Solved Suddenly s l o w .

[pmar]

I have used Irfan since last century on variety of PCs. Suddenly, on new Win_7 PC, version 4.3? started loading images VERY slowly, 15-20 seconds. No conflicting software loaded recently. Installed version 4.33, and no help. Unable find similar complaint although there was one such few days ago ? No change moving from folder with one image or 600.

Suggestions please. Anything ?

[Mij]

Yes, I have been meaning to investigate this for some time.
I have some 6250x7190 jpeg files. My main installation of Irfanview v4.33 in the Program_files folder with a full complement of plugins takes an average of 11 seconds to load them. My stripped down copy of 4.33 in my Public folders with just the ini file in the folder with it takes an average of 1.3 seconds to load them.
These times were both measured with Fit to window selected and no resampling.

[derniwi]

@pmar:
Do you have the resampling options in the view / Display options (window mode) menu enabled?

[Mij]

@pmar:
Do you have the resampling options in the view / Display options (window mode) menu enabled?

That was the first thing I thought of but was careful to deselect resampling for both fitting and zooming in my tests. It is something in the INI file though. I backed up and then deleted the INI for my main installation (the slow one). After Irfanview had built a new one, it is now OK again - just as fast as the stripped down copy.
I will watch out for it slowing down again as I rebuild the INI but it will take a long time - the old INI had accumulated 872 lines, the new one is only up to 53 so far.

[pmar]

@pmar:
Do you have the resampling options in the view / Display options (window mode) menu enabled?

Both were set. Removing one or both makes no apparent difference. 11-15 seconds to load Irfan program only, no image.

[pmar]

That was the first thing I thought of but was careful to deselect resampling for both fitting and zooming in my tests. It is something in the INI file though. I backed up and then deleted the INI for my main installation (the slow one). After Irfanview had built a new one, it is now OK again - just as fast as the stripped down copy.
I will watch out for it slowing down again as I rebuild the INI but it will take a long time - the old INI had accumulated 872 lines, the new one is only up to 53 so far.

Yea Gods ! My INI file is one line, and that is:
"INI_Folder=%APPDATA%\IrfanView".

[pmar]

"My stripped down copy of 4.33 in my Public folders with just the ini file in the folder with it takes an average of 1.3 seconds to load them. "

This sounds promising, but I have no idea what you mean by "stripped down copy". How does one strip down Irfan ?

[Mij]

Yea Gods ! My INI file is one line, and that is:
"INI_Folder=%APPDATA%\IrfanView".

That is not the INI file I am talking about. Because Irfanview cannot make changes to files in the Program files folders in Windows 7 (and Vista), the installer creates that one line INI file there which redirects all the settings to your Appdata folder. So the Irfanview program settings will now normally be found in c:\users\(your user name)\appdata\roaming\irfanview\i_view32.ini
If you look at that INI file it will be a lot bigger. I have found why loading files was slow in my program. I had set for color management to be used at all times (see attachment). Fair enough, it does say it is slow and I had forgotten that I had set it.

However that makes no difference to the time taken for the program to start up when no file is being loaded, so it is not a solution for you. I suspect that it is something in the INI file though, nevertheless, so I suggest that you do what I did. Make sure Irfanview is closed and then copy i_view32.ini from that appdata folder to somewhere safe in case you do want to put it back. After that delete the orignal INI file from appdata.
Start Irfanview and it will create a new INI file with very little in it. If the problem was in the INI file you have deleted, then Irfanview should now start instantaneously. If not then you probably need to reinstall the program.

I am away for a few days now so will have to leave you in the hands of derniwi or someone else if you want to ask more questions. Will have a look how you got on when I come back.

[derniwi]

You can go to the ini file dolder folder by opening the start menu and enter
%APPDATA%\IrfanView
in the "Search files" (or something similar, I don't have an englisch Windows running) dialog field.

You can just rename the i_view32.ini to something like oldi_view32.ini, this shall also help.

[pmar]

Oh, yes, a lot bigger, I stopped counting after 200 lines. BUT new file, at 5 to 8 lines makes no measurable difference; still 12-13 seconds to load w/o image, and 15 seconds to load jpg from folder with only the one image.
As to attachment, I don't have any color management checked. I may have unchecked default while trying to speed things up ???

[pmar]

Thanks for the shortcut. but as you see from reply:
"Oh, yes, a lot bigger, I stopped counting after 200 lines. BUT new file, at 5 to 8 lines makes no measurable difference; still 12-13 seconds to load w/o image, and 15 seconds to load jpg from folder with only the one image.
As to attachment, I don't have any color management checked. I may have unchecked default while trying to speed things up ???"
There is no help here for the wicked.

[pmar]

Answered !

Problem Solved !
The long delay opening Irfanview vanished when I turned off Online Scanning in McAfee AV. McAfee support thought it impossible to adjust their AV to ignore Irfanview (!) so I obtained their disk cleanup program, uninstalled McAfee, ran the cleanup, apparently with success, installed a popular (free) AV which has no similar problem. All to my delight since the McAfee AV was part of a whole bunch of "crapware" installed by Dell before they shipped this PC.

Free at last, free at last...

[maf]

I've also been experiencing this problem, and I also have McAfee. It's very frustrating. I will try disabling the Online Scanning to see if that helps.

Cheers.

[pmar]

Please let us know how it works out for you.

Despite my care in using McAfee's own "Cleanup" program, I still find bits and pieces here and there.

[maf]

Thanks. I changed no settings in McAfee or otherwise, and now IrfanView seems as fast as usual. Not exactly sure why it was slow before or if it'll happen again.