Whats the issue?

Rather than drag another thread off topic....

Don't keep me in suspense! It's not just miss puttees that has the problem, I have too. (But her hard drive is filled with junk, mine isn't)

I'm currently only 32% through a defrag after running for over 6 hours - C drive 80% full, D drive 5% full and "partition" is a mystery word, so I daren't fiddle with that.

Total hard drive is 57GB, with C: =33GB, D: = 22GB (though it's described as a 60GB disk - I thought computers were supposed to be good at maths!)

AV scans also take ages.

I'd estimate that half the content of the C drive comprises essential programs while the other half has files that can be ditched elsewhere eventually but need to take up disk space for a couple of months. Needing space on the hard drive is my cue to be a good boy and put the unnecessary stuff onto a removable hard drive or DVD depending on the likelihood that it will need to be brought back. (Boss would have a fit if I downloaded all my stuff onto the company's servers - which would be the sensible move - as I generate more GB than most of the rest of the firm).

So any tips to cut down the time of various scans would be helpful as these slow down some of the heavier programs that I use.

PS RAM is 512MB, which seems to be plenty other than when scans are running, so unless increasing memory will provide additional benefits, I'm not keen to fork out for something that has a workround.

 

Smaller hard disks have a smaller File allocation table (index) meaning search times and responses can be quicker.

That said - smaller hard drives tend to be older technology. my oppo just bought a 10K SATA-II Drive with a 16Mb cache and its faster than anything i have seen before.

As for defrags and scans taking long times....

RAM is usually the problem, or lack of it.

Try limiting your Page file to a fixed size, if you have a fast system and loads of RAM, turn it off completely.

R

 

Excellent advice, thanks very much.

(Can anybody translate please? Words like file allocation table, cache, page file, etc. and where to find these things - and what to do when you screw it up)

All I understand about FAT is that when you format the camera memory card, it stops working, so you throw it away. THEN you find that you should have used a different format option, so you start looking for the card. Still haven't found it, BTW.

PS now 60% defragged, 12 hours on.

 

File Allocation Table = FAT and its the index method as well as the actual index itself (FAT32 is a 32bit File Allocation Table Method)

Cache = a chunk of dedicated memory - specific to a function....

Processors have on board cache... this is memory on the CPU dedicated for calculations etc....

Hard disks now have cache - dedicated memory - to assist with buffering - to allow constant data transfer

Page file = fake memory. - a file on the hard disk that pretends to be memory. if your hard disk is a bit fukked - and you have a large page file - then your PC will run like a retard in a 100m race.

to see your page file options....

Right click on my computer / properties / advanced tab,

under performance - click settings / select advanced tab / click change (next to Virtual memory)

be careful - useful to look and get to know what it looks like

R

 

I would presume that you may have other, unneeded programs running at the same time. When doing a defrag, do not use your computer and this will speed it up no end.

Same for AV scan, set it going overnight.

Your C drive is getting full, its best to not load much more onto it, else it will slow down quite a bit.

Yes get more RAM, 1 Gb is good 2 is better.

 

So....
FAT just is, and there's nothing you can do about it. (Like my torch is 3v so if I want to put a 12v bulb in it, then I need a new torch?).

Cache - I presume something in the box allocates it and I shouldn't touch it?

Page File - something that forces memory space to be taken up in case that space is needed? But I'm confused here. Surely a large page file is good (mine is system managed at 575MB, recommended at 574MB, with a minimum of 2MB allowed. All of this is on the C drive, with no paging file on the D drive). Unless a hard disk is corrupted in the space taken up by the page file, how can a dodgy drive affect its use? (Dr Norton tells me that my drive's very healthy, incidentally). Would I be better having the page file allocated to the D drive partition, which is relatively empty and largely unused (as far as I know, only my video editing software seems to use it).

Sorry if I seem dim, but my formal computer training was in the days of punch cards.

An explanation of "partition" would be nice too - why it's now (seemingly)on all computers, what it does and whether an OEM OS can be reloaded after some silly sod (me) pressed Format C or its equivalent, apparently de-partitioning the hard drive in the process.

 

As Brad says (I hate to agree with him, we are on such a roll today ) a common cause of Long defrags is other programs running in the background that often cause the defrag to restart. a 60Gb hard disk is not large by todays standards and 12 hours is excessive.

Another possible cuase is the type of defrag. Are you just running the simple defrag option that comes with windows? Or have you switched to a product Like Norton and using their defrag? The reason I say this is that programs like Norton often think they can defrag in a better manner than Windows and rearranges the datat differently. So the first time you change from one method to another means almost all your data has to be moved which makes it take longer.

 

From the begining of your post.

FAT = comes in different flavours - FAT16 and FAT32 were Windows 9X choices... NTFS (NT File System) is the choice for WinNT/2000/XP/Etc...
Floppy disks and memory sticks/cards tend to be FAT and hard disks tend to be NTFS these days.

Cache is hardware level memory - forget asbout it - if your kit has it - well done.

Pagefile (also refered to as swapfile) = if you have got a limited amount of memory (RAM) its a good thing to use a page file. - its fake RAM on your hard disk - that simple.

Partions = Pretend a hard disk is a dutch barn...... big and no rooms inside - useless..... partitions are when you get a plasterer in to make studding walls and make "useable rooms" - a hard disk is split into partitioned rooms - usually (these days) ONE partition and allocates all 100% to it
make sense? or am i still talking bollocks?

R

 

I try to run scans and defrags overnight, unfortunately the night isn't long enough. Currently 64% defragged after 13 hours. I've considered moving to polar regions and defragging during the winter, but Mrs Puttees says it's too far from Sainsbury's.

Workload determines when I can empty files from the hard drive (files needed for reference), so I don't have much option just at the moment - perhaps in a few weeks time. Just a bit annoyed that my working partition is bursting at the seams, while the D Drive has heaps of space. Can I do something useful here or doesn't the system work that way? My previous laptop had half the disk space but no partition and only just failed (eventually) to keep up with the storage.

Does RAM still have to be added in matching pairs or can I build up one side at a time?

 

Depends on your memory type and mother board - generally no singles is fine....

Try archiving to CD-R or DVD-R

then deleteing the originals off your hard disk.

R

 

Ahah!!!

Having been immersed in MATTS 6, I extend the principles of equality and diversity to my computers. As a result, I sometimes use Windoze defrag and sometimes Norton Speed(!)Disk. I think I also used the defragger in LiveOneCare(?) last time. Currently running SpeedDisk, but only because it has prettier colours - I don't know the relative merits of the different packages.

OK, next time I'll stick to the one defragger. Thanks for that.

 

The reason that a large pagefile is not so good is that your Hard disk is a lot slower than your RAM. A simpe definition of a Pagefile is "an extension for your RAM". If you are using a large pagefile regulaly this would point to a RAM upgrade being a good option. Generally speaking although a Pagefile should always be available, the less it is used the better.

Partions are a simple way of dividing a disk up. The important thing to rememebr about a partion is that it is NOT another disk drive, and the same read/write heads are used to read it as are used to read your C Drive.
Partitioning is an emotive subjects and many experts will give you different views. With a modern operating system there is no "need" to partion a drive at all. However some like to do so and put certain files on certain partitions, which makes backups etc and finding files a lot easier.
With regard to both Partitions and FAT, your Operatings system makes a difference. Older O/S's had trouble seeing disk drives over a certain size, hence big drives HAD to be partitioned. With XP this is no longer true. Likewise you are not stuck with FAT if you have windows XP, you can convert to Fat 32 or NTFS. Pre windows XP (windows ME/98, you can convert to FAT32) If you really are just stuck with FAT, converting to either FAT32 or NTFS will give you both a speed boost and more disk space

 

Didnt i just say all that - me thinks you have a clicky keyboard just just like to hear it in action.

R

 

No I am just really slow, and didnt refresh before I typed my post

 

That's what I do (archive to DVD-RW), but there's the period while jobs are running, and for about 3 months afterwards, where I daren't risk corrupting files (or losing or breaking the disk as I'd have to carry it about with me). Also, about half the capacity of the C partition is taken up with programs, rather than data. Can I shove some of this stuff into the D partition or, alternatively, nudge the partition across a bit?