Using all memory (Win-XP SP-2)

[CWBillow]

So I just let XP set a swap file on my main drive, to whatever size it wants, irrespective of fragmentation etc.?

Chuck

[DocWatson]

Get a copy of PerfectDisk. It's much faster and does a better job than the native Windows defrag utility and it will defrag your system files and the page (swap) file.

[bigaldoc]

'Zackly! Except for what Doc said.

PS Alan, I didn't know you wuz a Master IT guy! Here all these years, I thunk you wuz "just" a physicist...

[HansV]

Disk fragmentation is another matter, but yes, I let Windows manage all swap disk etc. settings on my PC. I used to fine-tune such settings in the past (under Windows 95) but nowadays I don't bother.

[AlanMiller]

I iz not a physicist Al - I are a injunear, but lots of my work swung heavily to physics-related areas... not an IT engineer either, but materials.

Alan

[CWBillow]

I've got Diskeeper... seems to do the job on that front.

Thanks Doc,
Chuck

[CWBillow]

Well guys,

My quest for the logical certainly leads me to the conclusion that I am outnumbered.

Although I can't say that I totally see or agree with everything said here, I gotta bow to the mass of experience and background, all telling me to re-think.

The one thing I do think is that there are a great many people that either do not understand either, or do not care, and that many of these are people creating the programs we use everyday. The result of course being memory and o/s conflicts.

If what in fact you all are saying is so, then I do that that we could all benefit by Microsoft putting a lot stricter parameters on programs developed for their O/S, so that the conflicts would occur less frequently. Hans suggests, that he (I) just let Windows handle it all, but that would and can only really succeed if all the developers use the same rule book.

They unfortunately do not.

Three, four or more conflicting copies of the same system files created at various installations is one example. Various uses of ini files and/or the registry is another.

And use of system resources, I would wager, is quite surely another.

I apologize for the rant and thanks everyone for their consideration and input.

Regards,
Chuck Billow

[AlanMiller]

A little gem I found recently is Avira NTFS4DOS - <img src=/S/free.gif border=0 alt=free width=30 height=15> for personal use. From a DOS boot floppy, you can view and defragment files on NTFS volumes. The advantage is that no files are "in use" at the time and the result is very thorough.

To get it from the site, you have to go through the "buying" operation until you eventually get to the free download.

Alan

[JoeP517]

You should check out Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 or VMware Workstation, virtual machine, multiple operating systems, Windows and Linux - VMware. If you use a virtual machine to test changes first you should end up doing less harm to your real PC.

Joe

[CWBillow]

Joe:

I just got Vmware about a month ago... am just now resetting all my "standards", and breaking all my bad habits! <img src=/S/clapping.gif border=0 alt=clapping width=19 height=23>

Thnaks,
Chuck

[CWBillow]

Good find!

Thanks.

Chuck

[JoeP517]

According to Diskeeper 2008 - Home Edition Features and Diskeeper 2008 - ProPremier Edition Features both versions do boot time defrag of system files. So, you should NOT need another tool. You should be able to request a boot time defrag from within Diskeeper.

Joe