Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!vsi1!daver!intersil!hamilton From: hamilton@intersil.uucp Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Looking for memory defragmentation utility. Message-ID: <187.274c09c6@intersil.uucp> Date: 22 Nov 90 17:24:22 GMT References: <1990Nov1.195107.26149@athena.mit.edu> <2375@moscom.UUCP> <1990Nov14.214230.1087@rodan.acs.syr.edu> <2381@moscom.UUCP> Organization: Harris Semiconductor, Santa Clara CA Lines: 48 >In article 1990Nov14.214230.1087@rodan.acs.syr.edu bwdavies@rodan.acs.syr.edu writes: >>In article <2375@moscom.UUCP> mcc@moscom.UUCP wrote: >>> >>>I have recently received my copy of Quarterback Tools v1.2a from Central Coas t >>>Software and have run it on my 2 meg A1000 with the Sprit Technology HDA-506 >>>doesn't fail it _will_ take quite some time to complete. My 20meg partition >>>took about 30 minutes using the fast option. >> >>You're kidding, right? I have an H-P '286 machine at work with an 80 Meg >>hard drive, and using PC Tools, it takes no more than 10 minutes to >>optimize the whole thing (if I don't have it clear the empty blocks). You're confusing de-fragmenting and re-organizing. PC Tools has a number of "ordering/sorting" options. The base mode is simply de-fragment, in which it basically re-writes any non-contiguous files in consecutive blocks, for faster loading. This mode does nothing else. Now, some of the other options will make it sort the harddisk and put all the files in order, all files in each subdirectory grouped together, etc. This is the sort-of serious re-organization (not just de-fragmentation) that QB tools does. On my 40M 286 system at work, PC tools will take hours re-organizing a perfectly organized, de-fragmented harddisk if I just add a 12 byte file named "AARDVARK", since it will now move every single block over by 1 (maybe 2?) blocks so it can put AARDVARK at the top. Similarly, if I only add a file named "ZEBRA", the re-organization is over in seconds. Bottom line: PC Tools' and Quarterback's _re-organization_ (optimizing) times are probably comparable. Here are the significant differences that I see: Quarterback will use all the ram I have available as a buffer, speeding the process and reducing hd thrashing. On my 10meg the extra 8 megs of buffer memory gives QuarterBack the edge on speed. Quarterback also seems to have a more intelligent/efficient algorythmn for re-organizing. PC Tools is more "robust"-you can stop the program while it's running and your harddisk will be intact. If there is a power interruption, there is a very good chance that nothing on your hard drive will be lost. QB tools needs to add this feature-it's not hard, but it slows things down a little. PC Tools also gives you more control over what exactly you want to do to your harddisk, although the usefulness of some of the options is questionable. It would also be nice if QB tools added a "block clear" feature also. -- Fred Hamilton Any views, comments, or ideas expressed here Harris Semiconductor are entirely my own. Even good ones. Santa Clara, CA $