Your system performance will suffer if you install
programs and your swap file on an external drive
because the seek times will greatly increase. An
external drive should only be used for file storage
and backups.
Please read the following:
Benchmarking on Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/sysperf/benchmark.mspx
NTFS Preinstallation and Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/winpreinst/ntfs-preinstall.mspx
<snip>
Microsoft implemented certain disk-layout optimizations in Windows XP.
To perform this optimization, during idle time Windows XP moves pages
used for booting the system and launching frequently used applications to
ensure these files are laid out contiguously on the hard disk. The contiguous
disk layout of these pages results in reduced disk seeks and improved disk I/O,
contributing to improved boot time and application launch time.
Windows XP does not perform these optimizations across volumes. Therefore,
for this optimization to be available to users, the hard disk must be partitioned
as a single volume.
<end of snip>
--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/
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:
| i have 40gb int drive 5200speed ext drive in 3 partitions 160gb 7200speed.
| is it a good idea to put my programmes onthis drive on say the first
| partition in a folder ie my programmes. also can i put a swop file onthis.
