Windows Explorer's O(n²) Icon Arrangement Algorithm Causes Hangs

2025-03-10
Windows Explorer's O(n²) Icon Arrangement Algorithm Causes Hangs

A Windows user encountered explorer hangs, and the author used performance analysis tools to pinpoint the culprit: an inefficient icon arrangement algorithm. The algorithm's O(n²) time complexity resulted in excessively long arrangement times with many icons, even when hidden. The author experimentally verified this, highlighting the need for developers to avoid such inefficient algorithms.

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