Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!wuarchive!udel!rochester!rit!moscom!mcc
From: mcc@moscom.UUCP (Mike Corbett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Looking for memory defragmentation utility.
Keywords: Memory, Utility
Message-ID: <2375@moscom.UUCP>
Date: 13 Nov 90 18:39:07 GMT
References: <1990Nov1.195107.26149@athena.mit.edu>
Reply-To: mcc@moscom.UUCP (Mike Corbett)
Organization: Moscom Corp., E. Rochester, NY
Lines: 79

In article <1990Nov1.195107.26149@athena.mit.edu> hjj@athena.mit.edu (Hector Jimenez-Gonzalez) writes:
>
>  I am looking for a SAFE memory defragmentation utility for my hard drive. 
>Is there an equivalent of the Norton Speed Utilities for the Amiga? 
>I have seen programs that report memory fragmentation but none that actually 
>fix it. 


I have recently received my copy of Quarterback Tools v1.2a from Central Coast
Software and have run it on my 2 meg A1000 with the Sprit Technology HDA-506 
interface. My hard drive is a 20meg Tandon 3 1/2" ST-506 MFM with ~65ms avg.
seek time.

I wish I could say that it works great.  It works ok on my setup, but there is
a problem.  My hard drive has a (semi) badspot.  When I run the low-level
format it formats and verifies fine.  It will even hi-level format ok right
after a low-level. The problem is that within 1/2 hour of a low-level format 
that one spot will show up as bad.  This means that the badspot is not recorded
in the low-level.  When I run the defragment utility it first scans the drive,
checking the file system. When the file system checks out ok it then proceeds
to defragment the disk.  If it finds an unreadable sopt on the disk it tells
you to run the badspot marking utility.

However, the way they mark badspots is to just put a "badspot" file over the
bad area.  This is not adequate.  When the defragment program scans the drive
it sees the "badspot" file out there and refuses to proceed.  At this point I
have two options.  I can leave my drive fragmented, but this defeats the
purpose of _buying_ the package, or I can redo the low-level format, writing
the badspot into the low-level.

No I can't.  The low-level formatting software from Spirit doesn't let me
enter known badspots.  My only solution (for now) is to redo the low-level
format, redo the hi-level format, restore from the full system backup that I
did just before I started all this, then (quickly) run the defragment program.
_Whew!_

After all this, yes, I found things would load _much_ more quickly than before.
No, this is not just because of the reformat, restore cycle (I have tried that
before).  I estimate at least a threefold improvement in opening windows,
loading programs, etc..

I then ran the defragment utility on my A2000 with a Pioneer(?) SCSI interface
and 40meg hd.  It ran flawlessly.

Now a short description of how it is used.

When you first enter QB Tools you are presented with a list of available hd
partitions. Click on one and you now move to the main menu.  From here you
can ask for technical info for that device, go to the defrag. menu, examine
the partition for badspots, or other things I can't remember right now.  (I am
at work, after all ;-))

Within the defrag. menu you can get a report on disk fragmentation, (something
else) or go ahead and start the defrag. process.  Beware, if the defrag. process
fails, you could loose everything on that partition, so make a backup!  If it
doesn't fail it _will_ take quite some time to complete.  My 20meg partition
took about 30 minutes using the fast option.

After talking with the people at CCS I have found that my problem is caused
by the combination of my ST-506 drive and the fact that the defrag. tool
discards the bitmap and executes depending directly upon what it finds when
it scans the disk.  I was told they did it this way upon recommendation by
Commodore.  I am not _totally_ sure what this means, but I do know this is not
how programs like Norton Speed Disk and PC Tools disk reorganize work on the
(ack!) IBM.

I know that this is not a complete review, but I have only had it for a few
days.

Anyways, I hope this helps!


Mike

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