FSX & SLI

[justpassingthrough]

[quote][quote]Wooooo

[Nick N]

[quote][quote][quote]Wooooo

[Black ZR-1]

Disk Check done. Took a little bit over 2 hours. Moving on to the next..

[Black ZR-1]

Registry compaction & registry mechanic complete, temp files deleted, etc. Only thing left is O&O, but I have a question: Since I already defragged my HD last week, do I still need defrag it with O&O and the instructions you listed to run it?

Defragging will be done overnight. This is why I ask.

Also, I already noticed my computer's flying (no pun intended).

[Nick N]

Registry compaction & registry mechanic complete, temp files deleted, etc. Only thing left is O&O, but I have a question: Since I already defragged my HD last week, do I still need defrag it with O&O and the instructions you listed to run it?

Defragging will be done overnight. This is why I ask.

Follow that list exactly as it was laid out. O&O Defrag and the way it is used in that list is a major reason for reduction of CPU cycles that are diverted from the system to go into hard drive access. I know its a pain but once it is done right the first time you need only do the follow ups monthly and every 60-90 days

By setting the program up to use LAYOUT.ini when defraging, it is further optimizing the system boot

The software also defragments the MFT, a hidden section you can not see (except in the software GUI) and if that catalog is defraged with the files on the HDD in name order, you are significantly reducing the head movement of the drive and recovering those cycles for use in FSX. Scenery loads become fluid and the buffers on the drive and the system are then put to efficent use instead of the system constantly trying to unscramble a puzzle and put it back together again.

[Black ZR-1]

First phase of O&O complete. It took over 13.5 hours to complete the first phase. Is it going to take the same time to do it again? In your thread you state to repeat the first process.

[Nick N]

First phase of O&O complete. It took over 13.5 hours to complete the first phase. Is it going to take the same time to do it again? In your thread you state to repeat the first process.

I can tell you this... the reason it took so long is because that drive is over-full. It looks to me like you could use a 250GB HDD. A 150GB would hardly give you the proper free space

You have exceeded the capacity which allows the drive the ability to run optimally. Just an FYI, never exceed 60% with the data. The reason is the MFT Zone needs 15-25% of the drive to maintain a proper catalog (this is hidden) and when a drive exceeds 70-75%, the catalog is reduced by Windows which then starts to degrade performance. The 2nd reason not to exceed 50-60% (I keep mine at below 50%) is because of basic geometry. The data is maintained in an area the head of the drive spends less time seeking and therefore throughput is immensely improved.


O&O Defrag requires 25% free space at minimum (including the MFT Zone) to run fast.

The first pass was the SPACE defrag?

Since it looks fairly compacted you can skip the 2nd SPACE defrag and go to the OFFLINE defrag

From there follow the list.

It will take time unfortunately because of how full the drive is, but it must be done. The first COMPLETE\NAME defrag will take quite a while however the passes after that will be quicker.


just a suggestion, in the BLOCK VIEW menu shown on the sceenshot, set the visuals. UNCHECK: XP Style and Shading, then set to 8 Pixels (you may want 6) but that will make the GUI look much clearer.


Here is another suggestion which may speed things up a bit....

The page file is very fragmented right now and before you run the offline defrag I suggest we rebuild it again so it will not take as long for the offline to run.

Browse to CONTROL PANEL - SYSTEM - ADVANCED TAB - PERFORMANCE BUTTON - ADVANCED TAB - VIRTUAL MEMORY

[Black ZR-1]

I re-spaced the hd again before I could read your response. It took a little under an hour to do it. I will continue with the rest of the process as suggested.

[Nick N]

I re-spaced the hd again before I could read your response. It took a little under an hour to do it. I will continue with the rest of the process as suggested.

Good.. It is actually is better to follow the list


As you found out, the drive was not really defragged completely.

What you have done with a SPACE defrag is have the system locate and catalog all the parts of each file, move them so they are together and not broken up, and then compacted the files removing the free space between them. You have not actually defragmented the system yet.

The offline defrag will move the page file and defragment it and the MFT catalog in the same manor as above.

The COMPLETE\NAME defrag is where the real process starts. It will move each one of the files and place them in name order on the disk. At the same time it will name order the MFT catalog, just like they do at a school or public library with the decimal system. The first pass usually only nets a true 50% defrag. The second pass nets the other 50% (no matter what you see on the screen) I usually run a COMPLETE\NAME defrag 3 times on new installs with a reboot in-betwen each pass but thats just me.

The final space defrag ensures that the files which have now been placed in name order AND the MFT catalog compact so there is no free space between the sectors or file components.

So in essence what you are doing is setting up a library, just like any pubic library with a search catalog and with the publications in a very tight and compact order. The system no longer has to go searching for:

1. Parts of files
2. Parts of catalog entries
3. Move the head all over the disk repeatedly

If you listen to the drive in the tower (assuming you can hear it) you will notice it is no longer 'crunching' and 'growling'

It makes short BUzzz and

[Black ZR-1]

First phase of O&O complete. It took over 13.5 hours to complete the first phase. Is it going to take the same time to do it again? In your thread you state to repeat the first process.

I can tell you this... the reason it took so long is because that drive is over-full. It looks to me like you could use a 250GB HDD. A 150GB would hardly give you the proper free space

You have exceeded the capacity which allows the drive the ability to run optimally. Just an FYI, never exceed 60% with the data. The reason is the MFT Zone needs 15-25% of the drive to maintain a proper catalog (this is hidden) and when a drive exceeds 70-75%, the catalog is reduced by Windows which then starts to degrade performance. The 2nd reason not to exceed 50-60% (I keep mine at below 50%) is because of basic geometry. The data is maintained in an area the head of the drive spends less time seeking and therefore throughput is immensely improved.


O&O Defrag requires 25% free space at minimum (including the MFT Zone) to run fast.

The first pass was the SPACE defrag?

Since it looks fairly compacted you can skip the 2nd SPACE defrag and go to the OFFLINE defrag

From there follow the list.

It will take time unfortunately because of how full the drive is, but it must be done. The first COMPLETE\NAME defrag will take quite a while however the passes after that will be quicker.


just a suggestion, in the BLOCK VIEW menu shown on the sceenshot, set the visuals. UNCHECK: XP Style and Shading, then set to 8 Pixels (you may want 6) but that will make the GUI look much clearer.


Here is another suggestion which may speed things up a bit....

The page file is very fragmented right now and before you run the offline defrag I suggest we rebuild it again so it will not take as long for the offline to run.

Browse to CONTROL PANEL - SYSTEM - ADVANCED TAB - PERFORMANCE BUTTON - ADVANCED TAB - VIRTUAL MEMORY

[Nick N]

I've followed this and I'm about to defrag offline.

See you on the other side!

I wish to point out that what you are doing is not about FRAMES, it

[justpassingthrough]

The reason I wanted you to run the weather pattern was so the humidity would contrast the trees and buildings being rendered and make it easier to see if it was bare. If you ran it during the spring/summer without weather and haze the loss of the scenery would not be as noticeable and less blank spots would be apparent. Also, the extra load of the weather is what caused the frame drop, which I expected you would check, however FSX was designed with good low poly clouds so they will not kill a system like the default FS9 clouds do.

Fly the settings as see if things do not change a bit.

You are fairly maxed out so there is not much more I can suggest.

Well, I have flown many different areas and I must say that I LIKE the improvements but I can

[Black ZR-1]

I've followed this and I'm about to defrag offline.

See you on the other side!

I wish to point out that what you are doing is not about FRAMES, it

[Nick N]

The reason I wanted you to run the weather pattern was so the humidity would contrast the trees and buildings being rendered and make it easier to see if it was bare. If you ran it during the spring/summer without weather and haze the loss of the scenery would not be as noticeable and less blank spots would be apparent. Also, the extra load of the weather is what caused the frame drop, which I expected you would check, however FSX was designed with good low poly clouds so they will not kill a system like the default FS9 clouds do.

Fly the settings as see if things do not change a bit.

You are fairly maxed out so there is not much more I can suggest.

Well, I have flown many different areas and I must say that I LIKE the improvements but I can

[Nick N]

I've followed this and I'm about to defrag offline.

See you on the other side!

I wish to point out that what you are doing is not about FRAMES, it