Drives and Swap File

[KSB]

I am planning to put 2 swap drives on my system; one on the original drive
and the second on a newly installed, faster, slave drive. How does XP
determine which drive to use at any given time?

Also, can the slave drive be the boot drive?

 

[Gordon]

I am planning to put 2 swap drives on my system; one on the original drive
and the second on a newly installed, faster, slave drive.

Why? What benefits would that give?
Just set up one on the fast drive.

Also, can the slave drive be the boot drive?

Not with Windows AFAIK.......the MBR needs to be on the master drive.....

 

[KSB]

I read someplace that two swap files on different drives would speed up
memory intensive work, I do a lot of photo editing.

 

[Richard Urban]

I read someplace that two swap files on different drives would speed up
memory intensive work, I do a lot of photo editing.

Only if the two pagefiles are on separate drives on "separate" IDE
controllers.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[KSB]

So it won't work on a master/slave arrangement as both drives are on the
same cable (which I assume means same controller)

..

 

[Jim]

So it won't work on a master/slave arrangement as both drives are on the
same cable (which I assume means same controller)

Having a swap file on both master and slave will "work" in the sense that
the OS won't crash. However, as the master drive on an IDE channel is
master in more than one way, doing so does not accomplish much in the way of
performance. As Richard said, the drives really ought to be on separate IDE
channels.
Jim

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I read someplace that two swap files on different drives would speed
up memory intensive work,

Maybe. How much RAM do you have?

I do a lot of photo editing.

What program do you use for photo editing? If it's Photoshop, it doesn't
even use the WIndows page file, but instead uses one of its own.

 

[Paul Knudsen]

I am planning to put 2 swap drives on my system; one on the original drive
and the second on a newly installed, faster, slave drive. How does XP
determine which drive to use at any given time?

Recommendations I've seen say to leave part of the swap file on the C
drive. I've done both and have seen no big difference. I'd imagine
XP would use the 2nd drive if the first was busy.

Also, can the slave drive be the boot drive?

Only with a boot manager.