Copy n' Paste

Discussion in 'Software' started by gandhi the peacemaker, Dec 6, 2005.

  1. gandhi the peacemaker

    gandhi the peacemaker Private E-2

    Hey, all. Been a while since I was last here...

    Anyway, the issue at hand is that my computer is strangely wacked out in that I can't use the Copy command.

    Meaning I go through Windows Explorer, right-click on a thumbnail/button/etc., window suddenly freezes (not the computer, just the window; I can minimize it just fine and right-click the icon on the bottom bar and go to Close), and I have to use the aforementioned right-click on bottom and delete. Then there's the "This program is not responding", I click on "End Now", and then the entire screen disappears, leaving only the background image. Everything comes back soon enough, but I can't copy any of the pics I took with my digital camera.

    In case you all want to know, I've got Windows XP SP 2. Any other info I need, just ask me.
     
  2. Mada_Milty

    Mada_Milty MajorGeek

    Heh, several steps you could take.

    1. Visit this thread and follow all the steps in it. (ensures you are free from malware)

    2. Open a command prompt and type sfc /scannow with your windows disc in the drive (checks and restores system files)

    3. Perform a repair install.

    4. Perform a clean install.

    Only do a step if the one before it didn't work out.
     
  3. Adrynalyne

    Adrynalyne Guest

    I think we progressed from troubleshooting to giving up far too early ;)

    Windows XP has always had issues with hanging thumbnail views, when the files are very large, or the directory is full of a large amount of files. The latest service pack is supposed to help, but it doesn't half the time.

    Have you tried turning off the thumbnail view, and tried, say, putting it in a list view?

    I've also seen disabling "Use common tasks in folders" help as well. Its in the XP eyecandy settings.


    Right click My computer, Properties, Advanced Tab, Performance Settings, Visual Effects tab.

    If that doesn't help, try this:

    regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll in start, run. It shoudl give you a message that it succeeded. This disables Image Preview. To re-enable it, type:
    regsvr32 shimgvw.dll.
     
  4. Mada_Milty

    Mada_Milty MajorGeek

    Heh, in only one post, too! You may be quite right though. I should've paid more attention when we "dissected" windows in school.

    But, we may have also just taken different understandings of the problem... from what I understood, the problem wasn't limited to thumbnail views... are we certain this will help? What about the process hangs?

    I hope you don't think I'm trying to antagonize you. I wouldn't blame you if you did. But, truth is, I'm here to help and to learn (most of my requests for help go unanswered), and I would appreciate some more technical explanation, if possible.
     
  5. Adrynalyne

    Adrynalyne Guest

    It sounds to me, that the problem is that Windows Explorer is hanging trying to preview info about the files. Its usually caused by gigantic video files, but has been known to happen with pictures too. Thumbnail view, the common tasks pane, and a few others are where some of this info is displayed.

    It may very well not be affected by disabling thumbnail view, but less information is going to be previewed that way, and that may be enough to get Explorer to muck through it. Also, a corrupt picture can cause problems when Explorer tries to display its thumbnail.

    The problem ultimately is Windows Explorer is an utter POS.
     
  6. theefool

    theefool Geekified

    Now is this a clipboard issue?

    To narrow this down a bit (maybe).


    Open up notepad, type in a few words, highlight the text you typed. Copy the text, then paste it a few times. Do you still get a hang?

    On a side note, when was the last time this computer was defragmented? I've seen cases where a machine needed to be defragged in order to copy and past rather large files.
     
  7. Gecks

    Gecks Specialist

    A couple of quick questions:

    Does it do the same thing in safe mode? (you can get to the safe mode menu by rebooting and tapping "F8"). This sounds like a browser extension or backgroung service to me.

    Also, if it mostly happens with picture files, what program is trying to preview/open them? If you go to my computer, tools menu, folder options, file types tab, and click on (for example) JPEG files, what program is listed? If it is not Windows picture and fax viewer, try changing it to Windows picture and fax viewer temporarily and see if we have the same problem.

    Just a few ideas. Most of what I'm finding on this mention busted shell extensions or 3rd party programs in the background.
     

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