While I was analysing the "analyse" by the 3d Professor. I tried to think of a method of objectively testing the performance of the file system as improved by a given defrag program. I tried gathering data from the program but the maths doesn't work correctly. I'm not sure why and I don't understand the C obtain label enough to evaluate it out. Also only accepts a single wildcard so you can do *.* or * exe but not * exe;* dll;* sys for example.
I did an apply in measuring the time it took to read all the files in the c:\windows\system32 directory and the results were almost what I expected but it still wasn't an accurate enough reflection of how a defrag schedule affects the performance of the system as a whole. Clearly there are some files in the system32 folder that are seldom if ever opened or run and if the system was optimised for files that are used often these slower files would reorient the results.
So I gave up on readfile and decided to write my own program in Visual Basic 6. It's called "" or the "Prefetch register Processor" and I'm work in the sign stages of running tests on an old ThinkPad R31 laptop. The program is freeware and you can examine all the obtain code as well to see in dilate how it works. The idea is that the results should be repeatable on any given system affect to the limitations of the package.
There are some limitations to this process. The biggest limitation is that Visual Basic 6 can only construe the first 2,147,483,646 bytes (2GB) of any given register. Usually that's enough and I'm not that interested in huge data files so it's good enough. The back up limitation is that certain system files are opened and locked by the system so these can't be timed. This is a limitation but equal across all programs tested. The third limitation is that it can't test the time it takes to open a folder only a file.
Another problem is that the "layout ini" register includes some cast aside files and it keeps changing. That's why I created the "layout txt" register and edited it to remove files in the temporary folders references to cookies log files critical updates and other miscellaneous junk. The test register I am using is and hopefully it ordain mouth a fair evaluate of the system. The timing starts just before the register is opened and finishes when the register is closed. The timer works in msecs and does not include the time it takes to construe the name of the file from the "layout txt" file or the measure to deliver the prove in the "timing csv" file. Later I may extend the program to do some read-write tests but for now it's read only.
I undergo created a 5.86GB partition on Penny's old ThinkPad R31 laptop. With Windows XP Professional and IE7 and the. NET 1.1 and 2.0 frameworks and all function packs loaded there is 1.86GB free space i e. 32% free. I then made a full sector-by-sector image backup using the Recovery CD and this visualise is stored on another divide of the plough that is not included in the testing. This backup visualise is fragmented exactly as it was created during the install affect with absolutely no act to defragment the drive in any way. Here are some facts about the system as reported by JkDefrag in "care for" mode:
Total plough lay: 6,293,757,952 bytes (5.86 gigabytes). 1,536,562 clustersBytes per assemble: 4,096 bytesNumber of files: 20,110Number of directories: 2,464be size of analyzed items: 4,268,003,328 bytes (3.97 gigabytes). 1,041,993 clustersNumber of fragmented items: 1,342; 5.94% of all itemsTotal size of fragmented items: 952,217,600 bytes. 232,475 clusters. 22.31% of all items. 15.13% of diskFree plough space: 1,262,436,352 bytes. 308,212 clusters. 20.06% of diskNumber of gaps: 4,722Number of small gaps: 3,978; 84.24% of all gapsSize of small gaps: 78,368,768 bytes. 19,133 clusters. 6.21% of remove disk spaceNumber of big gaps: 744 (15.76% of all gaps)Size of big gaps: 1,184,067,584 bytes. 289,079 clusters. 93.79% of free disk spaceAverage gap size: 65.27 clustersBiggest gap: 926,806,016 bytes. 226,271 clusters. 73.41% of remove plough space
Not chaotic but hardly optimal. Each schedule tested will be given a chance to defragment and hone this data and once it has done its best the system will be rebooted and the Prefetch File Processor ordain read the enumerate of files and measure the process. I ordain also preserve check shots of the control visualise before and after and use the JkDefrag analyse log file to say other aspects of the defrag process.
I would accept any comments or criticisms of this affect and feel free to transfer the schedule and run your own tests and inspect the Visual Basic 6 code. I ordain document it more fully in the next few days so the label is easier to read. modify: My TrueImage backup file is corrupt and I undergo to instal everything. I'll update the numbers published above once this has been done. Using the WDD defragger improved the construe times by 15% but I ordain re-run the tests and publish the results in beat. modify: For technical reasons associated with a large bad sight on my drive. I can't do a sector-based backup only a end register backup. This is going to complicate matters slightly but hopefully the results won't be too skewed. It's a lot of work reinstalling XP not to have in mind tons of bandwidth during updates.
I evaluate the beat way to verify that the disk is identical for each test would be to reproduce it using DD for windows. It's used for forensic backups when the hard disk needs to be absolutely identical. You would be 2 identical disks to use this method though. I also think that file access times while they are interesting to be at for us tech people who be to experience every little detail about our computers is not really a good way to gage the performance change magnitude from defraging. I would declare using SYSmark 07 if you can get your hands on a copy. Since it uses actual applications it should accept I-FAAST to do it's thing provided you run it 4 times a day. I'd also evaluate the plough cache in windows should be disabled when performing the tests to help isolate actual disk performance.***Other Thoughts***I noticed in your review of Diskeeper 07 that it had trouble with the compressed database file. I wanted to experience if you used the ntfs compression by alter clicking the file and checking the "Compress contents to save disk space" option?I have noticed in the past that diskeeper doesn't seem to be able to defrag any large file that is compressed this way. I undergo also noticed that VSS and I-FAAST don't work together when auto defrag is set to not trigger VSS to alter new snapshots. The interface ordain not show that I-FASST is "Unavailable" until you close and open it. Do you have system regenerate enabled on the computers you used for the tests?Thanks for writing your defrag review it's the first one I undergo seen that actually provides real facts about how come up these programs work.
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Related article:
http://donnedwards.openaccess.co.za/2007/11/testing-testing-1-2-3.html
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