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Slow response before Express advances from splash screen to actual menu of the program

anhil
over 2 years ago

First of all sorry for brining up an issue which must have been already considered in the forum. I am just so poor in searching answers to already answered questions - have tried it though.

I have a lot of mp3 files installed to my fenix 6S Pro, about 2300 pcs. totaling 12.3 GB. Every time when I connect my watch to the Windows 11 PC, it takes a while (but less than a minute) before the watch is recognized by the PC but eventually it is and displayed as "fenix 6S Pro" under "Devices and drives" of "This PC". In the Device Manager the watch appears under Portable Devices as it should. 

When I then start Garmin Express (GE), it typically displays the splash screen for around 18 minutes before advancing to the actual menu screen, where you can actually do something with the program. I assume this delay of 18 minutes is due to the huge amount of mp3 files, which GE wants to browse in the startup. However, if I then close GE, which has advanced to the menu screen, the next start of GE all the way from the splash screen to the menu screen takes only a few seconds - maybe the results of browsing the mp3 files are cached somewhere.

I have experimented using MTP (which I regularly use) and Garmin mode and that does not make any difference in the delay from splash screen to program menu. I experienced this same delay also with Windows 10 so it is not brough along with Windows 11. After the splash screen I have used task manager to search any resource hungry programs  and processes but have not spotted any, including Windows Defender (the built-in Antivirus software of Windows).

My PC is based on AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and 32 GB of RAM. The system disk (where my mp3s are for sync with the watch) is 1TB NVMe SSD.

Is the reason for this 18 minute delay the amount of mp3 files installed to the watch and this cannot be cured otherwise but reducing the number of files? Or is there an (easy) solution to this thing which does not require touching the mp3 files? Please put me on the right track by linking an already existing solution, if any.  

EDIT: Just to add, that I do not allow GE to run in the background but start it manually whenever needed. And that is quite seldom since I manage to do almost everything needed with GCM Android.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to Scillonian

    That is a good observation. I believe Garmin has included this "Garmin mode" in fenix 6 watch as an alternative protocol to overcome the limitations of MTP. But unfortunately, as quoted in my first post of this thread, switching from MTP to Garmin mode did to change anything as far as the startup time of GE is concerned. 

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to anhil

    Did you try what I suggested about turning off the indexing on the watch?

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to JohnfromPA

    Yes, just did. There were no places referring to the watch set as indexed locations, but just for testing purposes, I turned off indexing completely. Sadly, that had no impact into the startup speed of GE.

    I am starting to suspect, that this is an internal routine of GE to browse/index all the contents of the watch at each startup and this routine was not designed for large amount of files, like my >2300 pcs., but just assumed the maximum number of files to be a hundred or few, and exceeding that causes the considerable delay in startup. Now we just need an acknowledgement or denial from Garmin for this but I am afraid that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to anhil

    Something else to try, even for effect only.  As before type in Indexing Options into the Windows Search area.  At the next screen, which should be titled "Indexing Options", click on "Advanced".  Then click on the "File Types" tab.  You will find a list of all files types capable of being searched by Windows.  By default, mp3 files are included.  Scroll down the list until you find the mp3 file entry, and uncheck it.  "OK" out all the way to the desktop and reboot the PC, then retest the Garmin device.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to JohnfromPA

    Thank you for your continuous efforts to solve this problem! Unfortunately unchecking mp3 files from the list of file types to be indexed did not have any effect to the starting time of GE. That vas a good idea, though.

    I think this even stronger points to the direction, that it is actually the routines of GE itself, which cause these startup delays and not any Windows settings or features. I would love to get  the Garmin view to this, but i doubt I will ever get it.

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    Well, it seems that there are only a few people suffering from this phenomenon. Perhaps that is the reason why Garmin just could not care less..