CS6 E Bridge Slow to load thumbnails, 'building criteria'

Report · Jun 17, 2012

When Bridge opens on the folder it was last opened/closed in, it takes a long time to load, constantly 'building criteria' as if all the images are newly imported. I've searched the forums, have tried all the tweaks and settings, but it's still iceberg slow. Bridge CS5 is noticeably quicker, as if the cache info is being read immediately. CS6 is behaving as if the cache file has been deleted. It hasn't. I have tried the "flush the cache" to see if maybe it's corrupted. No joy. I have boosted cache size. No joy. I've compacted, automatically exported cache to folders, everything... Nothing seems to fix the snail slowness.

All Adobe updates have been applied.

i7-2600s @2.80GHz

8 gb DDRw ram

Nvidia GeForce GT420 1gb DDR3

6+ tbs hd space.

Report · Oct 02, 2012

I tried your solution, and there was no difference in loading speed. 😕 Thank you, though.

I could understand the glacial slowness if the beta version had also been so slow. Or if CS5 Bridge was also as slow.

Report · Oct 03, 2012

I could understand the glacial slowness if the beta version had also been so slow. Or if CS5 Bridge was also as slow.

Did not read this whole (long) thread but in general when a previous version of Bridge did work faster then the following this almost certainly is related to your system itself.

While building criteria in filter panel has a mind of its own and especially when opening a second window to fast (when first window is just finished caching or building filter panel) it may take ages. closing this window and open a new one usually succeeds.

However when this always takes a long time the problem seems related to the cache (most Bridge problems are...)

Purging cache using preferences or menu commands is not always the correct solution. Using Bridge CS5 and PS CS6 is also not the perfect solution.

If you can spare the time you should consider a proper back up of custom settings, actions tools, keywords, templates etc. and a complete reinstall.

I don't have the correct info for Windows and searching on Adobe.com isn't easy anymore. Here are some old Knowledge base articles (it's about CS4 but changes are locations are still the same)

http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/move-actions-presets-workspaces-photoshop.html

http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/preference-file-functions-names-locations-1.html

and also read about the Adobe Cleaner Tool and decide if this is an option for you.

http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cscleanertool.html

If you decide to reinstall:

Deactivate the software and use the official uninstaller that comes with the application itself and then use the clean tool for Adobe:

Double check if your Cache folder has been deleted (I'm on Mac, don't know the location for Windows but on Mac it is in the user library caches folder)

Install CS6 again. Obvious you have to set your custom preferences again and also need to recache your files but if you have a main folder with many subfolders containing the files just select the main folder and in the menu View select 'show items for subfolders' and let it do it's caching overnight.

In my experience every new version of CS has been faster and more stable (well, except the disaster CS3 version for Bridge...) then its predecessor.

Report · Oct 03, 2012

Seeing as my 'system' is the same one I ran the beta version, your idea of that it's the computer has no basis. And, seeing as this system is twice the machine in resources, memory, CPU/GPU that CS5 was running on (Core 2 Duo), makes your statement kind of silly.

As for uninstalling and reinstalling: I've spent days doing all the above (deactivating, uninstalling, reinstalling, activating, the most recent attempt was on a high end Sony Vaio i7 laptop, with 16gb ram), deleting the cache folder, on three different computers, different specfications/hardware, two running 64bit (both i7) , one running 32bit (Core 2 Duo)Windows 7, each computer had a minimum of 8 gigs ram, max of 24 gigs, and nothing changed. Glacially slow. And I'm not the only one, and this isn't the only forum with pages of this issue listed.

Disable spyware scanner? done

Disable virus scanner? Done

Disable Malware Protection? Done

Exacts same settings as in CS5? Done

Step Taken:

Deactivated, Uninstalled, deleted Cache folder.

Reinstalled. Activated. Started it up, loaded bridge, picked folder with 483 images. Waited close to 10 minutes. Closed Bridge, Closed photoshope. Reopened PS and Bridge on the same folder.. and again slow slow slow load.

Checked cache folder: all thumbnails were there.

Purge the cache and try again? Did it, no change.

Use embedded JPGs? Did.. no change

Show Items for subfolders? Did it, no change

I know the easiest thing is to to blame the user, or the user's computer set up, but sorry, you're way off.

I know using CS5 Bridge isn't a perfect solution. If I try to open a JPG in ACR via right clicking, I get the "Missing Parent Program" error message. This isn't a huge problem, as I tend to work with CR2 and other RAW formats. As for Photoshop itself being stable, no problem, but this issue with Bridge needs to be rectified. Instead of trying to fix the blame, the problem is what needs to be fixed.

Report · Oct 03, 2012

I know the easiest thing is to to blame the user, or the user's computer set up, but sorry, you're way off.

Maybe I did not express my self well and sorry you feel offended.

I only wanted to point to your system as in the way of some old files or prefs or cache interfering with each other, not to blame you but just pointing to the possible way your problem might lie.

Also said, I'm on Mac and no next to nothing about PC. I leave it to the PC experts.

Report · Oct 03, 2012

Maybe I did not express my self well and sorry you feel offended.

No, no, I wasn't offended. Frustrated, yes, but not offended. I've done everything possible about it.

Also, it's not just PC users that are having this problem. I'm on another forum where there is over a dozen Mac users having the same problem. Makes me wonder how many other CS6 users, ones who didn't use the previous version, just accept the slowness as normal.

Report · Oct 03, 2012

ones who didn't use the previous version, just accept the slowness as normal.

Well, that was my point, it is not normal behavior for Bridge CS6 to be slow, for me it works faster then CS5 on a Mac

Via iPhone

Regards

Omke

Report · Oct 03, 2012

One other thought, you state to also have tried with export cache.

For me the option to export cache when possible has always resulted in a warning message with 'problem writing CacheT' and I have never used it since long (by default it is set to off in the preferences).

The fact that every cycle of Bridge uses different cache type or method also did not help to convince me of the pro's of writing cache to folders. If I have to look shortly I prefer the 'prefer embedded' quality option that provides visible thumbnail, just good enough to find what you are looking for.

So now I wonder if you still have left some cache and old cache files in this folder that might be causing your problems in speed.

If you look at a problem folder and choose show hidden files in the menu view this will reveal all files, including cache files in the folder itself.

Since you use CR2 there will also appear a lot of XMP side car files for the raw files but especially look for files with a blank document icon showing.

Can you tell what different hidden files are showing?

Report · Oct 03, 2012

I did my system is always set to show hidden files. Also, I do know about the XMP side car files. Since there seems to be chewing of old soup here, or just missing things:

1: Even if I haven't done a single edit on any of the CR2, RAW or ORF files, just opening a folder with them freshly imported from the CF or SD card, closing bridge, then opening it again, it's slow.

2: If I've done edits, said CR2/RAW/ORF files, close PS and Bridge, re-open PS and then bridge on that folder, it's slow.

3: If I open on folder of nothing but jpgs in Bridge, it's slow.

After each attempt of every variety, when the thumbnails are built, when I close PS and bridge, reopen on that recently visited folder, it still behaving as if it's a newly imported folder.

As to the cache: I have, with each deactivation, unistall, reinstall, reactivation, tried every setting with each. I purged, exported to thumbnails. No joy. I've manually deleted (holding shift while pressing del to permanently delete the cache), opened folder, waiting for the first import reading, closed bridge, opened again on that same folder, and guess what? Still slow, as if it's a newly imported group. I've tried embedding edit data in the camera raw, and I've tried side car. Still slow.

Since this problem didn't happen with CS5, I even tried duplicating the same settings, other than the same cache file folders of course, and still slow.

During the mulitple deactivations, unistalls, reinstalls, reactivations, I have tried every trouble shooting idea/suggestion/method.

Report · Oct 02, 2012

Hi Sandra,

This may or not be connected, but I too had Bridge CS6 begin to run like a snail, with all the problems you mentioned, and "white screen" (not responding), minutes instead of seconds to display thumbnails. Then,.... I noticed I had a video (CD) in my onboard DVD/CD, and that the access light was going crazy.

Removed the video, and bingo, all problems dissappeared. Put another CD with just files, not video, and problems reappeared.

Don't know if there is a way to exclude DVD/CD drives from the indexing function, but for now, Bridge CS6 is running as fast as when first installed.

Report · Oct 02, 2012

I'm glad that solved the problem for you, but I had no discs, video or otherwise, in either of the drives. I even went so far as to unplug external drives/devices to see if that would speed it up. No joy.

Report · Oct 03, 2012

I believe the issue discussed here is related to a Bridge CS6 re-caching problem I first reported in this thread:

http://forums.adobe.com/message/4421310#4421310

And claimed it still exists after the latest (and first) update here:

http://forums.adobe.com/message/4739441#4739441

My tests indicated the re-caching problem was caused only by layered tif files. Yet the OP of this discussion implies that there may be other causes, i.e., other file types that cause the re-caching, but I'm not sure. For the OP, can you verify that your system repeatedly re-caches or rebuilds criteria on a folder of jpeg only images.

Report · Oct 03, 2012

redcrown on guard wrote:

For the OP, can you verify that your system repeatedly re-caches or rebuilds criteria on a folder of jpeg only images.

I can verify it's re-building criteria on folders with just jpgs. And no, the bridge update has not corrected the issue. I had thought that maybe cache was corrupted somehows, so purged it. Nothing changed, still CS6 Bridge is snail's pace slow.

thanks for the links, but I'd already checked those as possible solutions.

Report · Oct 18, 2012

Has anyone found a solution to this miserable mess? I'm about ready to uninstall all CS6 before I loose my temper and accidently put my hand through my nice Cinema Display!

PSD, if I ope more than 10 files at once, I'm asking for it, even 1mb files.

InDesign? Good grief! I feel like I've never used the damn program before and I've been using for years and years.

Bridge? Its just miserable.

Report · Oct 18, 2012

That's why I ended up using CS5 bridge while using CS6 Photoshop. Not a perfect solution, but it does work. I could understand if the beta version, "Superstition" was equally slow, but it wasn't.

I feel that Adobe just doesn't care. They have our money, we just get to put up with it.

Report · Oct 19, 2012

SandraChung wrote:
...Adobe just doesn't care. They have our money, we just get to put up with it.

That's a succinct and accurate description of reality.

Report · Oct 19, 2012

SandraChung wrote:
That's why I ended up using CS5 bridge while using CS6 Photoshop. Not a perfect solution, but it does work. I could understand if the beta version, "Superstition" was equally slow, but it wasn't.

The beta version, Superstition, and the final release version were exactly the same until the first patch that occured not too long ago. So if the beta version was OK and the final release was not, then there is something in your system that is making the difference, and not the program.

Report · Dec 07, 2012

Typical.. when you don't know the answer, blame the user or the computer.

Ok, then why is it equally slow on a brand new Sony Vaio, 16gb DDR3 ram, and 2gb DDR3 video ram? And on an HP Desktop, 16gb DDR3 Ram, 2 gb video ram, not even running the same anti-virus software. Not the same make/model computer, different BIOS, different hardware, and CS6 Bridge is sludge slow, whereas CS5 bridge is FAST. And this is with no additional plugins. And it's not just me.

Seeing as NOTHING changed on my system from the time I had Superstition to when I installed CS6E, and the only difference was CS6E Bridge became snail slow, your 'it must be your system' is wrong.

Report · Dec 07, 2012

This date is from memory as my Beta is long gone. But believe the last Beta build was on March 15. When the public version came out many were wondering if all the beta testing bug discoveries were fixed. Those more knowledgeable than I looked into the release date of the Beta and public release timestamp of the files and lo and behold it was the same as the beta version March 15. This was a little surprising, but it does take time to re-write the code to fix bugs. The first patch was released many months after the public release version.

So the Beta version (Superstition) was the same as the public release version as there was no evidence of file changes based on the timestamp.

So I stand by my statement that the program was the same. Why it is slower I can not say. From my experience CS6 is slower at building the cache than CS5. The main change between the 2 programs was that CS6 was recoded to be a 64 bit program, which should have speeded things up. But do not think it did, at least in my opinion.

Report · Dec 10, 2012

Typical.. when you don't know the answer, blame the user or the computer.

The problem is that when you experience something that most others don't this is the conclusion you will get from Adobe or Tech support. It is annoying to hear and very frustrating but also the most obvious conclusion.

All I can say that building criteria (and sometimes thumbs) can give problems after having started Bridge and immediately open a new window. To my experience having started Bridge and the open window does not show the activity monitor running in the activity bar bottom left is not the same as there is no activity. On a mac you can check with the activity monitor. After starting Bridge and the criteria have been build for its first window and the activity bar shows nothing running anymore it takes another 20 to 30 seconds (maybe more depending on the size and of files in your content window) to complete this background activity.

After this opening a second window builds the thumbs and criteria with a very short (1 or 2 seconds) delay. If I try to open a new window before this short delay after start up I also have the build criteria running without getting completed but often closing this window and opening a new does show no problems.

Don't know what files you have the Content panel pointed to and if you have some hidden cache files form previous versions still showing. I don't use the write cache to folder option active and have mainly DNG, PSD, Tiff and Jpeg some PDF and .mov files and have absolutely not the problem you refer to.

Besides this I also experienced that having more then 5000 files in one folder is also slowing down things but not to unusable, just more delay in responding.

Report · Dec 10, 2012

Has anyone else noticed that if you close Bridge when its having this problem, and re-open it, then -BAM- it instantly recongises the files & cache, and everything works as it should.

Sadly this has become my default answer when struggling with Bridge - point it to the folder you want - close the program and re-open it, to get it to work. Rinse and repeat.

Report · Dec 10, 2012

narikin wrote:
Has anyone else noticed that if you close Bridge when its having this problem, and re-open it, then -BAM- it instantly recongises the files & cache, and everything works as it should.

I tried this.. and you're right. It's faster than waiting and waiting and waiting. And yes, I did use a stopwatch to time it. Opened Bridge on previously visited folder, 45 seconds to load. Closed Photoshop & bridge. Relaunched. Opened bridge, and when I saw the 'building criteria', I shut bridge down, reopened it and instantly loaded all the thumbnails.

Sadly this has become my default answer when struggling with Bridge - point it to the folder you want - close the program and re-open it, to get it to work. Rinse and repeat.

Sadly is the right term. This isn't what we should be having to do, though.

Report · Dec 10, 2012

The closing-reopening tip seems to help.

My solution 'til now has been to simply use bridge CS5, but by using CS5 you're missing out on the new and improved camera raw.

This is is a serious issue that's affecting many users, please fix bridge CS6, Adobe!

Report · Dec 10, 2012

When I open Photoshop CS6 first, then CS5 Bridge, I click on a CR2 file, ACR v7.2 opens, not ACR 6x which would open if you had photoshop CS5 open.

That being said, some of the new tools that are in CS6 Bridge itself are missing in CS5 bridge.

Report · Dec 11, 2012

That being said, some of the new tools that are in CS6 Bridge itself are missing in CS5 bridge

You are referring to the menu Tools / Photoshop I presume? The two main differences between Bridge CS5 and CS6 are the transition to 64 bit and the change of Cache database from MySQL to SQLite and there where some minor tweaks like a better functioning frame rate for showing the content of a closed stack that now can be set to 2, 4 etc and actually does play the content as a viewable slideshow instead of the previous lightning fast sequence.

While I think you can set the File Type association preferences in Bridge to let it open in PS CS6 I don't know an easy way (if at all possible) to also put the start up scripts of PSCS 6 in Bridge CS5 so that the Tools menu would show CS6.

But as said before, letting Bridge do its' job for a few minutes after start up does make it possible to open new windows without any significant delays in Thumbs and Criteria building but I don't have old cache files hidden in the folders, just using central cache.

Report · Dec 11, 2012

SandraChung wrote:
When I open Photoshop CS6 first, then CS5 Bridge, I click on a CR2 file, ACR v7.2 opens, not ACR 6x which would open if you had photoshop CS5 open.

That depends how you open raw. If you double click and it opens in PS CS6 with ACR 7.x. If you right click and choose open in camera raw it wil open in Bridge CS5 with ACR 6.7