Does second drive get optimized ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dave xnet
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dave xnet

Hi all,
I've a second harddrive, it's my I: partition.
Due to lack of space in my system/boot partition
(on the first drive), I have installed some programs
in I:\program files.

I know, if left to itself, xp optimizes the file layout
every three days to improve the prefetch process.

Do the applications I installed on the 2nd drive also get
optimized at that time ?

Thanks,
Dave
 
dave xnet said:
I know, if left to itself, xp optimizes the file layout
every three days to improve the prefetch process.
Click to expand...

That depends since the system has to be idle for a while and the task
scheduler service may not be disabled.
Do the applications I installed on the 2nd drive also get
optimized at that time ?
Click to expand...

See the "Layout.ini" file for details.
 
I know, if left to itself, xp optimizes the file layout
every three days to improve the prefetch process.
Click to expand...

That depends since the system has to be idle for a while and the task
scheduler service may not be disabled.
Do the applications I installed on the 2nd drive also get
optimized at that time ?
Click to expand...
[/QUOTE]
See the "Layout.ini" file for details.



Yes I see it, but how do I know the files on the second drive have
actually been optimized?

Dave
 
dave xnet said:
Yes I see it, but how do I know the files on the second drive have
actually been optimized?
Click to expand...

Install "TweakUI":
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

TweakUI > General > Settings > Optimize hard disk when idle. This
option is enabled by default and the hard drive letter does not make
a difference. More information: "Benchmarking on Windows XP"
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/sysperf/benchmark.mspx

Start > Run: %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

Wait some minutes until the drive's LED stays turned off and you can
be sure that the file placement has been optimized.
 
Install "TweakUI":
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

TweakUI > General > Settings > Optimize hard disk when idle. This
option is enabled by default and the hard drive letter does not make
a difference. More information: "Benchmarking on Windows XP"
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/sysperf/benchmark.mspx

Start > Run: %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

Wait some minutes until the drive's LED stays turned off and you can
be sure that the file placement has been optimized.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info - I'll look into tweakui.

Here's another question.
Does defrag c: /b *only" optimize the boot files, or does it also
help with applucation startup.

Here's a 2nd question:
I ran the CMD Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks
after, I took a look at the registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction
"optimizeError" value = "insufficient free space"

On which volume? The boot, or possibly the 2nd disk?
And if it is the 2nd disk, did the 1st get optimized?

Dave
 
dave xnet said:
Here's another question.
Does defrag c: /b *only" optimize the boot files, or does it also
help with applucation startup.
Click to expand...

Start > Run: CMD > defrag -?
There is no /b switch.
Here's a 2nd question:
I ran the CMD Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks
after, I took a look at the registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction
"optimizeError" value = "insufficient free space"

On which volume? The boot, or possibly the 2nd disk?
Click to expand...

Start > Run: dfrg.msc
See what drive reports less than 15% of free space.
 
[defrag.exe]
Actually there is a -b switch.
Windows expert Ed Bott mentions it here:
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000024.html
Click to expand...

Another source to see the available command-line switches:
"Description of the New Command Line Defrag.exe Included with Windows XP"
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;283080
Click to expand...
Yes I know it's not documented, but it exists - try it.

if you type
defrag c: -e (for example)
which doesn't exist, you get an error message.

If you type
defrag c: -b,
dfrgntfs.exe can be seen in the task manager,
there is no error message, and it's clearly doing
something.

Dave
 
dave said:
[defrag.exe]

Actually there is a -b switch.
Windows expert Ed Bott mentions it here:
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000024.html
Click to expand...

Another source to see the available command-line switches:
"Description of the New Command Line Defrag.exe Included with Windows XP"
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;283080
Click to expand...

Yes I know it's not documented, but it exists - try it.

if you type
defrag c: -e (for example)
which doesn't exist, you get an error message.

If you type
defrag c: -b,
dfrgntfs.exe can be seen in the task manager,
there is no error message, and it's clearly doing
something.

Dave
Click to expand...

Optimizing the prefetch folder
 
dave xnet said:
if you type
defrag c: -e (for example)
which doesn't exist, you get an error message.
Click to expand...

Well, try "defrag c: -p" and "defrag c: -s" instead.
If you type
defrag c: -b,
dfrgntfs.exe can be seen in the task manager,
there is no error message, and it's clearly doing
something.
Click to expand...

Most likely for downward compatibility with DOS/Win9x.
http://www.mvps.org/serenitymacros/winprogs.html (excerpt)

| Defrag supports the command line options from Dos 6.22, however they
| appear not to do anything. Some of them are from Norton's Utilities
| and didn't do anything in Dos 6.22 either.
| /B
| ...
 
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