The VideoLAN Forums

After VLC updated from 2.2.6 to 2.2.8 it became very slow to open video files. The larger the file, the slower it opens, as if it is scanning or verifying them or something. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling, and then I tried using Time Machine to reinstall the older, properly working version. The problem remains. I found a suggestion online to remove certain files from the Library folder in Preferences, but there are no VLC files there at all. Anyone else having this issue, and more importantly, does anyone know how to fix it? I would hate to give up VLC!

Same problem when updating to 2.2.8 ... removed preferences ... went back to 2.2.5.1.

Problem remains ... two voices in the night ... HELP!

Looks as though this is a High Sierra problem ... not VLC.
– Apparently the OS is running its (time consuming) quarantine process on all large files not created on your computer.
– Various and sundry workarounds are proposed ... including running a clean (re) install of the OS

I am not running High Sierra; I am running Sierra. So the issue seems not limited to HS, which for me was a horror before I downgraded back.

After several weeks with High Sierra, slow load didn't appear for me until I installed VLC 2.2.8 ...
Is the only solution a clean install of Sierra and VLC 2.2.5.1? Yuk!

Removed AVIRA, removed the problem ... all is now well!
Not VLC, not High Sierra, not Sierra ... fo me at least :---)

Interesting. Had you been running Avira before the issue started? If so, when did the conflict occur? I, too, run Avira but have never had any issues with it.

I'll be damned. I just tried disabling Avira, and the problem vanished. I wonder what commenced it?

Don't be damned ... be happy
A conflict awakened by 2.2.8 ?
Those smarter than I will no doubt find out why √

I am now! Thanks for contributing to the thread; I was just about to do a clean install. Cheers!

Amazing how we get accustomed to just double-clicking and getting an instant response ... and when we don't, arg!

>> Same problem when updating to 2.2.8 ... removed preferences ... went back to 2.2.5.1.

As you say the problem persists when downgrading to VLC 2.2.5, it cannot be VLCs fault. In fact, VLCs behaviour should not have changed here at all.

Also disabling Antivirus software is a good idea to try first, of you encounter this kind of errors.

dfuhrmann, thank you ... I tried to temporarily substitute one of those other players, but nothing compares with VLC. Kudos to Videolan!

I can confirm that as soon as I disabled "real-time protection" in AVIRA anti-virus (up in the menu) the slow file opening has stopped and it's now instantaneous as before.