layout.ini - auto defrag

[Kabir]

Hello,
Based from my reading of "Windows XP: Kernel Improvements
Create a More Robust, Powerful, and Scalable OS"
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/01/12/XPKernel/d
efault.aspx) I am aware that Windows XP will perform a
limited defrag every 3 days which is based on the content
of layout.ini file and this defrag is not a replacement
for the full defrag.

I have noticed that layout.ini contains filepaths such
as "C:\" and "C:\Program Files." Am I to understand that
the automatic optimization defrag will affect the full
contents of "C:\Program Files" if this path is listed in
layout.ini? The article says that the optimization
defrag will move directories and files "in their
entirety."

Please direct me to articles or share comments in the
newsgroup. I thank you for your input.
-K

 

[Alex Nichol]

Based from my reading of "Windows XP: Kernel Improvements
Create a More Robust, Powerful, and Scalable OS"
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/01/12/XPKernel/d
efault.aspx) I am aware that Windows XP will perform a
limited defrag every 3 days which is based on the content
of layout.ini file and this defrag is not a replacement
for the full defrag.

I have noticed that layout.ini contains filepaths such
as "C:\" and "C:\Program Files." Am I to understand that
the automatic optimization defrag will affect the full
contents of "C:\Program Files" if this path is listed in
layout.ini?

No - it is more sophisticated. What happens is that as programs load a
record is made in Prefetch of just which files are loaded, and in what
order. So in future, when the program gets loaded the system can
immediately set out to get all of them without waiting. Then the every
three day optimisation does an assessment of all the files in the most
used programs (and for booting) and does a rearrangement such as to
minimise wait times on the disk as well. It does not touch files that
are not involved, so there is need for a regular defrag as well.
Layout.ini is just the list of programs concerned in the order that
they should be optimised for best overall performance, and the
mini-optimisation only moves those in a section of the list that it can
find a contiguous area so as to have them together. I am in fact not
sure that MSDN article has really got this side of the matter right
..