Problem Desription:
Network drives take an excessively long time to show their contents when accessed for the first time or following a period of inactivity.
Systems Affected:
This problem affects all Windows XP computers.
Solution/Workaround:
The time to open network drives is adversely affected by the WebClient service. In order to correct this effect, the service must be permanently stopped as outlined below. This service allows access to webshares using WebDAV directly from the Windows shell (Windows Explorer). If access to such shares is required, it is possible to use Internet Explorer (5.5 and higher) or a third party tool to access these shares even if the WebClient service is disabled.
Disabling the WebClient Service:
You must be logged in using an account with Administrator priviliges.
Go to Start->Control Panel.
Locate and open the Administrative Tools icon.
Locate and open the Services icon.
Locate the Webclient service in the list, right-click it, and choose Properties from the context menu.
Click the Stop button to stop the service.
Choose Disabled from the Startup type popup menu.
Click OK to close the dialog.
Close all the other windows you have opened (Services, Administratice Tools, Control Panel).
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