If, while opening files in Excel or Word, you get long delay with a message stating that it is ‘Initializing the root folders to display’, then here is a fix that can resolve your problem.

The usual cause of this is Windows trying to find a mapped network drive that isn’t currently available. To prevent this from happening, right-click on the desktop icon for ‘My Computer’, then choose ‘Disconnect Network Drive’…’ This will open a dialogue box in which you can pick a mapped drive and disconnect it.

Alternatively you can open My Computer and you should see any mapped drives – and their current status. You can then right-click on a mapped drive – even it it is shown as already ‘disconnected’ and disconnect it. Either method should clear the problem.