Guide on how to configure UltimateDefrag 2008 properly

[HX1]

Does anyone know if BootVis actually works on Windows 7.. so that I can use the Respect Layout option.. I have a copy of it but it is really old.. was the most recent version at the time..

Anyway just wondering if anyone knows or not.. about to do my first HighPerformace related Move and defrag.. since I finished ( almost finished have a few entries to change according to Nessus as well ) installing and configuring .. Wanted to know.. had a few things to go and was getting close.. thought I would ask..

EDIT: Nvrmnd... got it.. went with auto... cleanest looking HD I have seen in awhile.. even better ( and Thank God for the smaller MFT - was 6GB before ) than it was with XP.. LOL

[Bucic]

Does anyone know if BootVis actually works on Windows 7.. so that I can use the Respect Layout option.. I have a copy of it but it is really old.. was the most recent version at the time..

Anyway just wondering if anyone knows or not.. about to do my first HighPerformace related Move and defrag.. since I finished ( almost finished have a few entries to change according to Nessus as well ) installing and configuring .. Wanted to know.. had a few things to go and was getting close.. thought I would ask..

EDIT: Nvrmnd... got it.. went with auto... cleanest looking HD I have seen in awhile.. even better ( and Thank God for the smaller MFT - was 6GB before ) than it was with XP.. LOL

BootVis has been reported even by Microsoft as a "placebo app" and even more obsolete in Windows Vista / 7.

Here are my questions re UltimateDefrag 1.72 freeware:

1. (the vital one) Is the whole thing with big partitions correct?

I mean isn't it the case that when I have 100,000 files and performance application comprised of 20,000 files and when I place that app on a separate partition (from first 20 GB to first 30 GB for example) it will perform better than UltimateDefrag solution because "system will have to care about and search only in that particular box and not through 100,000 of files"?

If the answer is yes than the whole UltimateDefrag idea is a bogus knowing that that partition (20-35) is still very close to the outer tracks of HDD.

2. Completely unpredictable effects of my initial defrag of my C: drive:

method: Recency

settings:

first pass results:

second pass results:

in the meantime it got stuck with no HDD LED activity:

just to move further after a few minutes:

Basically it moved 90% of my data to inner tracks leaving the data on the outer tracks scattered like hell!

I did a third run with the same drive settings but with consolidate method:

and I don't know what to think about it.

3. Boot-time defragmentation does not work for me:

or at least I haven't noticed it. According to the manual after a successful bt defrag the option should uncheck itself automatically in the options. Nothing like this happens in my case.

I see a great potential in this app. For example tha famous monster-folder in Windows 7 - the winsxs contains mostly data not accessed for months.

[shought]

'UltimateDefrag 1.72', this is an outdated version... Have a look at our frontpage to find the latest version with a proper fix (I can't tell from your screenshots whether you just made a typing error or you're actually using that version).

V3 was supposed to be released already, but those guys at Disktrix eat deadlines for breakfast, I suppose.

[Bucic]

I use the latest free version?

Really? So there's no hope for functional free version?

If I decide to try a payware version it will be the latest version downloaded from Softpedia. If you know a newer version please post a link.

[kingkinght60]

Latest version is now supposed to be released August 2, 2010. They said mid-june but only 2 people make it delayed.

Since their site is barely updated, had to snoop around to find this.

Source

[shought]

I use the latest free version?

Really? So there's no hope for functional free version?

If I decide to try a payware version it will be the latest version downloaded from Softpedia. If you know a newer version please post a link.

Sorry, missed your post earlier....

Latest version: http://www.nsanedown.com/?request=5113647

[Bucic]

OK, but can anyone answer my previous question - can I be sure that UD 2008 will not behave erratically like I described for the 1.72 freeware?

[shought]

OK, but can anyone answer my previous question - can I be sure that UD 2008 will not behave erratically like I described for the 1.72 freeware?

Sure, probably not...

I don't expect it to do so though ;)

Try it.

[KotaXor]

Update of tutorial?

The new UD is out.

[jofre]

Update of tutorial?

The new UD is out.

--------------------------------------------

Shought is on vacations....

[KotaXor]

Update of tutorial?

The new UD is out.

--------------------------------------------

Shought is on vacations....

lol..I know, just a reminder for him.

He pick a time to go on vacation when the new version of UD is launch? co-incident?

Or does he know something we don't ......lol.

[shought]

Back from Croatia, off to Spain...

You guys figure some stuff out yourself first, maybe you'll teach me this time. (Just because I made a guide about the previous version doesn't mean I have to be the one to make another, anyone may use parts from this guide and make a guide for V3, I'll obviously add some comments.) I will try to write another guide on it though ;)

[Bucic]

One thing still bothers me ever since I've discovered UltimateDefrag with it's original 'prefer less partitions with our data placement method' approach. My previous approach was, for example:

I have an application with 20,000+ files. I place it on a dedicated partition so that when the application runs it has this and only this partition to 'scan' for needed files as opposite to searching for needed files on a partition where 100,000 files from another applications reside.

So Ultimate defrag says rather than placing different kinds of toys in different boxes it is better to place all toys in one box but in a special, clever way. Is this claim even true?

[shought]

I don't think they claim this is better, they claim this is more easy and customizable. (With the end results being the same, or even better (read on for explanation).)

An application probably won't use only files installed by it, it will access Windows DLLs and maybe other files as well. Therefore the Windows files should also be close to the program files and the Local Settings (stores user preferences for applications). It'd be difficult to reach the same result using partitions (not impossible, but difficult).

[shought]

When using the new version to defrag my new laptop I noticed that the usage of layout.ini has improved and I'd now recommend using it. (I'm not entirely sure about when it is respected and when not, because if you pick Folder/Filename and respect layout.ini it will do something different, really odd, I'll do some more research.)

[henz]

The Ultimate Tutorial For Optimizing Your Hard Drive For 800% Better Raw Performance....

Compressing Key Files & Directories

NTFS file compression is built in file compression that is part of the NTFS file system. The file remains in its native readable format (as opposed to zip compression) but occupies a smaller space on the drive. Therefore less physical data is accessed from the drive. It is decompressed on the fly. Since today’s processors are so powerful – the decompression time is negligible so the time saved reading the file is directly proportional to the compression factor. Some files compress 50 to 1, some 10 to one and some, such as jpg files, are not compressible. The average file compression factor you’ll experience is around 1.6 to 1.

We’re going to compress all files in these 3 main directories:

In Windows XP:

• Documents and Settings
• Program Files
• Windows
• All .exe and .dll files across the entire drive

In Windows Vista And Windows 7 - 32 bit

• Users
• Program Files
• Program Data
• Windows
• All .exe and .dll files across the entire drive

In Windows Vista and Windows 7 - 64 bit

• Users
• Program Files
• Program Files (x86)
• Program Data
• Windows
• All .exe and .dll files across the entire drive

Defragmenting, Optimally Placing Files and Seek Confinement
These steps are where we are going to vastly improve the performance. You will need UltimateDefrag to do this.
We are going to:

• Move rarely used files out of the way to the inner areas of your hard drive using the archive function. Since these files are rarely used we don’t want them in the fastest performing areas of your hard drive which we want to dedicate to Windows, Program Files and User Files.
  
• Defrag and Move all the compressed files to the outer tracks of your hard drive. These will end up in a narrow band at the outer rings of your hard drive in your UltimateDefrag disk display. Known as seek confinement.

Follow these steps to achieve this:

• Launch UltimateDefrag
  

• Select Settings
  

• Under the Archive section we are going to select Automatic – 91 Past days data was not used and we are going to all wildcard *.zip. This is going to move all files you haven’t used in the past 90 days to the inner tracks and also all zip files.
  

• Under High Performance we are going to select Custom (Select Files) and we are going to add:
  In Windows XP: Program Files, Documents And Settings and Windows
  In Vista and Win 7: Program Files, Program Files (x86) (in 64 bit versions), Program Data, Users and Windows
  

• Note when you check these directories you also need to click them across to the left panel then select OK.
  

• Back at the Settings screen you will also add files by wildcard: *.exe, *.dll, *.sys
  

• Select Very Fast Placement. FragProtect is optional.
  

• When you have completed these settings, select OK to go back to the UltimateDefrag main user interface.

Running the defrag and file placement routine.

• Under Defragmentation Mode select the CONSOLIDATE method
  

• Select the Options button right next to the Consolidate method.
  

Place a check mark next to:

Respect High Performance

Respect Archive

Place Directories Next to MFT

Very Fast Placement

FragProtect is optional.

• When you have selected these settings, press OK to go back to the main UltimateDefrag screen.
  

• We are ready to run the process. Press Start.
  

• UltimateDefrag will now go ahead and perform the defragmentation and file placement. Depending upon the amount of data on your drive and current file placement this routing can take anywhere between 20 minutes to 5 hours.

Optimizing Placement Of System Files
We’re going to complete the final step of placing important system files such as MFT, Page File, USN Change Journal and Logfile in close proximity to your high performance files. You hard drive is constantly writing to and reading from these system files and we want to minimize travel time for your hard drive heads to and from these system files.

• The first thing we are going to do is take note of the cluster we want these system files to begin at.
  
• Click your mouse in the first square in the third ring from the outer tracks.
  
• The cluster viewer will appear in the left hand pane
  
• Take note of the first number after cluster viewer. In this example it is 6056610. This will be the Starting Cluster you will use in the boot time screen.
  
• Go into Settings and select Boot Time
  
• Keep all default settings but in the Starting Cluster enter the number you got from step 4 above.
  
• Check Run During Next Boot and select OK.
  
• Exit UltimateDefrag and restart your system.
  
• When your system restarts the boot time module will defrag and optimally place your system files.
  
• After your system starts you may want to (and should) run Defragmenting, Optimally Placing Files and Seek Confinement steps above to finalize placement of your files after movement of your system files.

http://www.disktrix.com/Can_Your_Defrag_Software_Do_This_2.htm

[HX1]

I got this in email the other day... :thumbsup:

[BLIND]

Did you already tried the Tutorial?

Compressing that directories really improve the system?

[HX1]

Some elements I have are already done this way.. BUT to answer your question.. I have not.. and the reason I have not is because I have a 1.7 GHz Celeron Single Core Processor.. which means high CPU Usage spikes when I am simply accessing files.... I also have not added any directories in particular as I have quite a bit of space taken up by AMC CS5( which is a lot of the space required by my setup.. )... So basically the same thing but with few common sense changes for my configuration..

[DKT27]

On my old system, I had almost all the files, from Windows to games to videos compressed. I selected whole drives to compress. It surely reduced a hell lot of space. The compressed file's names were in blue and encrypted ones were green (a file can only have either one, compressed or encrypted). I sort of loved it, but then I thought that compressing files may slow down my HDD, but I could be wrong....

[HX1]

Compression during all process of.. and encryption has nothing to do with the HD except the fact of file size.. Actual access times are reduced because you can compress and move more files to the faster section of the disc.. so more files to the outer layer, the faster most files access times will be for most frequently used data and high performance files.. less time because of file size as well... SO the thing that comes down to the slow down.. is actual processor and the OS ability to decompress and compress these files if they are ever changed or modified.. Thing is when a file is accessed and last access time is written to the file data streams.. the files becomes modified.. therefore.. you have a decompress, a read, a writes and recompress.. and depending on whatever else takes place or how many times it is accessed. The number of files being access.. or written..and more CPU Resources being used.. with the right configuration though I could see how it could help..

[DKT27]

Well, something to surely think about, not sure if I should risk it. I do have a fast processor now, but don't know if this thing has a wrong effect on computer startup.

[HX1]

Yeah.. it was never good for my particular system.. I actually do not believe that even one file in my Programs and OS is compressed..

[KotaXor]

Tried the method....compressing the files does not make much of a difference.

Using the consolidate method mentioned also does not make much of a difference.

Have been monitoring it for a week now.

[DKT27]

I believe the guide is not made for advanced users. File/Folder method is a advanced method, it is what shought has used in his guide.