows 3.1 loaded like a bear without icons on the desktop..and there was a noticable slowdown the more you put on the desktop...alot of this was due to the fact that if you had windows 3.1...then you were on a crappy computer (awesome computer by the standards of the time...crappy by today's standards)...and there wasn't really such a thing as an expansion video card (there were...but they didn't really help much)...so the processor was drawing everything on the screen...soo the more stuff on the screen...the longer it took...

even with windows 95 you didn't notice much of a slowdown at startup because of icon's on the desktop...with 2000 you don't notice it...and with xp you don't notice it...(with built in graphix)...if you have say...a pci, pcie, or agp graphix card..you notice it even less...because the card is drawing your desktop not the processor...so it's an independant process of startup...

i feel your pain...as arguing with bosses is worse than arguing with children

[Redlazer]

Thanks guys, awesome replies. Ill be sure to drop a hint here and there : )

I figured the new OS'es would handle drawing icons significantly better, but you never can be too sure.

I cannot run those probrams on that machine, however. I am not allowed to run or install anything : / I appreciate the gesture though.

Right now, she has me with 5 icons, and she will not even allow me to add two more. A shortcut to a folder, and a excel document.

Ah well. Ill wait and let things settle then spring it on her : )

Thanks again,

-Red