Reported Problem opening folder with large amounts of files

[Methen]

when using the thumb nails to open a folder that has large ammounts of pictures say for example 20.000 or more you get a hourglass and after waiting for a few minetes if you try to close it, it freezes and will not allow you t0 close it, How ever if you open the folder by going into the folder first to allows the windows to search the folder then it usually works.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Not necessarily a bug — one would expect it to take a long time to create thumbnails for that many files. Can you press stop to terminate the process?

If it is a bug, we will need to know about your version number, windows version, and hardware.

Windows Explorer stores the thumbnails in a thumb.db file, whereas IrfanView does not.

[Frank]

Hi Methen,

a bug, an imperfection or a real normal thing - that is the question!

see also:
- "Thumbnail memory."
- "Slow to respond when directory has lots of files"
- "Preload the next image in memory"
- "Thumbnails Cache Very Slowly"
- "Miniaturansicht aktualisieren?"
- "Thumbnails im RAM?"
- "Thumbnails - Möglichkeiten"
- "Thumbnail generation"
- "Pre Saved Thumbnail Cache(generate only once)"

Can you say us program(s), which does not have this effect?
How much time does it take, to open 20000 pictures in thumbnail mode with other program(s)?
How much RAM do you have?


regards
Frank

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

It also depends on the size of the images, of course. If I browse a folder using the "include subfolders" option, all goes well with thumbs generating in milliseconds or at least seconds until it reaches one folder with just ten images, which take about a minute to generate thumbnails for. Explorer loads them instantly from the thumbs database file, which makes me wonder why this feature hasn't been implemented in IrfanView.

[Mij]

Explorer loads them instantly from the thumbs database file, which makes me wonder why this feature hasn't been implemented in IrfanView.

Not all windows versions use Thumbs database - Vista for example.

I have not being able to create any condition where
a) thumbnail generation slows enough for the hourglass/rotating circle to appear
b) I am unable to stop the thumbnails being generated by pressing Stop on the menu bar
or c) I am unable to close the program by clicking the window exit button

[Methen]

I am using windows xp pro with sp3

[Frank]

Hi Methen,

You can enter your profile data under: "Edit Profile"

But there are two other things:

1. You can write an email to Irfan Skiljan (the author of IrfanView)!
   Maybe sometimes he can/will improve this thumbnail viewer function!
   (A feature request gets more importance, if more users supports this!)
2. The speed of thumbnail creation also depends on the existing RAM!
   Therefore my question: How much RAM do you have?

regards
Frank

[Frank]

Explorer loads them instantly from the thumbs database file, which makes me wonder why this feature hasn't been implemented in IrfanView.

Not all windows versions use Thumbs database - Vista for example.

Should this be the reason to prevent any program development into this direction?

See the image viewer Vallen JPegger!
This program use his own database file "jpeggeri.dat" for faster access to the thumbnails!
(See the attached screenshots of the settings dialog in Vallen JPegger!)

And see also the answer "Decode next image(s) in advance" in the thread "Image caching"!

Why not a same or similar method in IrfanView?