These services need to be set to Automatic and running.
System Event Notification
Task Scheduler
First, I do not know anything about PerfectDisk. PerfectDisk may have it's
own version of Prefetch.
Disadvantages of Optimize hard disk when idle:
• Using a third party disk defragmenter. That app should take care of it.
• Running a laptop with a battery; defragmenting can use up power.
PerfectDisk should take care of optimizing the hard disk when idle.
The following info is from various sources and my own experience and relates
to XP's native defrag utilities.
Maybe there will be a clue in the following.
[[Windows XP Professional monitors the files that are used when the computer
starts and when you start applications. By monitoring these files, Windows
XP Professional can prefetch them. Prefetching data is the process whereby
data that is expected to be requested is read ahead into the cache.
Prefetching boot files and applications decreases the time needed to start
Windows XP Professional and start applications.
Prefetching is further improved if the files are located next to each other
on the outer edge of the disk. Windows XP Professional optimizes the
location of boot files and applications when the computer is idle. The
optimization occurs in the background and lasts only a minute or two; you
might hear the hard disk being accessed when optimization occurs. After the
initial optimization takes place, subsequent optimization occurs, at most,
every three days. {Three boots.}
When you run the Disk Defragmenter tools that are included with Windows XP
Professional, they can perform any optimization updates that are scheduled
to take place during the next idle period. The Disk Defragmenter tools do
not disturb the existing layout of optimized boot files and applications.
Note
Computers running Windows XP Home Edition also prefetch and optimize boot
files and applications.]]
From…
Optimizing Startup Times by Using Defragmentation Tools
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkd_tro_uutk.asp
Prefetch uses DFRGNTFS.EXE and DEFRAG.EXE on NTFS formatted drives. I have
no idea about FAT32.
These services need to be set to Automatic and running.
System Event Notification
Task Scheduler
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory
Management\PrefetchParameters
Value Name: EnablePrefetcher
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0, 1, 2 or 3
Values are:
0 = disabled
1 = Application launch prefetching
2 = Boot prefetching
3 = Both Application & boot prefetching
3 seems to be the preferred option. 3 is parameters 1 and 2 ANDed.
Value Name: RootDirPath (Path to %systemroot%\Prefetch folder)
Value Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: Prefetch
This is what (e-mail address removed) was referring to.
TweakUI
[+] General
Optimize hard disk when idle
[[This allows Windows to rearrange files on the hard disk when the computer
is not in use to improve performance. This is a system wide setting which
requires a restart for changes to take effect.]]
TweakUI changes this key to 0 or 1...
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OptimalLayout
Value Name: EnableAutoLayout
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0 or 1
0 = disabled
1 = enabled
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OptimalLayout
Value Name: LayoutFilePath
Value Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch\Layout.ini
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction
Value Name: Enable
Value Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: Y or N
[[Accepted values for this entry are Y or N. If the entry is set to Y,
Windows automatically optimizes the file location for boot optimization.
This optimization occurs automatically if the system is idle for 10 minutes.
Boot optimization improves startup time by locating startup files in
contiguous clusters on the volume, reducing the movement of the disk head
when reading the volume.]]
Value Data needs to be Y.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction
Value Name: LcnEndLocation (disk address, end location on the hard drive)
Value Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: Some number (disk address)
Value Name: LcnStartLocation (disk address, start location on the hard
drive)
Value Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: Some number (disk address)
Value Name: OptimizeComplete
Value Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: Yes or No
If Yes, boot optimization was completed.
If No there will be an entry in OptimizeError.
Value Name: OptimizeError
Value Type: REG_SZ
Value Data: Insufficient space or Insufficient Resources
The above registry Value Names refer to running defrag, defrag c: -boot or
Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks.
You can delete the contents of %windir%\Prefetch\layout.ini or delete
layout.ini altogether and Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks should
rebuild or recreate the layout.ini. You can do nothing to layout.ini and
Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks should rebuild it.
Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks will rebuild the layout.ini file,
even if it has been deleted from %windir%\Prefetch. Layout.ini is the
OptimalLayoutFile. [OptimalLayoutFile] is the first line in layout.ini.
Layout.ini is what keeps track of this...
[[XP keeps track of files used by every application. After several launches
of the same application, it has some sense of what files are required.
Thereafter, it uses an algorithm that says, basically, if a file has not
been used in the last six launches, it is marked for removal; if a file has
been used in the last two launches, it's marked for inclusion. Then based
on these notations, Windows XP determines which files need to be brought
into the block, and which ones moved out. When this move will take place
depends on several factors, such as how recently files were moved for this
application, and when the machine is available? Consistent with the idea
that disk activity should not interfere with performance, Windows XP won't
move the application files unless there has been no user-initiated I/O
activity for 13 minutes. Microsoft presumes this means the user is away
from the machine. It then begins migrating the files to the optimal place
on the disk.]]
From...
Performance Enhancements in Windows® XP
http://windowsxp.devx.com/articles/perfen/default.asp
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In
