Explorer windows take several seconds to open?

[i430VX]

Hey guys.
My ThinkPad is having a bizarre issue where if you open a new Windows explorer window (or open a new tab in Internet Explorer) it sits there for about 30 seconds, all the while doing nothing. No disk/CPU activity related to explorer or IE. Like it's waiting for something to happen before it launches, Once it opens explorer and IE behave normally. If I select "Work Offline" from the file menu in IE, the problem goes away in both explorer and IE, until I uncheck work offline.

Any Ideas?

Also this computer is unable to resolve computer names (example: \\computer) to local IPs, if that's related. the IP address must be used instead to connect to local computers.

Edited June 26, 2018 by i430VX

[jaclaz]

18 hours ago, i430VX said:

Hey guys.
My ThinkPad is having a bizarre issue where if you open a new Windows explorer window (or open a new tab in Internet Explorer) it sits there for about 30 seconds, all the while doing nothing. No disk/CPU activity related to explorer or IE. Like it's waiting for something to happen before it launches, Once it opens explorer and IE behave normally. If I select "Work Offline" from the file menu in IE, the problem goes away in both explorer and IE, until I uncheck work offline.

Any Ideas?

Also this computer is unable to resolve computer names (example: \\computer) to local IPs, if that's related. the IP address must be used instead to connect to local computers.

Well it seems clearly an issue related to network.

That could be either a "wrong" setting in something related to network, like NIC driver, its settings and/or network protocols (and/or file/resource sharing) on the actual system or *something* on the network itself.

These can be tough to troubleshoot, becase the same symptoms may be caused by different issues (including some external to the actual machine).

If you physically disconnect the LAN, what happens? (provided that it is a cabled LAN, if it's a Wi-Fi try disabling the interface)

Then you should go through the whole set of checking *anything* related to network, IP assignments, gateways, DNS, TCP/IP and MS network client, etc., etc.

jaclaz

[i430VX]

Quote

If you physically disconnect the LAN, what happens? (provided that it is a cabled LAN, if it's a Wi-Fi try disabling the interface)

It still happens.

Quote

Then you should go through the whole set of checking *anything* related to network, IP assignments, gateways, DNS, TCP/IP and MS network client, etc., etc. 

I will look through it all

[Tripredacus]

Since it seems you can easily replicate the slowness issue, you should use Process Monitor to see what is actually happening at the time.

For the computer name issue, I believe you should have NetBIOS over TCP/IP enabled on both/all of the computers in order for workgroup name resolution to work. Otherwise, you can set hostnames and their IP addresses in the HOSTS file manually.

[i430VX]

Well I added a netBIOS protocol and it seems to work on my work network. have never tested here before. I'll double check when I get home.

[jaclaz]

22 hours ago, i430VX said:

It still happens.

Good, so it is something "internal" to the machine and the network is likely OK.

Now try disabling the NIC.

In theory a machine with a disabled NIC is an isolated machine, so if the slowness is network related it should go away.

jaclaz

[Mcinwwl]

@i430VX Don't you have any sort of internet security software installed? I had similar symptoms while testing Online Armor some years ago. Anyway, this software is complex and can leave its remains that can cause trouble long after uninstalling.

[i430VX]

2 hours ago, Mcinwwl said:

@i430VX Don't you have any sort of internet security software installed? I had similar symptoms while testing Online Armor some years ago. Anyway, this software is complex and can leave its remains that can cause trouble long after uninstalling.

Clamwin, which only does things when I tell it to, and Windows firewall, which doesn't make a difference in the delay if its on or off.

@jaclaz do you mean disabling it in device manager? because disabling them in the network connections does not fix the problem

Edited June 28, 2018 by i430VX

[jaclaz]

10 minutes ago, i430VX said:

 

@jaclaz do you mean disabling it in device manager? because disabling them in the network connections does not fix the problem

Yep, I meant in device manager.

jaclaz

[i430VX]

Somehow, when I was just about to start disabling the NICs, the issue resolved itself.