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Boot Time Defragment


mrbencai

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This forum is for ASC.

 

'Pagefile' is Vertual-memory (temporary storage), so I doubt that is an area that needs defragmenting?

 

So sorry if I have posted this in the wrong place.

I am not sure if it need defragmenting but since it is a function in the smart defragment program, then I suppose it helps?

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Hi Toppack,

 

Quote by Mark Russinovich (Windows Sysinternals, Microsoft.)

Paging and Registry file fragmentation can be one of the leading causes of performance degradation related to file fragmentation in a system.

 

As you know, pagefile is an allocated space in the hard drive to accomodate the content of RAM and used for operations of the OS.

 

Since PC is reading and writing to pagefile, seek time and going to and coming from pieces of it (if fragmented) is important and ongoing operation. So it is even more important than normal files that it is kept defragmented. Infact, it is the allocated space that is defragmented.

 

I would suggest Think about Defragmentation!!! thread to be read! :mrgreen:

 

Cheers.

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???

I guess the Pagefile is Not what I have read that it Is?

I understood it to be Temporary data, that Changed constantly like RAM, so defraging it would also be very temporary.

Therefore no benefit from defraging something that won't be there very long.

If they want to defrag Virtual-memory, why are they Not defraging RAM-memory Also, which is essentially the same thing? :lol:

 

The Pagefile is Completely different thing from Registry files.

Registry files are more permanent, Not virtual-memory like the Pagefile is.

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Pagefile is always there defragged or fragmented, it is not temporary but the content is. The head of the HD seeks the actual pagefile in it's location whatever the content is.

 

If the Pagefile is fragmented then the information in pagefile is fragmented, so if it is in one piece, all the information in pagefile is in one piece.

 

Please believe Mark, he is the #1 expert on this subject in the world and author of PageDefrag and Contig programs. ;-):lol:

 

I have included the Registry file defragmentation importance in the quote as not to change the quote. It is an example to show that pagefile fragmentation is as important as Registry fragmentation.

 

RAM and pagefile? Not the same thing at all but same content can be found in both places. Remember SSD? RAM is kind of SSD and doesn't need defrag also, and much faster than HD (where the pagefile is).

 

Cheers.

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I was trying to find more Info on Virtual-memory on this page:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_memory

 

And I found this Statement:

 

"Systems that employ virtual memory: make the programming of applications easier by: hiding fragmentation."

 

Anyone know what they mean by "hiding fragmentation"?

Does Windows Hide fragmentation of the Pagefile somehow?

If so, does SD UN-Hide it? :lol:

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I found that the word commonly used to describe the Contant swapping of data between RAM and Pagefile is 'Thrashing'.

I've still Not found a way that Thrashed data can be Defraged, during operation.

I think the Pagefile area is cleared at Bootup, so there would be no need to defrag it then either, if that's true.

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Hi Toppack,

 

Perhaps I couldn't explain it clearly, but when you create a pagefile at your will {size and creation options can be adjusted by going to Advanced System Settings=>Advanced tab=>Performance=>Settings=>Advanced tab=>Change=>select system drive (C:)=>Custom size:=>set Initial size (MB)=>set Maximum size (MB)=>Set=>OK=>Apply=>OK}, after restart of Windows, the alocated pagefile will be empty but at the size you have defined. Also it could be in one piece or it could be fragmented to pieces. When data from RAM swapped to pagefile, it will be written to page file.

 

If the pagefile is already fragmented, the data will be fragmented too. If the pagefile is in one piece, than the data written to page file will be in one piece on the hard drive also.

 

When the OS needs to read or write data to pagefile, certainly it is better for the performance of the PC if the pagefile is in one piece (so as the data in pagefile).

 

When the pagefile size is not enough for the data that PC would write then a new partition on the disk is created as part of the existing pagefile and those sectors could or could not be adjacent to existing pagefile, so in certain conditions in time pagefile.sys file can be more fragmented.

 

I have done an excersize for you on my Win7 pro. It is also a reply to mrbencai.

 

I had 288 MB of pagefile, so I adjusted it to initial 3072 MB and Max 4096 MB, when I restarted my Windows, pagefile was divided into 2 pieces because there was not free contigious space following the existing pagefile.

 

Then I used Smart Defrag 2.1 to bootdefrag pagefile and other system files including my hibernation file (I am using notebook). After it is finished, my pagefile was in one piece as all the other system files Smart Defrag supposed to defrag.

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

 

I would like to make a comment on that virtual memory hiding fragmentation thing, but it will only be a guess.

 

Pagefile being in one piece, hides the fragmentation of data normally would have been fragmented if they were not written to pagefile and written dircetly to HD.

This is the most logical explanation comes to my mind about that comment.

 

BTW, pagefile area is not cleared at Bootup by default, unless you change that. (fx. if you would like to protect your privacy and overwrite the paging file by zeros at shutdown, go to ASC4=>Toolbox=>Control=>System Control=>System Settings=>Memory and Cache=>Memory Management=>Page File and tick "Delete page file at shutdown" option.)

 

All the best and cheers.

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Okay, I think I see what you are saying.

So, SD is actually changing the sizes and locations of the virtual-memory Pages?

(Not defraging the data temporarily stored in those Page areas of the drive)

To make more efficient use of the drive space.

Is that correct?

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Locations yes, but not the sizes.

Not defragging the data but the pagefile.sys file.

 

Not only more efficient use of the drive space but also reducing the read/write seek time for the data in pagefile.

 

FYI, I have added a paragraph to my previous post.

 

Cheers

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