Add/Link Music files running slow

Two days ago, the behavior of my Music Collector software changed.
I am running V21.2.1 on a fast Windows 11 machine. All my music is on a NAS box, FLAC files, over gigabit ethernet. I have about 12,000 albums in the database
Previously, when I Add/Link files, the list scans in ~2 minutes then gives me the list of files to be added.
Now, the scan takes ~2 to 3 hours. Strangely, the scan starts briskly as before, but very soon slows down.
I have tried scanning backups of my database, and a new database, and the behavior is the same, slow.
The only change I have made to the machine is that I have installed Civilization VII which MAY have changed the video drivers. I can think of nothing else that has changed but I may have clicked on the screen and changed focus during a scan. Of course I have rebooted PC, NAS box, LAN multiple times.
I am very puzzled.
Please help!

Scanning files can definitely take very long. 2-3 minutes sounds way too fast so I’m surprised it did that in the past for you.

Since we didn’t do any updates for Music Collector, for years, I suspect the problem to indeed be somewhere on the network (oh the joys of networking!).

You might want to play with:

  • starting Music Collector “as an admin” see if it changes anything.
  • Look at folder access for Music Collector somehow
  • Use “Scan for New Files” only, not Scan all, might help.