Originally Posted By: Mamala Bay
You can't tell me when installing an operating system that fragmentation on the registry and hard drive won't increase overall speed in any application over cleaning out the system. I do both..cleaning out the system especially with internet usage I do that daily.
Yes I can. Some applications don't even access the registry. Cleaning out the registry is more important than defragmenting it. The registry file is really not all that large. System cleanliness is paramount (as I think you are alluding to) those who keep their systems clean seem to create far less drive fragmentation to begin with......
Once an application is in RAM, hard drive fragmentation is irrelevant to that program's performance. And if a file is in 15 pieces or in one, we are talking MILLISECONDS in terms of the difference in time it takes for the drive to access it in the first place.
The biggest gains are made in system load time by putting all the boot files at the fastest part of the drive, and together so the heads can read them in series and minimum seeking takes place. This, and making sure the page file is in one large piece (though diskeeper won't even defragment it unless it's in more than four pieces....... ) will reap the most immediate gains.
The fragmentation needs to be EPIC in nature before the milliseconds in seek time add up enough to be manifested in the form of something that is noticeable to the end-user.
Much like the "fresh oil makes my engine freer feeling", there is oft the placebo effect with computer "maintenance" software as well.......
I defragment my Windows servers about once a month. Even then, the fragmentation is minimal.
The WORST fragmentation I've ever seen was on a 4 year old XP install that had NEVER had the drive cleaned, and NEVER been defragmented. I have a screenshot of it somewhere. I'll post it up if I can find it.
The professional version of diskeeper will actually give you some estimated numbers on the improvements that it's actions will make on your system. Most people would be surprised at the very small gains that are actually realized on systems with moderate to heavy fragmentation.
forgot the "DE.."
