FIX: Linking Large Projects Can Be Very Slow

• The Linker (LINK.EXE), included with:
  • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, version 5.0

SYMPTOMS

Linking a large project can take significantly longer than expected.

CAUSE

The linker version 5.00.7022 that was shipped with Visual C++ 5.0 does two types of optimizations to decrease the image size and increase the program speed. Transitive COMDAT Elimination(TCE) and Identical COMDAT Folding(ICF). TCE removes unreferenced COMDATs, while ICF folds identical COMDATs into one copy. The linker option for TCE is /OPT:REF and the option for ICF is /OPT:ICF. /OPT:REF, which is the default for the release build, turns on /OPT:ICF by default. Some applications cause ICF to proceed very slowly.

RESOLUTION

Turn off Identical COMDAT folding(ICF) by specifying /OPT:NOICF in your linker options.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This bug has been corrected in Visual Studio 97 Service Pack 1.

For additional information about the Visual Studio 97 Service Pack 1, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q170365 INFO: Visual Studio 97 Service Packs - What, Where, and Why

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following article in the Visual C++ 5.0 online Help:

mk:@ivt:vccore/F19/D1E/S3982.HTM /OPT (Optimizations)

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbtool kbVC500bug kbVS97sp1fix LinkIss
Version : winnt:5.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug