Tips For Speeding Up Windows XP, Without Utilizing 'Defrag'
 

If you're still relying on 'Defrag' to improve system performance, you are behind the times. Defragmenting is the process of reorganizing all files on a hard drive so that each file is arranged into a single uninterrupted or contiguous location on the disk. Many system builders and technicians still believe that defragmenting a hard drive on a regular basis will keep a machine operating at peak performance. That was true with older PCs, but today we have 7200 rotations per minute disk drives with improved seek and latency times; many contain an 8MB cache buffer. For today's machines, defragmentation no longer has a big impact on system performance.

Defragmenting is still an important task. Excess power consumption and over heating can directly relate to a fragmented hard drive. If a file is not contiguous when the computer's operating system requests it, extra seeking on the disk is required. More importantly, if a hard drive crashes, the likelihood of successfully recovering data from the damaged drive improves greatly if the data is contiguous rather than fragmented. Defrag just doesn't cut it anymore when it comes to speeding up a PC.

The following tips will improve system performance on any PC running Windows XP and some will improve system security as well:

(Note - If your computer is on a Local Area Network or LAN at your business or you have a laptop that is at times on a workplace LAN, don't change ANY configuration settings without approval from your Network Administrator).

Before you begin, do a backup of your essential data

For details on performing a proper backup in Windows XP, go to Microsoft.com and enter 'Backup Windows XP' in the search bar.

There are a few basic system attributes that may need to be adjusted so that the system will allow you to make necessary changes:

I. Make sure that you're logged on to your machine as an 'Administrator'

II. Make sure that you can properly navigate 'System Files'-

Open any folder and go to 'Tools' > 'Folder Options...' > 'View'

Under 'Advanced Settings' make sure that the following boxes are checked:

'Display the contents of system folders'

'Show hidden files and folders'

Make sure that the following boxes are NOT checked:

'Hide extensions for known file types'

'Hide protected operating system files'

III. Enable the 'Run' feature in the 'Start' menu

Hit the 'Start' button. If 'Run...' is not visible in the 'Start' menu do the following:

'Right-click' on the 'Task Bar'. Go to 'Properties' > 'Start Menu'

If 'Start menu' is selected, select and utilize 'Classic start menu' instead.

(Many viruses replace the 'Folder.htt' file utilized by the Windows XP 'Start Menu' with a corrupt VBScript. Once infected, each time you utilize Windows Explorer to view a folder you will execute a virus that will dramatically slow down your machine.)

After selecting 'Classic start menu' hit 'Apply' then go to 'Customize...' and make sure that the 'Display Run' box is checked.

Now, let's crank it up!

Eliminate all spyware

Utilize free programs such as AdAware by Lavasoft and SpyBot Search & Destroy by Safer Networking. Once these programs are installed, make sure that there aren't any items listed or checked in the 'Ignore' section. Be sure to check for and download updates before starting a scan.

Run a complete virus scan

Update your anti-virus software and run a complete system virus scan. Many viruses are designed for the sole purpose of draining system resources. Make sure that you only have one anti-virus software package installed. Unlike anti-Spyware programs, mixing anti-virus software is a sure-fire way to spell disaster for system performance and reliability.

Run 'Disk Cleanup'

Open 'My Computer' from the desktop. 'Right-click' on your main hard drive, (usually 'C:'). Select 'Properties' and press 'Disk cleanup'. Allow it to run. Once finished, the 'Files to delete' window will show the file categories on the disk that can be deleted or compressed. Check the boxes by those that you don't need and press 'OK'.

Check each hard drive with 'scandisk'

With time and heavy use, data and physical problems can develop that drastically decrease system performance. Defragmenting the drive can help, but there are other issues such as lost clusters and bad sectors that the defragmentation utility cannot touch. It's a good idea to run XP's built in error checking utility on your drives every 2-3 months. This utility will scan your disks for errors and optionally attempt to correct them.

Open 'My Computer' from the desktop. 'Right-click' on your main hard drive, (usually 'C:'). Select 'properties' then 'tools' and under 'error checking' select 'check now…'. Check both 'Automatically fix file system errors' and 'Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors'. Restart your machine. 'Scandisk' will run during startup and can take a while depending on the size of your drive.

Clean out your 'Temporary Internet Files' and 'Cookies' folder 'Start' > 'Settings' > 'Control Panel' > 'Internet Options'

Select 'Delete Cookies...'. When the confirmation window appears, press 'OK'.

Select 'Delete Files...'. When the confirmation window appears, check 'Delete all offline content' and press 'OK'. (If you checked the 'Temporary Internet Files' box during 'Disk Cleanup' this should only take a second or two.)

Change 'Days to keep pages in history:' to 0. If you visit certain Web sites on a regular basis, add them to your 'Favorites'. Don't utilize 'History' to keep track of frequently visited sites.

Press 'OK'.

Eliminate programs that run during startup

Preventing programs from running at startup can be frustrating because there is no single location from which to stop them all. Some programs run because they're in the 'Startup' folder, others because they're attached to logon scripts. Others run due to Registry settings. With a little determination and persistence, you will be able to prevent unnecessary programs from running during startup.

Clean out your 'Startup' folder

C:Documents and Settings'your username'Start MenuProgramsStartup

Delete 'shortcuts' to unnecessary programs that run during startup. (You can also remove startup 'shortcuts' by going to 'Start' > 'Programs' > 'Startup', then 'right-clicking' on and deleting the 'shortcuts' you want to remove).

(Note - You can prevent all programs in your 'Startup' folder from running by holding down the 'Shift' key during startup. The items will still remain in the 'Startup' folder, however, and they will start the next time you boot).

Clean out your 'Scheduled Tasks' folder

C:WindowsTasks

Delete the 'shortcuts' to programs that you don't want to run automatically on a schedule.

Utilizing the 'System Configuration Utility'

The above steps will prevent most obvious programs from running during startup, but others are hidden. To view these programs, go to 'Start' > 'Run...' type 'msconfig' and press 'OK' or hit 'Enter'. You are now utilizing the 'System Configuration Utility'. Go to the 'Startup' tab and you will see the hidden programs that run during startup.

None of these programs are needed for Windows XP to startup properly. You do, however, want your anti-virus software and certain programs that your machine utilizes such as touchpad, graphics, audio and networking drivers to run during startup. This is where persistence pays off. Many times these programs aren't clearly marked. To identify one of these programs, go to 'Start' > 'Search' > 'For files and folders' > 'All files and folders'. Then select 'More advanced options' and make sure that 'Search system folders', 'Search hidden files and folders' and 'Search subfolders' are all checked. Then type the name of the unidentifiable program, ('SHSTAT', for example), then press 'Search'.

Once the program shows up in the 'Search Results' window, press 'STOP'. Then 'Right-click' on the program and select 'Open Containing Folder'. Now you are in the program's directory and should be able to identify it by reading the address bar. 'SHSTAT' resides in my ' C:Program FilesNetwork AssociatesVirusScan' folder, therefore, I want it to run during startup. 'Msmsgs', on the other hand, resides in my 'C:Program FilesMessenger' folder. I never use the Microsoft Instant Messenger, therefore, I would uncheck it in the 'System Configuration Utility'. Once you have unchecked each program that you don't want to run during startup, press 'Apply' then 'Close' and select 'Restart'. After startup you will receive a 'System Configuration Utility' message stating, "You have used the System Configuration Utility to make changes to the way Windows starts." Simply check 'Don't show this message...' then select 'OK'. I realize that this is a borderline ridiculous process, but until Microsoft comes up with a better way to modify hidden startup programs... oh well.

Eliminate services that run during startup

Constantly running processes that help the operating system run or that provide support to other applications are known as 'services'. Many 'services' launch automatically at startup and constantly run in the background. While you need many of them, some are not required and they can slow down your system.

To view 'services' go to 'Start' > 'Run' and type 'services.msc' then press 'OK' or hit 'Enter'. To stop a 'service' from running during startup, 'Right-click' on the 'service' and select 'Properties'. Change 'Startup type:' to 'Manual' and press 'Apply'. Then press 'Stop'. The following are some of the common services that can be prevented from running during startup:

- Portable Media Serial Number Service

- Removable Storage

- Task Scheduler Service - Schedules unattended tasks to be run. If you don't schedule any unattended tasks, turn it off.

- Uninterruptible Power Supply Service - Manages an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) connected to your PC. If you don't utilize one, turn it off.

- Wireless Zero Configuration Service - only if you don't utilize a wireless internet connection.

- Telnet - (Certain versions of Windows XP Pro only) Unless you're a 'hacker'. Then you probably wouldn't be reading this article. Instead of changing 'Telnet' to 'Manual', go ahead and select 'Disable'.

Disable 'file indexing'

The 'Indexing service' extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a "searchable keyword index." As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system.

The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside of any document or file. Windows XP's built-in search functionality can still perform these searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer.

Open 'My Computer' from the desktop. 'Right-click' on your main hard drive, (usually 'C:'). Select 'Properties'. Uncheck 'Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching'. Then select 'Apply changes to C:, subfolders and files', then select 'OK'. If a warning or error message appears (such as 'Access is denied'), select the 'Ignore All button'.

Empty the Windows 'Prefetch' folder

> C:WINDOWSPrefetch

Empty the Windows 'Prefetch' folder every 2-3 months. Windows XP can 'prefetch' portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That's fine. But over time, the prefetch folder will become overloaded with references to files and applications that are no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting a great deal of time and slowing system performance by pre-loading them. It is safe to delete everything in this folder.

Enable 'DMA' for each hard drive

'Start'>'Settings'>'Control Panel'>'Administrative Tools'>'Computer Management'>'Device Manager'

'Double-click' on the 'IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers device' and ensure that 'DMA', (Direct Memory Access), is enabled for each drive connected to the Primary and Secondary controller. Do this by double-clicking on 'Primary IDE Channel'. Select the 'Advanced Settings' tab. Ensure the Transfer Mode is set to 'DMA if available' for both Device 0 and Device 1. Repeat this process with the Secondary IDE Channel.

Turn off unnecessary animations

'Start'>'Settings'>'Control Panel'>'System'>'Advanced'

Windows XP offers many settings related animated icons, fonts, window displays, etc. When enabled these features utilize valuable system resources. under 'Performance' select 'Settings' then select 'Adjust for best performance'.

Eliminate unnecessary 'fonts'

C:WINDOWSFonts

The more fonts you have installed, the slower your system will become. While Windows XP handles fonts much more efficiently than previous versions of Windows, too many fonts, anything over 500, will noticeably tax your system.

Speedup Windows Explorer

Every time you open a folder there is a delay before the folder's content appears. Windows XP automatically searches for network files and printers every time you open Windows Explorer. To correct this and to significantly increase browsing speed open 'My Computer' from the desktop. Select 'Tools' then 'Folder Options'. Select 'View' and uncheck 'Automatically search for network folders and printers'. Select 'Apply' then 'OK' and restart your machine.

Turn off 'System Restore'

'System Restore' can be useful if your computer is having problems, however, storing all the restore points can literally take up Gigabytes of space on your hard drive. To turn off 'System Restore' go to 'Start' > 'Settings' > 'Control Panel' > 'System' > 'System Restore' and check 'Turn off System Restore on all drives'. Then select 'Apply' and 'OK'.

Optimize Your 'Pagefile'

If you assign a 'fixed' file size to your 'pagefile' the operating system no longer needs to resize it to fulfill memory needs.

Windows XP sizes the 'pagefile' to about 1.5x the amount of actual physical memory by default. This is fine for systems with smaller amounts of memory, (under 512MB). If you have less than 512MB of memory, leave the 'pagefile' at its default size. If you have 512MB or more, change the 'pagefile' size ratio to 1:1.

'Right-click' on 'My Computer' from the desktop and select 'Properties' > 'Advanced'. Under 'Performance' choose 'Settings' > 'Advanced' > 'Virtual Memory' > 'Change'. Highlight the drive containing your page file, (usually 'C:'), and make the 'Initial size' of the file the same as the 'Maximum size' of the file. Then select 'Set' > 'OK' > 'OK' > 'OK'. Restart your machine.

Editing the 'registry' Microsoft Windows stores its configuration information in a database called the 'registry'. The 'registry' is the central storage for all computer configuration data. The Windows system configuration, the computer hardware configuration, information about installed programs, the types of documents that each program can create or use and user preferences are all stored in the 'registry'. Windows continually references this information during its operation. The 'registry' stores the data in a structured hierarchy of 'keys', 'subkeys', and 'named values'. Incorrectly editing the 'registry' may severely damage your system. Microsoft recommends that you backup the 'registry' before you edit it.

The only 'Key' that we will edit is 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE' or 'HKLM'. To backup the 'HKLM' key select 'Start' > 'Run...' and type 'regedit', then select 'OK' or hit 'Enter'. You are now utilizing the Windows 'Registry Editor'. On the left under 'My Computer' you will see the 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE' key. To backup the key, 'Right-click' on on the key and select 'Export'. In the 'File name:' block type 'HKLM_Backup'. Select the directory that you want to save the backup in with the 'Save in:' drop down menu at the top of the window and select 'Save'. Now you have backed up the 'HKLM' key.

The following edits are fairly simple and they don't require the alteration of any critical keys, so you shouldn't need to restore the backup. When editing the 'registry', however, you can never assume anything. Should you need to restore the backup, simply open 'regedit' again, 'highlight' the 'HKLM' key and select 'File' > 'Import...'. Browse to the 'HKLM_Backup.reg' file and select it. Select 'Open' then 'OK'. Restart your machine.

Force Windows to unload DLLs Dynamic Link Libraries, or DLLs, are files that contain data or functions that Windows programs can call when needed by linking to them. Every piece of windows software will include instructions to the operating system as to which DLLs it will need to access, and XP will cache these particular files into memory for faster access.

Unfortunately, Windows XP keeps these DLLs cached after the related program has closed, wasting memory. While DLLs are generally small files, enough of them can make a big dent. This 'registry tweak' will force Windows XP to unload DLLs used by a program once that program is closed.

Select 'Start' > 'Run...' and type 'regedit', then select 'OK' or hit 'Enter'. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentV ersionExplorer

Highlight the 'Explorer' folder. Then in the window to the right, 'Right-click' anywhere in the white space. Select 'New' > 'DWORD Value' and name it 'AlwaysUnloadDLL'. After creating the key, 'Right-click' on it and select 'Modify' and under 'Value data:' type '1'. Select 'OK' and close 'regedit'. Restart your machine.

Disable 'Last Access Update'

When you access a directory Windows XP wastes a lot of time updating the time stamp showing the most recent access time for that directory and for all of it's sub-directories. As the number of files and folders increases on your hard drive, system performance decreases.

Select 'Start' > 'Run...' and type 'regedit', then select 'OK' or hit 'Enter'. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetControlFi leSystem

Highlight the 'FileSystem' folder. Then in the window to the right, 'Right-click' anywhere in the white space. Select 'New' > 'DWORD Value' and name it 'NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate'. After creating the key, 'Right-click' on it and select 'Modify' and under 'Value data:' type '1'. Select 'OK' and close 'regedit'. Restart your machine.

Improve Boot Speed A great feature in Windows XP is the ability to perform a 'boot defragment'. This places all boot files next to each other on the disk and allows for faster booting. By default this option is usually turned on during installation but on occasion it is not.

Select 'Start' > 'Run...' and type 'regedit', then select 'OK' or hit 'Enter'. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftDfrgBootOptimiz eFunction

Highlight the 'BootOptimizeFunction' folder. Then in the window to the right, view the 'Enable' key. If a 'Y' is present under 'Data', simply close 'regedit'. The feature is already enabled. If not, 'Right-click' on the key and select 'Modify' and under 'Value data:' type 'Y'. Select 'OK' and close 'regedit'. Restart your machine.

Speed up shutdown times

Having a fast machine during startup won't make you very happy if it takes forever to shutdown. You can disable the 'Clear Page File At Shutdown' feature to significantly decrease shutdown times.

Select 'Start' > 'Run...' and type 'regedit', then select 'OK' or hit 'Enter'. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSe ssionManagerMemory Management

Highlight the 'MemoryManagement' folder. Then in the window to the right, 'right-click' on the 'ClearPageFileAtShutdown' key. Select 'Modify' and under 'Value data:' type '0'. Select 'OK' and close 'regedit'. Restart your machine.

J.C. Hurst is the IT/Internet Marketing Director for The Ziegler Corporations located in Atlanta, Georgia

You may contact J.C. at: [email protected]

Full of Myths and Bad Advice
 

I don't know what misinformed site this was copied from but it is full of multiple Myths and bad information that will actually SLOW DOWN you system:

XP Myths - Myths Regarding Windows XP

Task Scheduler Service DO NOT EVER DISABLE THIS! Doing so will disable Windows XP Prefetching and cripple your boot and application startup times.

Empty the Windows 'Prefetch' folder 150% wrong. That is not how Windows Prefetching works. Nothing is preloaded at startup, these files are there as a REFERENCE to optimally load applications to RAM. Only ONE Prefetch Trace file is Referenced at Windows startup = NTOSBOOT-B00DFAAD.P. The Prefetch folder is self cleaning at 128 entries and never should be cleaned. Unused prefetch files do nothing but take up a ridiculously small amount of disk space.

Optimize Your 'Pagefile' Just leave it at system managed.

Force Windows to unload DLLs - Myth, this does nothing in XP.

Speed up shutdown times - This is set to 0 by default.

It is nice to see you do some research on what you read and do not take it at face value, but just because they are listed as commong myths, does not make that so either.
Have you ever attempted any of these changes listed here?

ok i agree task scheduler should not be stopped, but the prefetch is not why, my prefetch is not running currently and has not been for almost 3 years, my performance between a custum start up and disabling prefetch has never been better, but you must implement something of your own if you remove prefetch, otherwise it has the potential to slow your system down.

pretty much true, but there is no reason why the folder cannot be emptied, file size is not the issue here, search time is, and XP has one of the worst going for the age of it's OS. By emtying the list progs start slightly slower the next time they are launched, once they become what is considered "frequent" they are added to the prefetch log again, thus programs you no longer use as often will not be in the search.

I play with my registry and other windows settings daily to try and improve performance and simply learn what they do. For the most part just leave this as windows managed, it's even what i've come to do, but if you have computer knowledge or are unafraid of a little mess, go ahead.

i think i know what he is trying to do, and here's a better way. Simply run this file: C:\WINDOWS\system32\tsdiscon.exe it should detatch all non linked dll's in your ram from taking up memory.

yes!

If your prefetcher is not running than your boot and application startup times are reduced. This is an irrefutable fact. If you think otherwise then you have either not properly tested this or do not understand how Windows Prefetching works.

It is impossible for Prefetching to slow your system down on a properly working system.

Prefetching has nothing to do with Searching. Stop guessing and read how this works. Cleaning the folder does nothing but SLOW DOWN your system. There is absolutely no performance improvement EVER:

MICROSOFT ARTICLES:

Windows XP: Kernel Improvements Create a More Robust, Powerful, and Scalable OS
Windows XP: Kernel Improvements Create a More Robust, Powerful, and Scalable OS -- MSDN Magazine, December 2001

Kernel Enhancements for Windows XP
Kernel Enhancements for Windows XP

Windows XP Performance
Microsoft Windows XP Performance

Benchmarking on Windows XP
Benchmarking on Windows XP: Home Edition and Professional

Windows XP Professional Resource Kit
Windows XP Resource Kit: Troubleshooting Disks and File Systems

http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...%20Windows.doc


EXPERTS:

Ryan Myers - Windows Client Performance Team

Misinformation and the The Prefetch Flag
Funny, It Worked Last Time : Misinformation and the The Prefetch Flag


Ed Bott - Author Widows XP Inside Out

One more time: do not clean out your Prefetch folder!
One more time: do not clean out your Prefetch folder! | Ed Bott’s Windows Expertise |

Beware of Bogus XP Advice
Beware of Bogus XP Advice | Ed Bott’s Windows Expertise |

Tip of the day: Don’t clean out the Prefetch folder
Tip of the day: Don’t clean out the Prefetch folder | Ed Bott’s Windows Expertise |


Mark Russinovich - Author Windows Internals

Microsoft® Windows® Internals, Fourth Edition: Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000


As for "Force Windows to unload DLLs" it doesn't do anything in Windows XP.

First of all, I do not doubt most of what you say to be true, i really enjoy when someone tries to prove me wrong, especially when they back it up with credable sources like you have done here :)

*i am wrong from time to time, i know it does happen ;)


I would like to make this ammendment to my statment about prefetch:
My prefeth is on, it is my automatic prefetch which is turned off, there is little time for my computer to do updates except during defrags, so i do this myself. Also the programs within my prefetch do not change and would not change even if i had this active. It is only because i have tested many different methods of running prefetch that i have chosen to do this, as well as it complements the other modifications i have made to my windows/registry.
*It is not reccomended for the average user at all.


Yes, cleaning the folders on a regular basis will slow your system down I absolutely agree, but there is nothing wrong with a little 'Spring' cleaning now and again to remove the programs which no longer exist on your system, which XP somehow leaves lying around.

Personally i couldn't write a better OS than Windows so i don't trash it as much as i would like, but there are problems and memory leaks, i just like to take care of them in my own way, this is not usually included.
*Last time i touched my prefetch August 2005.


Just a couple honest questions:
is it that you really don't like people messing with the defaults of XP?
Have you ever tried any of these supposed speed boosters?
*Most are hoaxes, some really do "work" depending on what your main use of your computer is.

There is no such thing. What you stated makes absolutely no sense. You cannot turn it on but turn off automatic prefetching. That doesn't even make any sense. Prefetching is automatic and if you change anything from the defaults you will slow down Windows Boot and your application load times.

"Spring Cleaning" is irrelevant and pointless. The prefetch folder only stores up tp 128 prefetch trace files. The folder is automatically cleaned when it reaches this limit back to the most used 32 applications. The extra files do nothing but take up a ridiculously small amount of disk space usually under 5MB.

Telling anyone to change ANY prefetch setting, tweak or adjust it in anyway for any reason is bad advice period. If you disagree then that is because you did not read all of the above links and still do not understand how this works.

I don't care what people mess with, the problem is when the advice REDUCES performance and to a lesser extent does nothing. I've tried them all and the XP Myths page lists the most popular ones that do not work. Tweaks and "advice" about prefetching are some of the worst since they all reduce performance.

I have given up reasoning with you, i attempted to be courtious and respectful of your opinions and of the facts listed for the common user.

*I mentioned that i have made some custom modifications, and i tell you the settings i claim are as they are.

This is your quote:
if this is true, then there really is know harm in emptying the folder, is there? If there is a performance loss, then don't do it again.

You don't understand!!!
 

Reasoning? You don't even understand how prefetching works, how can you "reason" about something you don't understand? THERE IS ALWAYS A PERFORMANCE LOSS DELETING THE ENTIRE FOLDER!!!! Windows DOES NOT DELETE THE ENTIRE FOLDER EVEN WHEN IT AUTO CLEANS PART OF THE FOLDER AT 128 entries.

Emptying the folder will DELETE ALL the PREFETCH FILES, including the boot Prefetch file: NTOSBOOT-B00DFAAD.PF. This will cause EVERYTHING including Windows to load slower. Windows ONLY cleans everything but the 32 most used files ONLY when it reaches 128 entries and that is ONLY for ONE reason, excessive disk space usage over time. Since over time programs that are uninstalled ect.. do not need a prefetch file anymore. Everything about Windows Prefetching is automated. This useless "Guide" is filled with misinformation that is 100% inaccurate. The extra files do not slow ANYTHING down! They do nothing but take up a small amount of disk space that Windows XP automatically keeps under control!

Why are you cleaning the folder? Even Windows does not delete the boot prefetch file or the 32 most commonly used prefetch files for their respected applications.

You are arguing something you do not understand. The way this useless "guide" is written simply spreads more ignorance around the Internet and helps no one. What is worse is it tells people things that are 100% wrong and SLOWS DOWN YOUR SYSTEM! Do you understand this?

You have made 5 posts in total on this site, all of them negative and all about prefetch. Your 4 posts in this thread are repetative and beginning to be derogatory.

http://www.marvingohan.com/images2/SC4.PNG
-William. § (marvin_gohan)

So pointing out you do not understand how prefetching works is derogatory? So explaing to people how Prefetching works is negative because it goes against the misinformation in this useless "guide"? I made ONE post to correct the misinformation in this useless "guide". I then made additional posts, each one in response to additional incorrect information mainly about Windows XP Prefetching.

The point is I care about people getting correct information and NOT SLOWING DOWN THEIR SYSTEMS. This useless "guide" still states the same misinformation even after I have presented OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE AND FACTS to how these things really works. Whoever wrote this simply copied and pasted these from other misinformed people. The facts and reality of how things work with software is not a debatable issue, there is only one way it works. But it appears it does not matter people will simply never learn.

no.
But continuing to question my intelligence and knowledge is, especially when you do not know me, or how my system is running/behaving.

quite possible, but i cannot prove anything.

Your sources are much more creditable than any source which will encourage the above guide, but i cannot agree with this:
There is only one way it is supposed to work, yes i will give you that, but to the resourceful many changes are easily at hand.

I acknowledged many of your points as being credable, and most of the rest not to be tried by the common user, but you are going to have to trust me that there is more than 1 type of user, and there is such thing as a system which functions better without prefetch.

No that is not how it works.
 

Are you a programmer? Unless the software has a bug (there are none for XP Prefetching) then it only works one way. There is only one way Windows XP Prefetching works. I have personally spoken to engineers on the Windows Client Performance Team and have exhaustively tested it on a myriad of systems. I have provided you with exhgaustive documentation on it. Mark Russinovich for instance was the one who discovered the Sony Rootkit, do you think he knows what he is talking about, let alone the whole Windows Client Peformance Team?

No there is not a system that behaves "better without prefetching". What does that even mean? If you have prefetching disabled or broken in some way Windows XP and all your applications take longer to load period. This is not debateable. There is a reason there are no documented reproduceable tests on a clean, non overclocked, non nlite install of XP proving that any of these prefetching "tweaks" work. Because as soon as someone understands it and properly tests it they realize they had no idea what they were talking about. I can prove it irrefutably. The fact that you think otherwise simply means you still do not understand how it works nor even how to properly test it. You have stated multiple comments about how it works that are blatantly wrong, which only proves you do not understand how it works. The last person I would trust is someone who does not even understand how something works.

wot IS going on
 

logicaly every xp instal WILL

put in the %SYSTEMDRIVE% (c:\ partition)

1= %SYSTEMROOT% C:\Windows
/ %WINDIR%

2=%programfiles% C:\Program Files

3=%HOMEPATH% C:\Documents and Settings\{username}

un les configured otherwise u wil have thes 3 colections of files

the first runing the basics of the computer (os drivers ect)

the second holding your aplications (oface browser ect)

the third holding your documents setings desktop favrates
(Pictures Music)

all stored on one partition ! 1 file alication table ,mtf bmp ect

on 1 phiscal (rotating) hdd

#phisical limitations practical implications

2hdds can read and write more data in les time than 1hdd

eg hdd1 = c:\ containg %SYSTEMROOT% = C:\Windows
hdd2 = ?:\ containg %programfiles% & %HOMEPATH%
\Program Files \Documents and Settings\
the setup above will give faster file aces time
than the all in 1 default windows layout

3hdd can...

eg hdd1 = c:\ containg %SYSTEMROOT% = C:\Windows
hdd2 = v:\ containg %programfiles% = \Program Files
hdd3 = w:\ %HOMEPATH% = \Documents and Settings\

this is clearly the best option performance wize
offering the largest maximum potental

further stability and security

could be gained by separating the types of files most comanly acessed
eg pictures or music and storing them on seprate dedicated partitions created on one hdd .
*this method could be used with seprate partitions for sysytem, program files, and documents all tho helping provent defragmentation between these groupes the performance gaines of phisical isolation between disks are grater ! than

hopfully iwill have outlined the performance disadvantages of m$ os deployment
and given posibilties of improvement =>


bonnng
havent a clue about Prefetching

desabling ntfs time staping will speed up system
eg [write les often to disk (time stap) ]

page file 1/2 size of phisical ram (seprat partition) wil also help

for performance imprivment try
ramdisk!!
:p
=hyperdrive
-iram

n stop arguing med-i-tate

right im of for ac0FFy n abLUNT
peace out

Both of these are Myths. Setting the Paging File smaller does nothing but conserve disk space. By default the paging file is set to 1.5x RAM this is the system managed setting and it is not recommended to set it smaller as you may REDUCE performance by not having enough paging space. Moving the paging file to a separate partition on the same HD will further reduce performance since the HD head now has to travel farther to access it. RAMDisks are just a complete waste of time.

XP Myths

lst things first and all :confused: hmm depends on application for photo editing(ps5) audio(working temp_dir) and also archiving. or other
processes generating large temp file content

a 200+ mb ramdisk can boost performance considerably:sconfused: [however stability is a DEFiNATE factor]

when dealing with large amounts of data 2>gb
{ddr pc3200 or better ,hyper threading and dual core wil also help}
not to mention large hdd cache ,dedicated controller ect..
Gigabyte's i-RAM! Replace Existing Hard Drives

TheHyperDrive4 has an access time of 1100 nanoseconds read and 250 nanoseconds write (as measured by Data Transit's Bus Doctor), as opposed to 8 milliseconds access time (seek time + spindle latency) for the latest 10,000 rpm SATA Hard Disks and 5.5ms for the latest 15,000 rpm SAS Hard Disks.
Average spindle latency is 3 ms for a 10,000 rpm drive and 2ms for a 15,000 rpm drive.
This means that DDR drives, which we can ship you today for £599/£699, are faster than the next generation optical storage drives which are costing hundreds of millions of dollars in development and may become commercially available in 2011.


irony: reality=hdd (hamster powered storage)-THAT- REDUCE performance
hdd= complete waste of time. (excluding sata2 ncq)=>

newer systems running xp with 512+ memory and dedicated gfxram
have no real need for page file:
setting the page to "0" is the best option

how ever systems can vary dramatically
in hw as well as software configuration , use ,ect
how your system will be affected
depends on multitudes of factors
them selves with multitude upon multitude of variables

the best way is to test !
use full considerations:

total ram in system :
/
memory size used by: file\application

happy faf-ing
remember stay logical
*bleep*

reference:HyperDrive4 (Revision 2) Benchmarking Results

have a nice day
bring on 007

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about:

Flash memory on the HD ("i-RAM) or Flash memory drives have nothing to do with a RAMdisk. Taking away system RAM for a RAMdisk is couter productive and will reduce performance. Windows Vista takes advantage of Flash memory devices to further improve performance via ReadyBoost but there is no RAMdisk in system RAM and the paging file is NOT disabled.

Telling someone to disable the paging file is even more absurd. I suggest you read up on how the paging file works. Please STOP spreading completely inaccurate misinformation.

XP Myths

i love this debate about pagefile.
and really when it comes to audio apps.
i run a system with audio apps, and for your average user who does some dabling in making mp3`s all the arguments are legit.
but lets face it, when you get out to 56 tracks at 24bit 48khz what you are arguing becomes a joke at best. to take the load off of the track drive you need a large page file. loading 16 gigs into a 2 gig ram drive? all righty then. not going to work, first off the files have to be streamed, weather it be off the hdd or out of a second item to be loaded by the track hdd, you still run into bottlenecks.
best way i have found to acomplish this mass migration of info is thus.

C:\ apps and os - pagefile 1.5 x ram. 10k rpm
D:\track drive - no pagefile. 10k rpm
E:\pagefile 1.5 x ram 7200 rpm

letting windows manage my pagefile = D:\ running at 60 - 70 percent capacity. not good when running serious audio apps, playback stops.

page file layed out as mentioned drops disk usage to under 20 percent, tracks are now spread across 3 drives which results in faster access to streaming data as no one drive is trying to carry the full load. if the project fits in alloted pagefile, usage drops further, thus enabling one to get more work done.

getting rid of all the useless crap running in the background is of equal importance as well. running real time fx is the holy grail, getting sounds is not a majical process, different sounds need to be tried to avoid frequency stacks ( mud in the mix ) this cannot be accomplished with all the useless crap microsnot "feels" is important on all computers. granted not even 10 percent of the population will ever push their system as hard as i do, not even gamers. fx have to be run real time before you commit to sounds. once rendered ( destructive editing - yes as bad as it sounds, once done and out of the application, its done and cant be undone ) rendering takes place when i am happy with the mix. so i may end up with 60+ tracks with at least 20 to 30 running real time fx. my computer is not a piece of crap, and i found a few of the hints in the article at the top of this thread usefull, so to the author i say, thankyou, you helped me squeaz a little more headroom out of my rig.

just so you know.

p4 duo @ 2.4 ghz, 1066 fsb
4 gig ram, 800 mghz
C:\ 10000 rpm 40 gig sata raptor
D:\ 10000 rpm 150 gig sata raptor
E:\ 2x 160 gig 7200 rpm sata barracuda on raid 1
F:\ 2x 250 gig 7200 rpm sata barracuda on raid 1

windows XP pro x64

sonar 6

bench it yourself.

@ Mastertech, yes, there are many misconceptions about the way pagefiles are implemented in Windows. You are completely correct these are myths, good catch :)
You seem to have a great knowledge in this area, but i do ask that you try to be more "approachable" on the subject, rather than athoritative. There is always room for debate, especially around the windows OS, there is much information that has not been released, and likely never will be from MS.

@above unregistered:
I too love these debates, because everyone thinks they are right, when although some users are more right, it is not always a clear cut right and wrong.
For the most part if you are modifying your pagefile and it happens to increase your speed, etc... there are many other things you should be looking at first. If you are uncomfortable stripping your OS of windows services, you likely should not be playing w/ the pagefile either.
~my 2 cents.

A Windows Managed paging file on any drive is by default 1.5 x system RAM. You can enable the paging file per drive thus "Windows managed" really only means that once you set a paging file to enabled on a drive Windows is able to resize it as needed, which is recommended. Your concern for disk usage if a paging file was enabled on your D drive is not warranted since Windows will use the paging file on the less frequently used partition over the paging file on the heavily used partition and uses an internal algorithm to determine which paging file to use for virtual memory management. You cannot disable this feature if more than one paging file is present. Thus if you are streaming off D: and you have a paging file on another drive Windows will use that paging file for paging. There is absolutely no need to set the paging file manually in Windows XP and no reason to disable it on any drive (outside of disk space concerns).

Then you are running the wrong OS because Windows XP is not a Real-time OS, Windows XP Embedded can be run in real-time with third party utilities. But I suspect you are misusing the term and don't understand it. Many people do not understand how Windows works and make assumptions off these misunderstandings. What I have stated is backed up with sources and facts from Microsoft. How these features work is not up to interpretation, this is software and it only works one way. If you want to stick your fingers in your ears and not take the time to read what I have linked then by all means it is your computer and your choice.

The reason I sound authoritative is because I have already researched this and all the sources are provided which mainly go to Microsoft. I am simply trying to prevent people from wasting their time and even worse slowing down their system.

Quite comical. Mastertech sounds like he/she's working for the marketing department at Microsoft. Being a programmer, I can't believe that someone states that an application (or an OS for that matter) can only go one way! No matter how hard we try someone will ALWAYS find a path that we didn't realize was possible to take through our code. So does that mean that the originally envisioned path is the best path? NO.

As far as someone being concerned that others will slow/break their machines, I find myself chuckling. I say let them do it. The reasoning is that they will be inclined to learn more about their machine, OS, and any other software installed on it. Will some of them come to the same conclusions? Yes. Others may walk away and find that they weren't cut out for it. Either way it encourages thought.

this is quite fair, i appreciate an honest answer :)

i think you are misunderstanding, there are limitations on applications and OS in general, and it cannot do something that the current code does not allow.
The one way he speaks of, is "not real time" you cannot make standard XP run in real time, it's not possible, it will not keep up, even setting all processes to "real time" is not actually real time.

XP embedded is a good example, the best example of real a time OS is the OS running pace makers and software of the sort, where it is more important that the software work w/ 0% error than having multi-functionality. The time you spend waiting on an application to run, or your computer to restart is the proof of a non real time OS.

There are degrees of RTOS (real time OS... getting tired of typing the whole thing), soft and hard, these define the error and wait time, both are ridiculously quick. The basic idea is that it for the most part correctly predicts and reacts to situations just as you do, running efficient algorithms.

i started out breaking dos years ago.
then when win 3.1 came out i started tweaking till i broke it.
oh yeah, some things can really slow things down.
but in all the years of tweaking and breaking i have found that microsoft, although they wrote the software, did not write the bible on tweaking it.
thats just years of experience speaking.

yes windows is not a realtime os, neither is any other os for that matter. it takes time for things to happen, regardless of how fast the machine may be.
as for messing with the page file, ahh 1.5 times the ram is not windows controlled default, that is windows controlled max.

trust me, i have run audio apps for over ten years, windows default is not the way to go, i would never advise anyone trying to record large projects " just leave it alone, windows works best with its default settings ". what i do advise is " dont have it net enabled, and disable everything that runs in the background that "you" as a user don`t need.

some other things that cause large problems on recording machines. RealTime player. Quicktime player. norton anything. msn is one of the worst. along with a whole pile of things that set processes running in the background. gama loader, blah blah blah.

my wife has her computer and i have mine, all of the people that come over to our house and visit or whatever, know that to touch my computer means death.

no facebook, no myspace, nothing like that. email done through online secure email trough our website host. and so on.

on the wifes computer, because she deals with the myspace and all other band related things, she uses linux apps that run in windows, i find they are easier to use, less suseptable to hacks, and there are tons of freeware that outdo microsoft. some of my programs that i use for digging out crap out of the reg and other places, i have been using since win 95, they still work, and work better than any micrsoft thingy that has come down the pipe in the past 10 years. cleaning out the registry of invalid entries is a tedious task at the least, i have done it, i know. i have a little program i found for win 95, that still works better and faster. and finds all the history of all the programs that have ever been installed on your computer.

and for the coup de gras, i dont use antivirus software, because i don`t offer the things a way to get onto my computer. anything microsft comes up with as the new improved way of doing things, there is a better way. non microsoft.

this is what i have learned over the years.
having friends that dig up obscure stuff and try it out helps, as well as reading up on all the latest hacks that are ever present in the microsoft world. if linux had better recording programs and a better support for my pro hardware i would go with that. it just works. but they dont and i am stuck in the scenario of recording high end on a low end os. blah blah blah mac. yeah if i could sell my left nut and get a million bucks for it i might get somthing that would be in the range of what i do, but i cant afford 15 grand for the computer and plugins, let alone the external hardware.

lets face it, highend studios afford the highend gear beacause they finance the hell out of it. how many big a room studios have gone under in the past 5 years? capitol records crystal room is now gone ( captain and teniel recorded all thier hits there ) sony in nashville, ( elvis, johnny cash, the list goes way on ) thats just last month. digital recording has hit the home, and lots of people are into doing it themselvs, and like me they cant afford the highend mac stuff, so they are stuck in the same boat. trying to tweak out windows to get the next track to run. thats why i ended up here, thats why lots of people will end up here. i get the how can i tweak windows for recording question all the time. getting into a debate of why it says this and that on microsofts website is not really helping. it`s hindering things.

like me they don`t have the time between recording and working to pay the bills to read what microsoft has to say on this topic or that, they want something that works, and they want it now. that why these things come up on google.

i am ranting because i have read the thread, and to the original reply you came off like a pompus bastard, not to sugar coat it. sure you have a lot of knowledge, but you lack people skills, try something like, i found that this worked better on my machine, rather than, have you even read the microsoft website on what they had to say about it?

i mean the world needs people with big brains, they don`t need people trying to prove they have a big brain. so either help out with some proven tweaks that you in your own experience have come across, microsoft approved or not, and post those. my guess would be that is why the thread was started in the first place.

or just shut up.

Last word?
 

Could be...

What I liked about this meandering around was that no one took their bat and ball and went home ;) I really respect you guys and gals that "know" what you are talking about, or at least talk a good line. One cannot help but learn as the maestros of varying talent duke it out...

I never took a single computer lesson of any kind...self-taught from the start and while suffering a number of mental disabilities ;) Empirical evidence has been my mentor. I have reformatted my hard drives out of existance. If there was something stupid to have been done, I did it. It got to the point where I was obsessed with "controlling' the damn thing. I spent almost 48 hours once, trying to solve a problem...got real sick over it. Now, some 15 yrs later, I succeed 90% of the time...in fairly short order. For the other 10% of the time, I go to the internet, and to places like SYSCHAT.

I know nothing about programming. My attitude, is that if programmers did it right in the first place, there would be no problems ;) but that is my bias. e.g. I have asked repeatedly, for some time, all over the net, for someone to step up and solve the XP problem of saving folder options [check SysChat's archives under my handle] ...not one programmer came forward!...and the issue is rampant after using XP for a couple of years, or with later modifications to the SP1 version. Hundreds of users could have benefitted.

I too started out in DOS, and I too wish MS had left things alone, re: DOS, but they didn't and "we" users demanded, indirectly, that they abandon it. And, MS found it uneconomical to support it, and their mistakes in programming in their rush to the shelves...and with following versions of its OS's...thus the constant upgrading...to reduce the cost of assisting us. So, we are stuck with "all of our" mistakes, their bottom line, and the FACT that we now need to depend on each other for our survival. So, keep it civil...I need you guys to kiss and make nice ;)

Sami: I did not do any of what was noted in the beginning...but one thing caught my eye: "Highlight the 'Explorer' folder. Then in the window to the right, 'Right-click' anywhere in the white space. Select 'New' > 'DWORD Value' and name it 'AlwaysUnloadDLL'. After creating the key, 'Right-click' on it and select 'Modify' and under 'Value data:' type '1'. Select 'OK' and close 'regedit'. Restart your machine."

I tried this, and the newly created D-word is impossible to create. My mistake? or what? To modify the key, you are given 0000_00_00_00_00 and no place to effectively put in a single "1." It cannot be done. Windows won't allow it. It says that that is an invalid entry. Don't shoot the messenger ...that's what it said. So, if do-able...what did I do wrong? Creating a new string value allows you to modify to "1." Is that what was meant?

Now, let's get back to HELPING each other...and put down our epeés ;)

yes you are right.
i am in the wrong here.
he does have some good points.
so i apologize to all that have been offended by my comments.

a little bit of history.
Bill Gates bought DOS from IBM for $1.
they weren`t going to pursue it because they realized it was a broken operatng system. or inferior.
there are all kinds of errors in the code to begin with.

and this is what windows was built on till NT came out.

bill put a pretty face on it and his marketing was better. how many of us use unix? the operating system that IBM did pursue. was the standard on server systems for years.

the difference between the two are, DOS and windows made hardware calls through "drivers" esentialy interpriters. and things get lost in translation.

UNIX, MAC, and LINUX make direct hardware calls, they have "drivers" but it is like teaching the os the language of the hard ware, without the use of dll`s.
that is why they have always been more stable.

and LINUX is GPL so for your average user downloading it and using it is free.
there is tons of free software that is pretty damn good. the wife and i both use xp, but we use open office for all the things that one would do in MS office, it will import and export to MS OFFICE with no problems. but windows will not do the same, and open office is free to use for the home user, and a small licensing fee for profesional organizations, under $200 with updates and support being offered. you still get the support being a home user, with no cost.

Trillian will interface seemlessly with ICQ, MSN, AIM and all the other point to point mesaging services, at the same time. in the same window. another liniux app that gets things done.

viruses? windows way to many to count, and growing everyday.
mac, still under 10. linux? i dont think that there are any yet? if someone knows i would like to know weather there are or not.

but as i have said before, with what i do, windows=problems. mac=high cost. linux=no programs or support for my high end hardware.

budget + hardware = windows

all the high end video editing houses have thrown out their macs and went linux a while back, i wish the same could be done for us audio guys as well.

more and more games are being written to run on linux, its as easy to use as windows and sets up just as easy, not like the old days, red hat 3, you really had to know your hardware and system to get it running right. now it is more intuitive, so anyone can set it up. you can even download and run versions off of cd or dvd and not have to have the os on a hard drive. the os can be assembled and options chosen as to what to run off of another os like windows. disk management tools are way more powerfull.

when setting up windows, i run knoppix ( runs off of a cd ) and format my drives to whatever partition i want.
has anyone here had DOS, win 98, linux and win 2000 running on the same system? i have. havent done it with xp yet, but then again i have to get things done, not play around with what windows won`t do. or better stated, what windows wont let you do.

i am running my XP on ntfs, and all my other drives are fat 32, it gives you better perfomance with audio apps believe it or not. even though i am running XP x64. XP x64 gives me better access to my ram, 4 gigs and better uses my dual core cpu. but then again, to get max usage out of you computer you have to do some playing with it.

ntfs is fine for most users, but fat 32 has better access, because of partition tables. not as many empty blocks. and some other mumbo jumbo i dont really understand, but i can run more tracks off of fat32 than off of ntfs. so fat 32 it is.

0&0 defrag 2000
 

speshualy for tha audio junkie .. its tru


this is the one thig that truly makes me mad
Fragmentation (computer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

this make me more sane = ::google:it!: O&O Defrag 2000 Freeware

its free
it will save ur hdd

pagefiles and ram disks aside

audio performance = contiguous-data
*Contiguity ="the blocks of each file are contiguous and in order"

as audio(+video) data - are this way

digital offers many advantages in editing and manipulation

because it works with in a system that abstracts from
Contiguity

if this is a consideration of the system design -performance = maximum
(close to at least )
if it is not considered in the system design/use -performance = minimum
(atbest! at worst los of data , hardware damage ect )

the lesons learnt dealing with audio as data
giv valuble insite in to
the implcations of system design
ther in data "flow" and asocated bottle necks

sloutions - are a trial an error , observation and reserch
100%+ system spasific and most often ther root cause is


microsoft are in deeeeeeepp denial over the above quote
..... vista is proof wher is the new file-system hmmmm
neway

laterzzz

*fat32 smaller max file size (limitation of file system 4gb)

zMith#-|

also!! damit
system restore = heavy fragmentation

http://www.woostercollective.com/200...arningsign.jpg

I haven't tried all you menyioned above but have made a lot of changes. Right or wrong. My sytem is running way fatser now. So I will say thanks for the tips here

No LIFE Crappertech
 

Hey idiot Crappertech, just shut your mouth....im so tired of people like you trying to find something wrong with what everyone says. Newsflash: YOU DONT KNOW HALF OF WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW....so shut yo trap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!