Vista - Secret WMP copy in Program Files!!

Well well well!

I had been complaining about the abysmal performance of WMP search (running
64-bit Vista RC1). Quite by accident I noticed that all of the shortcuts etc.
point to the WMP in "Program Files (x86)" but there is also a copy of WMP in
"Program Files".

So I tried it. What a difference in performance! On a 5 minute test, Folder
search runs 24 times faster!!! What used to take 10 days will now take me 8
hours (not wonderful, but bearable!).

So, why are there these 2 copies of WMP? Why do the shortcuts point to the
slow version?

Good questions. Can you change the shortcut?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walter

"cvp" <cvp@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:89F8D40F-97CE-4449-9B93-691A01F1DA03@microsoft.com...
> Well well well!
>
> I had been complaining about the abysmal performance of WMP search
> (running
> 64-bit Vista RC1). Quite by accident I noticed that all of the shortcuts
> etc.
> point to the WMP in "Program Files (x86)" but there is also a copy of WMP
> in
> "Program Files".
>
> So I tried it. What a difference in performance! On a 5 minute test,
> Folder
> search runs 24 times faster!!! What used to take 10 days will now take me
> 8
> hours (not wonderful, but bearable!).
>
> So, why are there these 2 copies of WMP? Why do the shortcuts point to the
> slow version?

Walter,

Changing the shortcuts should be no problem, but I suspect there are some
other classes etc. related to starting a program associated with given file
extensions. I may just create a new shortcut.

cvp

"fake@add.com" wrote:

> Good questions. Can you change the shortcut?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Walter
>

It's quite possible that the version of WMP 11 for 64-bit isn't ready for
prime time yet.

Remember, when you are running a 64-bit Windows, running the 32 bit
applications can have a decrease in performance due to WoW.

Mind you I am NOT a 64-bit Windows Vista expert, my current system cant run
64 bit!

Bill F.

"cvp" <cvp@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:89F8D40F-97CE-4449-9B93-691A01F1DA03@microsoft.com...
> Well well well!
>
> I had been complaining about the abysmal performance of WMP search
> (running
> 64-bit Vista RC1). Quite by accident I noticed that all of the shortcuts
> etc.
> point to the WMP in "Program Files (x86)" but there is also a copy of WMP
> in
> "Program Files".
>
> So I tried it. What a difference in performance! On a 5 minute test,
> Folder
> search runs 24 times faster!!! What used to take 10 days will now take me
> 8
> hours (not wonderful, but bearable!).
>
> So, why are there these 2 copies of WMP? Why do the shortcuts point to the
> slow version?

"Bill Frisbee" wrote:

> It's quite possible that the version of WMP 11 for 64-bit isn't ready for
> prime time yet.

Yup. Could be, but from a search performance viewpoint it's a damn sight
more ready than the one invoked by the shortcuts. My cpu utilization goes
down from 65% to 25% too.

Actually playing music has become a secondary problem to creating the
library. I'll get round to that next. I generally play on another machine
(XP) over the lan anyway. This vista machine is the server/library
maintenance one (and convert to other required formats), but I do need the
ability to play.