Not Responding and Computer Slowdown

[dbvirago]

I have a folder of about 5,000 images that I go into fairly often. Every time I do, either the computer slows down with task manager showing 100% disk usage, or the software goes to Not Responding for a while, usually 20 minutes or more. I try to anticipate and start the software early, but then it makes it difficult to do anything else.

Knowing it may need to build the database or something, I brought the folder up into a contact sheet and left it running all night. This hasn't helped. Any help or suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

[Kirk Baker]

I have a folder of about 5,000 images that I go into fairly often. Every time I do, either the computer slows down with task manager showing 100% disk usage, or the software goes to Not Responding for a while, usually 20 minutes or more. I try to anticipate and start the software early, but then it makes it difficult to do anything else.

Knowing it may need to build the database or something, I brought the folder up into a contact sheet and left it running all night. This hasn't helped. Any help or suggestions appreciated.

Where are the images stored?  What kind of sort are you using as your default sort type?

-Kirk

[dbvirago]

Not sure I understand the first question. They are on my local hard drive, not an SD. As for sort, it is by capture time. That is how I have always processed my workflow.

Thanks

[Kirk Baker]

Not sure I understand the first question. They are on my local hard drive, not an SD. As for sort, it is by capture time. That is how I have always processed my workflow.

Well, you answered it just fine.  Local drive.  Good, so we can expect reasonable performance.
Sort: Capture Time.  Capture Time is one of the very slowest sort methods because in order to perform the sort, PM needs to access the metadata of each and every one of the images to get at the capture time.  Then the sort is performed, which is quite fast once all of the time information has been obtained.

While this won't directly solve your issue, try sorting via File Name instead (temporarily) to see if the speed increases significantly.  If not then we can investigate further.  Please reply with your findings.

Thanks,

-Kirk

[Graham1]

Interesting reply, which explains an issue I have just had.  I have been on a safari and recently returned with thousands of pictures taken with two cameras.  Both had their times synchronised, but obviously the file numbering cannot be kept in sync.  I was wondering why it was taking so long to sort by capture time, as opposed to by file name (but sorting by file name/number is not a very useful way of sorting if you have images from more than one camera).  I guess this is not an issue unique to PM.

[dbvirago]

Thanks. I can try that, but once the sort is performed, and the files are in the proper order, would the program still need to go through that process?

If it becomes too much an issue, I will look into changing that part of my process.

[Kirk Baker]

Thanks. I can try that, but once the sort is performed, and the files are in the proper order, would the program still need to go through that process?

If it becomes too much an issue, I will look into changing that part of my process.

Unless a file is modified, the metadata is cached in memory.  It won't need to be read from the file(s) again.  Some sort data (capture time, modification time, file sizes, etc.) are cached in a "sort cache" which speeds up the opening of a folder that you've accessed before.  But that cache only helps once it has been filled in with information.  If the cache doesn't have the information already then the images have to be accessed.

Until we have a baseline (opening the same folder with Filename sorting) I won't know if the performance problem is due entirely to the sort or whether we'll have to investigate further.

-Kirk

[dbvirago]

Trying to do this, but I can't get it to stick. I've tried opening the folder, changing to Filename, closing and reopening, or changing the sort before I open. Navigator and Favorites. Regardless, it stays as Caption Time.

Thanks

[Kirk Baker]

Trying to do this, but I can't get it to stick. I've tried opening the folder, changing to Filename, closing and reopening, or changing the sort before I open. Navigator and Favorites. Regardless, it stays as Caption Time.

In the Preferences dialog under the "Contact Sheet" tab, change the default sort type to "Filename".

-Kirk

[dbvirago]

Of course! Thanks

[RogueMD]

I would humbly suggest that what you are reporting is something i was dealing with for a few months on my 2011 iMac - and it turned out that these bizarre performance issues were related to impending hard drive failure. Just make sure you have a back up and if your hard drive is wheezing instead of whirring, maybe consider an update. I didn't see any notes about your hardware other than the finder was mentioned.

[dbvirago]

Always backed up to at least 3 places.