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

[SandraChung]

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.

[2thestuff]

Hopefully it continues to work better for you...

I on the other hand have held off with replying to this topic after

updating last week. Initially the patch (pc) seemed to work. After a few

days it was back to the problems that have been voiced here.

[redcrown on guard]

The 5.0.2.4 X64 Bridge update appears to have solved the re-caching, re-building thumbnails on my Win7 64bit system. I installed it 3 days ago and have rebooted and reloaded several times, so it seems stable.

The problem only occured on my system with folders containing layered tif files. After the update, I browsed to dozens of old folders containing tif, psd, jpeg, and png formats, and have seen no repeated re-caching.

Strangely, the update does re-cache some folders but not others on the first visit, but never after that. It's possible the some of my cache had simply been pushed off the queue, but I don't think so. There is something else going on forcing a one-time re-cache of some folders.

But overall, looks like a good fix for me.

[Yammer]

redcrown on guard wrote:

There is something else going on forcing a one-time re-cache of some folders.

Periodically, certain new versions of Camera Raw will force a re-cache of raw and developed files, presumably because of some significant change which may require it. I think 7.3 may have done this.

[xermes]

I am running Win7 Pro x64 on a new build PC and suffered the same excruciatingly slow performance of Bridge.  Try running the latest version of Bridge (5.0.2.4) in Vista SP2 Compatibility Mode.  Both 32bit and 64bit Bridge now work like a dream (Attention Adobe Support!).

1. Click the Windows Orb bottom left and click 'All Programs'

2. Right-click on Adobe Bridge (32bit or 64bit)

3. Click 'Copy'

4. Right-click on the Windows Desktop and click 'Paste Shortcut'

5. Right-click the Shortcut and click 'Properties'

6. Click on the 'Compatibility' tab

7. Click the 'Run this program in compatibility mode' checkbox and select 'Windows Vista (Service Pack 2) from the dropdown..

8. Click 'ok'

You may do this for both 32bit and 64bit versions of bridge.  Click on the appropriate shortcut on the desktop to launch the program.

[CountrydanceUK]

I have been tearing my hair out trying everything on the forum without success, I then noticed on my Win 7 setup I could not start Indexing, this in my efforts to improve boot performance had been removed from the installation so I then did a restore which enabled Indexing and search.

I now have Bridge working at full speed and without glitches so in my case, Indexing appeared to be the cause of the problem.

My system is Win 7 (32bit) Home Premium.

[AlanZheng]

So glad to hear this GREAT news! Your finding is really helpful.

[SandraChung]

Indexing is enabled on my machine, always has been.  I know someone said that Supersitition Bridge was the same as CS6E final release, but something in it is different.  The only thing I had changed was uninstalling Superstition, and installing CS6E.

It's just frustrating. Why should bridge from CS5E be so speedy, but CS6 Bridge crawl.  (I also tried the Compatibility suggestion above, no joy.)

[Vienna_Sydney]

I had problems in Bridge CS4 with my Canon raw files. Found that if I kept the file number per folder at around 800, the switch between folders was painless. Moving on the CS5 was also ok, as by then I had a faster PC. However, things have changed since installing CS6.

I also experience the "Building Criteria" when switching between folders, although some of the files have been unchanged. After doing some more tests today (after reading all posts in this thread), found that if I stayed in a folder until the nothing moved, then on to the next folder, and so on. Then back to the first, second and again through all folders. By the fourth time, the change between directories was effortless, with no "Building Criteria".

Just to make sure, exited Bridge and opened again, to have all folder showing instantly, the folders being a mix if raw, dng, psd and jpg

[marky mark and the funky]

I found that answer number 32 form the following thread worked (or made it at least usable for me). I am running Win 7 64bit Ultimate with 16Gb Ram and i 2500K cpu and 2Gb ATI card. Had tried 'everything' the adobe members threw up..

http://adobe.hosted.jivesoftware.com/message/4481544

Hope it works for you.... It has for me (for half an hour anyway)

[xermes]

Win7 Pro x64, 'C' drive is an SSD holding the OS.  My data (including My Pictures' folder) is mapped to 'D' (hard disk).

If I go to:

Start=>Computer=>Right-click on 'C'=>Properties, then indexing is ALLOWED on the tick box at the bottom of the screen.  Similarly, indexing is also allowed on my 'D' drive.

services.msc shows that the Windows Search service is Started (Automatic).

If I click on the 'Start' orb and enter 'Index' then click on 'Indexing options', against the Users folder under the 'Exclude' heading I see:

AppData; AppData; AppData

Could this cause the problem?

64bit bridge.exe will only run ok from a desktop shortcut under Vista SP2 Compatibility Mode (maybe this does not depend on AppData?).

If I click on 32bit bridge.exe from File Manager or from a shortcut without any compatibility settings it runs ok.

[Guest]

AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Bridge contains all the user data like cache, keywords, collections, workspaces, etc.

[J&HK]

Discovered today, 21 May 2013. HOPEFULLY, the ANSWER!!

Open BRIDGE

Select THUMBNAIL OPTIONS from the icon on the address bar at the right/top of the screen.

This should have HIGH QUALITY PREVIEWS checked.

Check GENERATE 100% PREVIEWS.

Immediately UNCHECK GENERATE 100% PREVIEWS

This should reset the registry key that causes BRIDGE to continuously reload 100% previews of thumbnails!

A further symptom that this is occurring is that once the folder has been re-cached by Bridge (before doing the above), all the image files in that folder will have 100% previews already (no "Loading 100%" when the spacebar has been pressed and a left-click on the image to load the 100% view), even though this switch is un-checked.).

It appears that something causes BRIDGE to set this flag in the registry (incorrectly), while showing the flag as not set in the visual user interface. Setting and un-setting the flag causes the registry key to be correctly re-initialised.

I have encountered this on two PCs running CS6. On my own PC, re-installing CS6 to fix the loss of the connection between BRIDGE and PHOTOSHOP also corrected the above problem, so it appears to be an intermittent fault when CS6 is installed. Sometimes the registry flag is initialised correctly, and sometimes it is not.

The other occurrence was on a friend's PC. That PC has also lost the connection between Bridge and Photoshop, so it could be that the registry "corruption" causes both problems. The continuously loading thumbnails (and displaying the message "Building Criteria ... " while Bridge does this) appear to be resolved by performing the above action (or by re-installing CS6). That PC's owner has now re-loaded a whole swag of his image folders in Bridge. Some have needed to re-cache the thumbnails. When this has been done once (relatively quick, now that Bridge is not re-building 100% previews), returning to that folder loads the Bridge database and thumbnails for that folder almost instantly.

On my own PC, opening a folder containing 900 image files (450 .DNG with original raw embedded + 450 large JPEGs, with user-applied metadata, takes less than 5 seconds). Changing this switch for an open folder immediately precipitates the long process of generating 100% previews for that folder. This is PAINFULLY slow! This operation can only be cancelled by re-setting the switch back to un-checked.

A study of two PCs doth not a representative sample make, I know; but it does seem to validate the theory.

BTW, do not use both CS5 and CS6 Bridge on the same computer without changing the central cache location for at least one version - and preferably for both.

Hope this is of some help to others.

[Guest]

J&HK wrote:

Discovered today, 21 May 2013. HOPEFULLY, the ANSWER!!

Open BRIDGE

Select THUMBNAIL OPTIONS from the icon on the address bar at the right/top of the screen.

This should have HIGH QUALITY PREVIEWS checked.

Check GENERATE 100% PREVIEWS.

Immediately UNCHECK GENERATE 100% PREVIEWS

BTW, do not use both CS5 and CS6 Bridge on the same computer without changing the central cache location for at least one version - and preferably for both.

Hope this is of some help to others.

Thank you for reporting this workaround.  Have never had the problem, but many others have.  Not clear on you reasoning for changing cache location for CS5 and CS6.  I have both on same address (Drive S), and have seen no problems.

[J&HK]

Hello Curt

The very fact that you have the caches on Drive S: indicates that you have already done this. The default location for the Bridge cache is always in the USER folder (under "Documents and Settings" in W2K, XP Pro and under "Users" in WinNT v3.10 to 4.0 and Vista, Win7.). I sure don't recommend sharing the same central cache folder for Bridge 5 and 6. Both will be corrupted. This happened to me when I tried it out.

Apart from this reason, it is also best to have the cache for things like the OS virtual memory file, PS cache and Bridge cache on separate hard disk drives, if possible. I have 3x HDDs in my main workstation for this purpose, and 2x in my wife's, ditto. The 3 drive scenario will always give much better performance for a given computer than having only a single drive. This is one of many drawbacks of using laptops for serious work.

Of course, one should also defragment one's HDDs regularly, particularly the OS HDD, I do mine about weekly. I use ULTRADEFRAG from SourceForge.net. I find it reliable, simple and it works far better than the same program that ships with Windows, even though it uses the same core code AFAIK. I have used ULTRADEFRAG with XP Pro, Vista and 7 Pro/Home; 32 and 64 bit. While mostly retired, I have done this stuff for nearly 40 years.

[Guest]

Like you I have always kept my scratch and cache flies off of the C: drive.  But since CS3,4,5,6 all have different cache databases they do not interact even if on same drive.  One version can not even read the other.

[SandraChung]

J&HK wrote:

Discovered today, 21 May 2013. HOPEFULLY, the ANSWER!!

Open BRIDGE

Select THUMBNAIL OPTIONS from the icon on the address bar at the right/top of the screen.

This should have HIGH QUALITY PREVIEWS checked.

Check GENERATE 100% PREVIEWS.

Immediately UNCHECK GENERATE 100% PREVIEWS

This should reset the registry key that causes BRIDGE to continuously reload 100% previews of thumbnails!

BTW, do not use both CS5 and CS6 Bridge on the same computer without changing the central cache location for at least one version - and preferably for both.

Hope this is of some help to others.

I never had Generate 100% Previews selected in CS5E or CS6E. And in CS6 there is "High Quality on Demand" or "Always High Quality".  I tried both, and still have the 'building criteria' and waiting for an often visited folder behaving as if it's a set of freshly imported group of photos.

[J&HK]

Hello Sandra

Those symptoms are identical to what my friend's computer was doing. Mine was doing something similar, but different.

We did as I described in my post above. Please be aware that Curt has only quoted part of that post, and that my reasoning is explained in full in my own post.

What the "fix" I have proposed does is to set the Windows registry switch to the value to GENERATE 100% PREVIEWS (which it seems it is already set to), then resets that switch to the correct value that tells Bridge NOT to continuously re-build 100% previews. Bit like flicking a dodgy light switch On-Off-On until it finally lands on the ON position . To get the fix, you need to toggle that software switch ON, then OFF.

SET the software switch in the user interface to GENERATE 100% PREVIEWS, Bridge will start re-building the 100% previews (as it currently does), after it has run a few images, then RESET the software switch so that GENERATE 100% PREVIEWS is no longer ticked. This will stop Bridge in the middle of what it's doing, and then let it finish if it needs to build or re-build any normal thumbnails for that folder.

You will find that Bridge will probably need to re-build thumbnails for each folder you visit after doing this change, but it should not take long to finish. It is very important to let Bridge finish each folder when this process starts. If you don't allow it to finish, what Schewe and Fraser call "the race to the finish" happens, where Bridge switches its attention to whatever new task it has been given, and this will take priority over any existing tasks.

I have GENERATE HIGH QUALITY THUMBNAILS checked on my computer. It is still very fast to load a folder, but I have to let it finish building these the first time I open that folder. It takes FAR less time than the Generate 100% Previews does.

Message was edited by: J&HK. Clarified what I said in my previous post.

[SandraChung]

I read your entire post, but didn't see the need to quote the whole thing.  This 'trick' works, only if I don't shut Photoshop or Bridge down. Once I do, it's back to glacial slowness yet again.

Example: Photos are on M: drive M:\Photography\ .. There are 170 folders and 140 images in the root directory of PHOTOGRAPHY.  It's the default folder select every time I start bridge. 

For this test I used M:\Photography\Birds\Honeyeaters (82 jpgs)  and M:\Photography\Flora\Native Plants (109 jpgs).

Started PSCS6 and CS5 bridge: Bridge snaps folder open immediately, no little circle going round and round, no "Building Criteria". Move to Honeyeaters or flora, again, immediate loading, no waiting for criteria to build or thumbnails to build.

Shut down both Photoshop CS6 and Bridge CS5.

Restart PSCS6, start CS6 Bridge. M\Photography\  did your suggestion. Visted the Birds and Flora folders, applied your suggesting, and yes, waited until Bridge was finished with each folder. While in Bridge going back and forth, yes it's almost as responsive as CS5 Bridge.  BUT shut both PS6 and Bridge down, restart them both. Once again, even after using your 'flick the switch off and on", behaves as if it's a new viewing.

And as Curt said, CS5 and CS6 bridge do not access the same directories/thumbnails. They build and read from their own seperate ones.

[J&HK]

Sandra

You may need to either completely flush the Bridge cache, and/or reinstall CS6 as a clean install (deactivate CS6 before uninstalling it) (I did both - grrr! The latter several times.).

I also had to flush the central cache completely. I changed the name of the original cache folder with Bridge etc closed. then re-started Bridge and re-created the central cache from scratch - ugh! I then set Bridge to re-indexing all the sub-folders. This took well over 12 hours - again, ugh!!

Like you, I upload all of my images to one head folder. There are around 50,000 files under that head folder, stored by camera model/card number etc. However, I have set the switch in Bridge to go to the last folder used.

Then opened one of my smart collections, and noticed each time it gagged on a folder ("Indexing folder ... " displayed in the status bar), and then went to that folder in Bridge and either manually purged the folder cache, or just let Bridge re-index it automatically. Some particular folders Bridge didn't like at all for some unknown reason. I had to move the folder of phone images out of my head folder, then copy all the images back into a new folder created for them. Bridge was then OK with them. Seems that Bridge didn't like something about the JPEGs that my BB phone creates. Neither does my own web site.

All up, it took days of work.

I have not had this sort of problem since the bad old days of Acrobat Pro v4.0/4.5. CS and CS2 caches were incompatible, IIRC. Since then, I keep cache files for different versions in different folders.

No one at Adobe seems to know what the problem is; or how to fix it.

Same with Acrobat Pro X. There is a fix for Acrobat Pro called ACROFIX.EXE which fixes the licensing problem with that program. It took several calls to Adobe and about 4 different support people before I stumbled on the one who told me about this fix!

Good luck with it!

[SandraChung]

J&HK wrote:

Sandra

You may need to either completely flush the Bridge cache, and/or reinstall CS6 as a clean install (deactivate CS6 before uninstalling it) (I did both - grrr! The latter several times.).

I've done all that, over and over and over ad nauseum, and did so when trying your suggestion.

[J&HK]

Sandra

I feel your pain and frustration, mate. This sort of problem can drive one nuts!

Two additional things:

1) Have you raised a support ticket with Adobe?

2) Have you tried uninstalling all Adobe products (deactivate them all first ... ); then run their CS cleaner utility? This latter program should remove all vestigial traces of their programs that are hiding away on your HDDs and in the Windows Registry.

This latter is a real pain in the neck, or somewhat lower down one's anatomy , but should get rid of any additional residual garbage that Adobe has left lurking on your PC. The clean tool can be found here:

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

Make sure that you follow the instructions to the letter.

All the best, John

[SandraChung]

1: No. Every time I tried I get shunted back to Community forums.

2: Yes, yes, and yes.

[J&HK]

That's pretty lousy customer support IMNSHO, Sandra.

Have you tried lodging a formal ticket via this fairly well hidden link?

http://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html

That should at least get you a written ticket reference number and some real technical help.

Detail all the procedures that you have gone through, including your (failed) attempts.to get some "real" technical support for what is hardly a cheap product. I have gotten better support for freeware than you have got. As for Adobe support, I never let them duck-shove me as they obviously have with you. Just plain bad service.

No wonder that Adobe think that renting their s/w by the month is a wonderful idea. From what I have read all over the net, users who think that cloud computing is great are in a very tiny minority. I have 2 licences each for CS6 and CS5. After they are no longer useable, I might switch to Capture One Pro, or similar.

As always, good luck with it. John.

[SandraChung]

That was what I was referring to about it shunting me to the Community Forums.  There is no direct email address to open tickets anymore.

[J&HK]

I don't know where you live, Sandra, but here in Australia we have some fairly stern and draconian consumer protection legislation, as well as our dear old Sale of Goods Act that dates from at least the beginning of the last century. This latter requires goods to be of merchantable quality, and reasonably fit for the purpose for which they are sold. That means that they must be specifically so for you, as the individual purchaser. There is nothing in that Act of Parliament that excludes computer software.

IOW, howl like a banshee at Adobe, and if necessary, send emails/letters/faxes to their head office detailing your experience/s. Mention that this has been going on since day one of your purchasing the software (i.e. the problems you are still having were raised with them, or you attempted to raise them with them, from when you first installed the s/w - therefore the s/w did not work properly from day one; well within the 90 day free support period, and therefore it is still covered under that Adobe advertised warranty.). Faxes and/or letters are better than emails. It is just all too easy for emails to get "lost".

BTW, in Australia, no seller of anything can in any way restrict or limit the statutory warranty provisions of the Sale of Goods Act, or any other consumer legislation. IOW, just because Adobe says "within 90 days" does not make it so. Fitness for purpose is required by the Goods Act, and due regard is had to the reasonable length of time that purchased goods are expected to last and function.

Good hunting, and good luck. John