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Windows Explorer becomes "unresponsive" when opening a specific folder in Box Drive

Issue

When attempting to open a folder in Box Drive that contains a large number of files (approx. 20,000), Windows Explorer becomes "unresponsive" and the PC freezes. The taskbar disappears, and the PC cannot be used unless it is restarted.

 

Root Cause

This issue occurs when the number of files contained in a single folder exceeds the recommended limits of Windows Explorer and Box Drive.

Box Drive recommends keeping the number of files in a single folder below 15,000.

In Windows, folders containing more than 20,000 files are also not recommended because they may negatively affect performance.

When the number of files exceeds 20,000, the load on Windows Explorer to read file information becomes significantly higher, which can impact overall system performance.

Reference: Recommendations in Migration Guide

 

Resolution

Follow the steps below to reduce the number of files in the folder.

Step 1: Diagnosis and Verification

  1. Identify the specific folder that causes the PC to freeze.
  2. Check the number of files in that folder, counting only the files contained directly in the folder and excluding any files in subfolders.
  3. Verify whether the number of files exceeds 15,000 or is approaching to 20,000.

Step 2: Folder Structure Optimization

  1. Review the folder structure so that each folder contains no more than 15,000.
  2. Distribute the files across multiple subfolders to reduce the load at each folder level.

 

If the issue still persists

If the issue is not resolved after completing the steps above, contact Box Support and provide the following information:

  • Box Drive version
  • The path of the affected folder and the number of files it contains
  • Box Drive logs collected when the issue occurred (for instructions on how to submit Box Drive logs, see the following article: https://support.box.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044193913)

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