Guide on how to configure UltimateDefrag 2008 properly

[Sonar]

ok I'm dizzy...

High Performance

Custom:

- C:/Windows/system32/ (Do i need to explain this one? No, i'm lazy, just one word: System files ohmy.gif Did he just say ONE WORD, but he used TWO... Ohhhhh, shame on me)

Archives

Custom:

C:/Windows/system32/dllcache/ (Shadow-copy of important system files)

your sending UD dizzy too :)

[shought]

ok I'm dizzy...

High Performance

Custom:

- C:/Windows/system32/ (Do i need to explain this one? No, i'm lazy, just one word: System files ohmy.gif Did he just say ONE WORD, but he used TWO... Ohhhhh, shame on me)

Archives

Custom:

C:/Windows/system32/dllcache/ (Shadow-copy of important system files)

your sending UD dizzy too :rofl:

I thought I already replied to this... Hmmmm, weird.

Well: It's just how you read it. As far as i know all Archive flags overwrite the High Performance flags. So if you select the whole System32 folder with HP and the whole dllct for your Archive everything should be OK. But for your convenience i altered the guide a little, and now it should be understandable :)

[shought]

Also, I would like to suggest to include *.r0?, *.r1?, *.00?, *.01? etc (if you have split archives) in archived :)

Forgot to add the part about the question mark in my first post, i thought of it myself because i didn't want to enter all those numbers, but now when i was just about to reply on your post i see that you already included the question mark, smarty! :rofl:

[spasserfan]

(...)

Also i do not recommend using the Layout.ini file, this is made by the operating system, but doesn't work very well. It is normally used for boot-time defragmentation, by OS, not by any other program.

Actually layout.ini, is the file managing the prefetch, by choosing the option "respect layout.ini" UD will place these files at the most outer tracks. That way you get fast boot times AND better performance from the programs you use the most. Layout.ini

The Windows operating system is constantly adjusting itself for best performance and in doing so creates a file called layout.ini which contains an optimal file layout for your drive as far as fastest program launching and fastest boot performance.

Layout.ini exists in the Prefetch Folder in Windows.

(...)

When you have this option checked, the optimal file layout is laid out at the very beginning of your drive and in the exact order as suggested by layout.ini. File access for your most commonly used files will be the absolute fastest that it can be for your system since all sequential file access patterns when launching a program and booting your system are taken into account.

It is highly recommended to respect layout.ini, you can't even make a better placement using high performance. However I have noticed in the new version (v.2.0.0.47) UD places these files, but afterwards (placing high performance, even though "respect layout.ini" is a high performance option) it moves files at the beginning leaving a hole (I do not know if this is because of some locked files in that section), I have therefore moved back to the earlier version (since I do not notice any improvement in defrag speed, because I do not use the "very fast placement" or other of the new options), and I am just waiting for the boot time defrag option and a fix for the "respect layout.ini" (maybe they fixed that in v. 2.0.0.48, but they did not write it on the version history page, I guess someone has to test this)

Just wondering here, will it have any effect if I do a UltimateDefrag once every week/2 weeks and have Diskeeper in the background, or will Diskeeper undo all UD's stuff?

--edit, I just did it, and it seems that it has worked and Diskeeper leaves it alone.

Also, I would like to suggest to include *.iso, *.b6w, *.mdf, *.mds, *.r0?, *.r1?, *.00?, *.01? etc (if you have split archives) in archived :)

--edit2, Found out Diskeeper *doesn't* leave UD's settings alone - no more diskeeper it is.

Adding *.iso, *.mdf, *.mds etc. is not recommended if you for example are running games etc. from such file, a game would need high performance (not saying that you have to ad it to high performance, but just not in the archive section), but of course it depends on what you are using on your system. Shought just add this at a comment to those files in the guide. Not all are thinking about this and would get degraded performance ;)

[eBait]

In most of these cases you just use those files to install and then nocd crack it (?)... :) After buying it of course. ;)

[shought]

In most of these cases you just use those files to install and then nocd crack it (?)... ;) After buying it of course. :P

Yes, but i'll add the 'warning sign' anyway.

@spasserfan i'll talk about the layout.ini file later. I first have to get my XP reinstalled again :) And get some working internet... I'm now using my laptop's wireless to use someone else his/her unprotected wireless connection... Desperate times call for desperate measures.

[spasserfan]

In most of these cases you just use those files to install and then nocd crack it (?)... :pirate: After buying it of course. :innocent:

As you say in most cases :rolleyes:, but this is a guide and there might be someone reading it and adding a file they might use. I know what I am doing, but thought that as it is a guide you might just warn those that do not :dance2:

@Shought I have some further info about layout.ini, but I am in a hurry now, so we will take that later. Good luck with your computer/Internet problem ;)

[shought]

In most of these cases you just use those files to install and then nocd crack it (?)... :pirate: After buying it of course. :innocent:

As you say in most cases :rolleyes:, but this is a guide and there might be someone reading it and adding a file they might use. I know what I am doing, but thought that as it is a guide you might just warn those that do not :dance2:

@Shought I have some further info about layout.ini, but I am in a hurry now, so we will take that later. Good luck with your computer/Internet problem ;)

Yep, updated the guide to reflect what you said above.

PC problem worked out, i think it's due to the AMD Dual-Core Optimizer, but all is well now. Internet problems solved too, caused by ISP. Freaking idiots, if they don't know what they're doing, how can we?

[spasserfan]

(..)

PC problem worked out, i think it's due to the AMD Dual-Core Optimizer, but all is well now. Internet problems solved too, caused by ISP. Freaking idiots, if they don't know what they're doing, how can we?

Good to see you back :( ... well ISP stands for Internet Slowing Persons :eekout:, If they knew what they were doing and were setting things up so they worked, how could they then earn money on support? :shit:

Edit: Just advanced to member with this post :shit: no longer n00b :fear:

[shought]

(..)

PC problem worked out, i think it's due to the AMD Dual-Core Optimizer, but all is well now. Internet problems solved too, caused by ISP. Freaking idiots, if they don't know what they're doing, how can we?

Good to see you back :( ... well ISP stands for Internet Slowing Persons :rofl:, If they knew what they were doing and were setting things up so they worked, how could they then earn money on support? :shit:

Edit: Just advanced to member with this post :shit: no longer n00b :please:

Never thought about that... Truth though.

n00b status, is only for the real noobs :eekout: Not for you :fear:

[spasserfan]

Never thought about that... Truth though.

n00b status, is only for the real noobs :P Not for you ;)

To be honest, I never thought about that either, but it just came to me when I was reading your post ;)

Thank you :), but anyways it is still nice to get rid of that n00b sign ;)

[dgr8one]

i just got UD and am wondering which defrag method should i use that makes use of the specified settings?

[spasserfan]

i just got UD and am wondering which defrag method should i use that makes use of the specified settings?

I use folder/file name, this should give you the best performance. However it takes longer time to run a defrag with this method compared to consolidate since UD is sorting the drive. If you use the archive feature the defrag time will be greatly reduced (not the first time, since all the archive files are moved to archive section, where they stays in future defrags). Consolidate is much faster, but will not sort the files so if you launch a program the I/O heads on the HDD might have to travel longer on the disk before all files needed by the program is read.

Depends on your needs:

Better performance: choose folder/file name

Faster defrags: consolidate

Just remember to set the options under the defrag method: "respect high performance" (if you use this), "respect archive" and "move directories close to MFT"

[dgr8one]

i just got UD and am wondering which defrag method should i use that makes use of the specified settings?

I use folder/file name, this should give you the best performance. However it takes longer time to run a defrag with this method compared to consolidate since UD is sorting the drive. If you use the archive feature the defrag time will be greatly reduced (not the first time, since all the archive files are moved to archive section, where they stays in future defrags). Consolidate is much faster, but will not sort the files so if you launch a program the I/O heads on the HDD might have to travel longer on the disk before all files needed by the program is read.

Depends on your needs:

Better performance: choose folder/file name

Faster defrags: consolidate

Just remember to set the options under the defrag method: "respect high performance" (if you use this), "respect archive" and "move directories close to MFT"

using the folder/file name option doesn't make sense- why sort alphabetically and not by the frequency of the files accessed by using the Recency option?

[dgr8one]

can anyone sum up what to put as HP and Archive and the type of defragging for *MAXIMUM* performance.

also, the order u set in custom HP is that the topmost folder/file goes to the outermost part of the drive- so in custom ARCHIVE, the topmost folder goes to the innermost part of the drive or does the bottom-most one go to the innermost part?

[shought]

can anyone sum up what to put as HP and Archive and the type of defragging for *MAXIMUM* performance.

also, the order u set in custom HP is that the topmost folder/file goes to the outermost part of the drive- so in custom ARCHIVE, the topmost folder goes to the innermost part of the drive or does the bottom-most one go to the innermost part?

I don't know about your last question, but it doesn't matter actually. Since it's Archive.

About the first, didn't i do so in my first post? ;)

[spasserfan]

can anyone sum up what to put as HP and Archive and the type of defragging for *MAXIMUM* performance.

also, the order u set in custom HP is that the topmost folder/file goes to the outermost part of the drive- so in custom ARCHIVE, the topmost folder goes to the innermost part of the drive or does the bottom-most one go to the innermost part?

You are right the topmost in archive is indeed placed on the innermost. But this only applies in two cases:

1. If you choose the option "strict placement" under archive

2. If you use "fast" or "very fast" placement options this only applies if there is no archive files already on the most inner tracks, other wise the files will be placed in nearest free space that fits on the inner tracks

The same applies to high performance "strict" places the folders in the specified order, and the files within in alphabetical order to give the highest performance.

I am using fast placement for archive and strict placement for high performance, this way I will get the highest performance from the high performance files and faster defrags because UD not is wasting time on ordering the archive (We do not want performance from these files, otherwise they would not be placed there).

If you really need a strict order in archive I recommend that you only use the option "strict placement" the FIRST time you defrag, that way the files are ordered, and next time you run a defrag just use "fast placement" since this will place newer archive files in the next free space on the archive section.

For your *MAXIMUM* performance defrag method read on:

(...)

using the folder/file name option doesn't make sense- why sort alphabetically and not by the frequency of the files accessed by using the Recency option?

Reading the UD manual before this guide (as written in the first line of this guide) would answer your question:

This method of ordering files on will promote performance since files are sorted in strict order and directory look ups are faster when in alphabetical order. Adjacent track seeks and instantaneous seeks are often achieved since often dll and other data files are called upon by programs in alphabetical order.

The recency method is best suited for drives that may consist exclusively of data files in a server situation or if your hard drive drive is getting full and you want performance for particular files with room to grow.

If you want best performance from the most used files you can just add them under that automatic option under high performance.

To dgr8one: I recommend using folder/file name method, with archive (see this guide) on "fast placement" method, high performance (see this guide) on "strict placement" method, directories close to MFT and respect layout.ini.

[shought]

To dgr8one: I recommend using folder/file name method, with archive (see this guide) on "fast placement" method, high performance (see this guide) on "strict placement" method, directories close to MFT and respect layout.ini.

Agree with all of your previous post, only thing is, still: respect layout.ini will only do a good job when you haven't reinstalled for more than a month. And even then it might be unprecise, as some files you NEVER used are in the same folder as files you use all the time, because of this layout.ini will place all those files in HP, which is something you don't want. One thing i do have to say: If HP and A overlap, A wins, so if something is marked as HP and as A, then it will go into Archive. So that makes the last mentioned problem a bit less worse.

[Marik]

yeah i have an idea.

how about you gather all the useful data from all these posts and update your 1st post with them, coz i don't think most ppl will wanna browse around for them

[shought]

yeah i have an idea.

how about you gather all the useful data from all these posts and update your 1st post with them, coz i don't think most ppl will wanna browse around for them

Didn't i already do so, no? :P I think i've got most of the stuff mentioned here covered :P But if you think something should be added, be my guest! I'll check the posts again ;)

About layout.ini, it did do a good job on our old desktop. I don't use that anymore since it's &*^$*# slow compared to my own PC, but i ran a defrag today and results were good with using layout.ini. Do note: This desktop hasn't had a reinstall in like, a year... So i think i'm going to put the limit for using layout.ini on 2-4 months after your installation. Since i can just tell that it doesn't work right 2 months after a new install.

Edit: Comment on above spasserfan? ;)

[Marik]

This post has been edited by Shought: May 15 2008, 12:15 PM

as i recall, allot of discussion went on after this date, so i don't really think you updated it, since if you did it would say something like 24 or the likes

[spasserfan]

yeah i have an idea.

how about you gather all the useful data from all these posts and update your 1st post with them, coz i don't think most ppl will wanna browse around for them

Didn't i already do so, no? :P I think i've got most of the stuff mentioned here covered :P But if you think something should be added, be my guest! I'll check the posts again ;)

About layout.ini, it did do a good job on our old desktop. I don't use that anymore since it's &*^$*# slow compared to my own PC, but i ran a defrag today and results were good with using layout.ini. Do note: This desktop hasn't had a reinstall in like, a year... So i think i'm going to put the limit for using layout.ini on 2-4 months after your installation. Since i can just tell that it doesn't work right 2 months after a new install.

Edit: Comment on above spasserfan? ;)

I would use layout.ini option from the start. I mean it only contains programs you use, even if it only contains a few in the beginning, these few would be those you use the most, so why not place them in order from the start? Later when more is added to layout.ini and it contains more of the programs you use it will improve performance even further.

Just because you do not notice an improvement it does not mean it is not present. Consider this:

If you have a tweak, program etc. that improves your bootup with 0,5 seconds, you can barely notice it. If you choose to not use it because you did notice an improvement, would you then do it with the next tip too? If you sum them up the could actually give an noticeable improvement. Lets say you got 10 tweaks, programs etc. that all improves bootup with 0,5 seconds, that would be 5 seconds, which is noticeable. Those 5 seconds wont be on your system because you rejected them all because you did not notice anything when testing them one by one. Same applies to everyday usage :P

Got my point?

If you want some time to build statistics then lets say 3 days (which also is the standard for windows). SystemboosterXP is for example able to get statistics from only 1 day!

Edit: Any comments Shought? :P ;)

[shought]

I would use layout.ini option from the start. I mean it only contains programs you use, even if it only contains a few in the beginning, these few would be those you use the most, so why not place them in order from the start? Later when more is added to layout.ini and it contains more of the programs you use it will improve performance even further.

Just because you do not notice an improvement it does not mean it is not present. Consider this:

If you have a tweak, program etc. that improves your bootup with 0,5 seconds, you can barely notice it. If you choose to not use it because you did notice an improvement, would you then do it with the next tip too? If you sum them up the could actually give an noticeable improvement. Lets say you got 10 tweaks, programs etc. that all improves bootup with 0,5 seconds, that would be 5 seconds, which is noticeable. Those 5 seconds wont be on your system because you rejected them all because you did not notice anything when testing them one by one. Same applies to everyday usage :P

Got my point?

If you want some time to build statistics then lets say 3 days (which also is the standard for windows). SystemboosterXP is for example able to get statistics from only 1 day!

Edit: Any comments Shought? :P :P

Yes ;) I have ;)

When you installed your system, most of the files used frequently are installer files and files you only used for once or twice. All of these files will be put into HP by layout.ini, which is in fact a very bad idea. So that's why i thin you will experience degraded performance from using it from the start, rather than improved performance. I'm just thinking theoretically, can't really test it can I.

Well, in any case, i think after 2 months it should be good to use layout.ini, so because of that i will add it to my first post TOMORROW, now i'm desperately in need of some sleep :P

If you got any more arguments to convince me, please do post them here ;) But i think your point is made, and so is mine. Not saying my opinion is better than yours, because you helped me out on a lot of things, but i think, after reinstalling my system twice in a month, we could say i have some more practical experience :P And anyways, if you have your system installed less then two months ago, you hard drive will probably not even be close to filled up, so the performance increase would be minor, if noticeable at all.

Edit: Got your point about the 0,5 second becoming 5 seconds, but i didn't really check performance before and after, since it has to do with more things than just HD fragmentation/file placement. All i do is make theoretically best configuration and what i saw my layout.ini file do wasn't best for my HD, not even 2 weeks after installing. So that's why i got some doubts there, i'm sure this will turn around when i've got my system installed for some more time, i just have to see how long it will take ;)

[spasserfan]

Yes :P I have ;)

When you installed your system, most of the files used frequently are installer files and files you only used for once or twice. All of these files will be put into HP by layout.ini, which is in fact a very bad idea. So that's why i thin you will experience degraded performance from using it from the start, rather than improved performance. I'm just thinking theoretically, can't really test it can I.

Well, in any case, i think after 2 months it should be good to use layout.ini, so because of that i will add it to my first post TOMORROW, now i'm desperately in need of some sleep ;)

If you got any more arguments to convince me, please do post them here ;) But i think your point is made, and so is mine. Not saying my opinion is better than yours, because you helped me out on a lot of things, but i think, after reinstalling my system twice in a month, we could say i have some more practical experience :P And anyways, if you have your system installed less then two months ago, you hard drive will probably not even be close to filled up, so the performance increase would be minor, if noticeable at all.

Edit: Got your point about the 0,5 second becoming 5 seconds, but i didn't really check performance before and after, since it has to do with more things than just HD fragmentation/file placement. All i do is make theoretically best configuration and what i saw my layout.ini file do wasn't best for my HD, not even 2 weeks after installing. So that's why i got some doubts there, i'm sure this will turn around when i've got my system installed for some more time, i just have to see how long it will take :P

[spasserfan]

This post has been edited by Shought: May 15 2008, 12:15 PM

as i recall, allot of discussion went on after this date, so i don't really think you updated it, since if you did it would say something like 24 or the likes