vista folder scrolling artifacts bug

er557 · Sep 10, 2010

I'm using vista x64 ultimate, is anyone able to recreate this strange bug:
a folder containing about 150 files& folders, in list view , window maximized, sorted by name(default). scrolling all to the right of the folder, to a blank space, pasting there another folder of considerable size(~700mb ), whose name begins with one of the first letters(a).
when finished copying, the view jumps automatically to the beginning ,to the newly copied item, leaving artifacts on the screen.
This does not seem display driver related, as the issue does not occur anywhere else and no other issues exist.

Lorien · Sep 11, 2010

Everything you described seems normal except for "leaving artifacts on the screen". I don't know what you mean by that. What kind of artifacts? If you refresh the screen do they go away or do they stay? If you change screens (or even close Windows Explorer) and then go back to that folder, are the "artifacts" still there? Is it only this folder or does it happen with all folders (if a specific folder, what is the exact and entire file path to that folder (e.g., C:\Users\<username>\Pictures\Florida Trip)? Does it only occur with additions of large files (how large is the cutoff as far as you can tell?) or with any file you paste? What method of pasting are you using (File / Paste, Right click / Paste, CTRL-V,...)? Does this happen with any filetype or only with a certain filetype (if so, which one - for example, what was the filetype of this 700MB file)? When did this start happening?

Can you please provide a screen shot of the folder showing these "artifacts"?

Thanks. With answers to the above (and the screen shot), we will try to assist you in finding out what is going on and help you resolve it.

Good luck!

er557 · Sep 11, 2010

I attached a screenshot; when refreshing the view it disappears, closing windows explorer or reopening the folder- also disappears; this is like a graphics glitch/refresh issue.
also, this happens with ANY folder that matches the criteria, not just this one.
about the file size- it only happens when pasting large enough folders which shows the copying green progress bar, then jumps to the beginning(if the copying is instant without progress bar, then no artifacts).
I'm using rignt-click paste; tested only when pasting folders which afterwards appear at the left side of the view(starting with a,b etc.).
I think it started happening when that folder grew big enough with four collumns to start scrolling left to right in maximized view, as a folder with so much files is rare and this is why I haven't noticed this issue before.
Another possibility is this started after some windows updates were installed or nvidia driver was changed, but anyway I didn't see it in the past, and that's about two years the OS is installed.
Thanks!

Lorien · Sep 11, 2010

What a horrible and disruptive problem - at least it is quickly and easily fixed though I know you want it not to happen even if a simple refresh gets you back to normal.

I honestly don't have a clue what might be causing this - it could be many things. I have never seen this specific problem in all my years. It may take some effort finding the cause as you can't pinpoint when it started (it may have been much earlier than you first noticed it if the circumstances causing it didn't come up for a while - perhaps days or weeks or maybe even longer) and the cause could be any number of things - but I doubt it is anything serious or major or you'd have other problems or more problems or different problems as well (but that doesn't mean it'll be any easier to find - just that we can probably rule out the big things).

First, I would check the system files and hard drive for any corruption:

Go to Start / All Programs / Accessories / Command prompt and right click on command prompt and click run as Administrator.

Type sfc /scannow and enter and let it run. It will scan and try to fix some of your system files. Hopefully it will complete with no corruption it could not repair (if there is such corruption post back here or try to analyze it to find the problem file(s) using http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928228. Try to post any corrupted files here (or post the CBS.LOG by copying it to the desktop and then attaching it to your next reply) so we can see if they can be repaired with good copies from the installation disk (unless there are too many). Do you have a genuine Vista Installation Disk?

While in Command Prompt, type chkdsk /f /r and enter and let it run. It will want to schedule itself to run at the next restart. Answer yes and then reboot to run the program. It will scan and try to fix any corruption or bad sectors on your hard drive and mostly remove that as a potential cause.

If that reveals or resolves nothing, then if you think it may be some recent Windows updates, try uninstalling them (make note of the KB numbers so you will know what needs to be re-installed) and reboot and see if that resolves the problem. If not either manually re-install the updates or let Windows Update do it for you when it next runs and finds them missing and again includes them in updates to be installed.

Next, you mentioned a new NVidea driver. Go to the NVidea site and get the most recent drivers, firmware, and/or software for the card and update your system (even if they seem to be the same versions - the ones you have may be corrupt just enough to cause this issue - though frankly I doubt it). If the driver you have came from Microsoft, that might be the issue right there. I suggest you update drivers only from the computer manufacturer or device manufacturer and never from Microsoft.

You may be infected with malware. If so, it is very specific and unusual - but it is possible. Try to run anti-malware programs (in safe mode with networking if necessary). To fix this problem (if it is a problem) download, install, and run the following two programs: http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php and http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html. You may also want to try a free trial of Pandasoft (http://www.pandasecurity.com/usa/homeusers/solutions/global-protection/). Before downloading pandasoft, uninstall whatever anti-virus program you are currently using (because installing and running two at the same time can cause conflicts, freezes, and all sorts of problems). Use removal tools when appropriate http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2009/05/05/comprehensive-list-of-uninstallers-or-removal-tools-for-antivirus-software/. Once you've uninstalled your current AV program, download, install, update, and scan using Pandasoft. I think you might be amazed at how much it finds that the other software missed. Once complete, uninstall pandasoft and re-install your current AV program. You may also want to try the new, free Microsoft Security Essentials http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Microsoft-Security-Essentials-Download-131683.html (with the same caveat that only ONE AV program can be installed and running on your system at any one time). You may also want to try the free Avira at: http://www.free-av.com/ and Avast at: http://www.avast.com/index. Reboot after completing all the scans. You may also want to try the free OneCare at http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/whatsnew.htm and let it run all the options (except the registry cleaner) because that’s good maintenance (it will take some time to complete but can be done in the background).

If that doesn't work, try a clean boot http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135. If the problem goes away then it's just a matter of tracking down the culprit causing the problem. Follow the procedures in the article. Once found, delete, remove, deactivate, or uninstall it. Once done be sure to reset Vista back to normal status as explained in the procedures. If the problem occurs in clean mode then just restore the system to normal status and reboot - this solution is not going to work.

Boot into Safe mode with networking and see if the problem occurs there. Either result helps us narrow down the search for the cause.

That's plenty to start with. I hope something either resolves the problem or helps us identify the cause. If these options don't work, we'll try some others - there still are some alternatives we haven't checked but I don't want to overwhelm you with pages of suggestions. Let's start with these and see where they lead us. We might learn something that will help us choose the next options or provide us with a better sequence to try them.

Please provide feedback on all you did and the results of the tests you ran (like SFC and chkdsk and whether the problem occurs in Safe Mode and the rest). The more we know, the better we can help. At this point, I'm pretty much doing some general testing and reacting to comments you posted - I do not know nearly enough to even hazard a guess at the real problem yet.

If you think this is too much effort for something that doesn't occur very often and can be resolved by simply refreshing the screen, then the decision is entirely yours whether or not to pursue these recommendations to find the underlying problem. While something above may solve the problem, it's also possible nothing will be revealed and we'll need to continue generic testing and trying options. We're not yet at the point of needing to attempt anything radical, but if we reach that point I'll be certain to explain the alternatives and the risks or consequences so you fully understand the choices and can decide how you want to proceed - but as I said, we're not there yet so we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.

I hope this helps resolve or at least identify the cause. Please keep me informed - especially if you learn anything new that seems like it may be an important piece of information so we can adjust what we're doing accordingly.

Good luck!

er557 · Sep 11, 2010

OK, that's very helpful, I too have some leads and ideas to start with, and will update here how it is progressing. Though I dont think it is malware as I keep close track of the system, neither a file corruption because I dont see any error messages and there are no problems nowhere else. Also I will try disabling aero and visual eye candy plus an updated video card driver.

niemiro · Sep 12, 2010

I have just tried replicating this. Although I could not, I can see how when it flicks back to the file at the beginning of the alphabet it could track on the screen. This is a very strange problem. What resolution are you running at, and does this occur in Right click on Desktop > Personalise > Display Settings > Medium (16bit) > OK or not?

Thanks!

er557 · Sep 12, 2010

No change after going 16 bit, neither changing aero or visual style settings, nor restoring default settings in nvidia profiles for windows explorer, nor trying the card(geforce gtx 280) in full 3d clocks.
Now the other troubleshooting tips remain, plus updating display driver.
This issue as I said is rare, just interesting as to why it occurs.(one of vista's quirks?)

Lorien · Sep 13, 2010

Those were some very good troubleshooting steps you tried (good thinking) - I'm sorry they didn't work.

The issue is very rare - I've never seen it before. Usually a Vista quirk tends to be more common - meaning we see more people having similar problems, but this is a first for me. I honestly at this point don't know what is causing it or even if it is hardware or software. Hopefully the other troubleshooting tips will help us narrow down the options to the point where we can make an educated guess (or better still, will fix the problem).

Thanks for the update. You've ruled out a number of possibilities (but there are still a great many others remaining). The one saving grace here is that the workaround is fast and simple so there's no great rush to find the answer (as there would be if, say, you couldn't boot or something like that).

Good luck as you proceed!

niemiro · Sep 13, 2010

I will try and replicate it better soon. It is not the sort of bug that many people would find though. I tried it in my System32 directory, which had many FILES, not FOLDERS. Will create a special test directory, create a batch file/program to make me a load of folders, and test. Will report back soon.

Patonb · Sep 13, 2010

Whats your gpu?

er557 · Sep 13, 2010

@niemiro: OK, and as you try to reproduce it, here are some parameters: any folder in list view, maximized or not(doesnt matter), containing about 150 items(can be files, folders, or even just shortcuts). scrolling the view all to the right( the end), copy-pasting on an empty space there a folder(named starting with letter a,b,c etc.) containing for example a 800mb movie, causing the green progress bar to appear, then the view jumps to the beginning, and bam! all hell breaks loose...

@patonb: I have a geforce gtx 280 1gb stock clocks( no issues in games, movies , internet or anywhere else).

niemiro · Sep 13, 2010

I am very sorry, but I was completely unable to replicate it. I used 11,500 folders at the end, and 10,000 files, all starting with Z. I then put in a hefty 600mb file, starting with A, but could not produce your symptons. I follow your instructions exactly, tried many different things, but was eventually forced to accept that I could not replicate it. I understand that the problem exists, but it does not appear to be a Windows Vista wide problem. Do you have all of the latest updates installed? Sorry

er557 · Sep 13, 2010

Yes, most of the recent updates installed. Thanks for trying though, today I will install the latest display drivers and check then.

niemiro · Sep 13, 2010

You are most welcome. Two lines of computer code to create all of the directories, and then testing. I enjoyed it, and it took a very short time. Good luck!

niemiro · Sep 13, 2010

Actually, if anybody else wants to try, here are the directories. I know it is not very imaginative, and if you want more control over the directories and files created, and names supplied, ask me.

er557 · Sep 13, 2010

Ok niemiro, I tested with your test folder, and it didn't happen, nor did it happen under some different conditions. It DOES happen, EVERYTIME, If the conditions specified below are met, and I do begin to beleive it is a vista quirk, not diplay driver related as it does not happen under all conditions. I attached my test archive, modified from yours, whereby is does happen. The conditions are : everything from archive extracted to a folder, list view, maximized. The important thing is : add or remove a few files according to your display resolution, so that A SINGLE FLICK OF THE MOUSE SCROLL WHEEL can bring you from beginning of the folder to the end and vice versa!!!
Then, after you prepared this, COPY from somewhere else a folder named "abc" ,containing an 800/1000 MB file, and paste it on empty space in the end of our folder.
green progress bar, and BAM! now what???

niemiro · Sep 14, 2010

It does sound like a Vista quirk. Interesting that my files didn't work. Will definitely try your new instructions.

Lorien · Sep 14, 2010

If you think it isn't the device drivers, then try some of the other options (I'd check them anyway even if it is unlikely, but that's entirely your decision). If it's due to corruption or malware or a conflict with some other program or anything like that, those procedures should help find and repair it. If it's a bug in Vista, there probably isn't very much we can do about it except perhaps confirm it and see if we can identify some type of workaround to avoid it.

Testing is between you and niemiro (I'm not a programmer and don't have access to your computer) - if it is a bug then none of what i provided will help as that won't repair the Vista code. I've provided some options to try in case it is something else and have nothing else to add at this point unless/until those are tried and the results reported.

Good luck! If I can assist further (or if you try any or all of the options and have results to report), just let me know.

er557 · Sep 14, 2010

OK, thanks Lorien, I did a malware scan and nothing turned out, plus uninstalling some of the recent windows updates but that did not help, I will continue with the scan disk and update here if anything changes.

niemiro · Sep 15, 2010

Hello,

We would just like to check the validity of certain Windows files, to help us work out whether this may be caused by a corruption. These are primarily malware removal tools, and some of them have a main function that does not apply to what we are trying to achieve. This program will take about 7 minutes to run, and will produce a report that may help us identify corruption in user32.dll Please bear with us. Thanks!

Please download WVCheck by Artellos from one of the mirrors below;

Artellos.com (exe)
Artellos.com (zip)
After the download, run WVCheck.exe
As indicated by the prompt, This program can take a while depending on your hard drive space.
Once the program is done, copy the contents of the notepad file as a reply.

vista folder scrolling artifacts bug

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