Re: WinXp & Game~Partitions & best for WinXP?

You don't really need a partition just for the pagefile. I think the idea of a separate partition just for the pagefile came more out of having fragmentation of dynamic pagefiles than anything else. A dynamic pagefile will resize to suit the needs of the operating system and if it shares storage space it can become fragmented, which can in turn negatively affect paging performance, so in the past many gave it its own partition to avoid this performance hit. If you set a static (fixed) size for the pagefile then it will not become fragmented and there is no real need to have a separate partition just for the pagefile, but it will hurt nothing to give it its own partition on an otherwise unused or less used disk. Your second disk which appears to be used very little would most likely be an excellent location for the pagefile. Regardless of how much RAM you have installed in the computer the maximum size of a pagefile on a disk is 4,095 MB so it would be pointless to create partitions any larger than that to accommodate it.

Even if you move the pagefile from the boot volume you should still maintain a small pagefile on the volume to accommodate for a memory.dmp or crash dump file in the event of a kernel mode STOP error or BSOD. Without a pagefile on the boot volume the debug information will not be captured and that might make troubleshooting STOP errors more difficult.

John

drybones wrote:

Thanks John,
Your reply helps a bunch with the page file. There is nothing else on the
second SATA but Ghost so to add a partition in the beginning with my
Partition Magic 8 would be no problem.

When I use Norton Speed disk I see a rather large sized Paging File
so must assume that a 4 GB partition might be good.
Your thoughts on 4 GB would be acceptable.

drybones


"John John" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:Oimf6102GHA.5016@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In this case it MIGHT be advantageous to have the pagefile on a partition on the second disk. Keep the Windows and applications/program files on the same partition on the first SATA disk.

As for the pagefile you could place the pagefile on the second disk but if the system does little to no paging it may make little difference. If you do a lot of file read writes on the second disk then it might not be optimal to place the pagefile there. There is no one size fits all with the placement of the pagefile. If the second hard disk is only used for archives and light read write operations it could make sense to put the pagefile there. Also note that it hurts nothing to have 2 pagefiles, by default Windows will favour and use the pagefile on the least busy disk.

John

drybones wrote:

SATA it is a new Dell XPS 600.
drybones



"John John" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:OL6QTfz2GHA.4756@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Are these drives SATA or IDE? Do they share the same drive controller in a master/slave relationship or are they masters on their own controllers? Leave all the software on the same partition as Windows. The pagefile, ...depends on the answers to the questions above.

John

drybones wrote:



I do have two hard disks. Am using the second at the moment for Norton Ghost
backups (160GB)

Are you saying to leave the primary hard drive at 160GB and load ALL game
program folders into this Windows XP primary drive?
drybones


"John John" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:OU4ctwy2GHA.2176@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



In your house/home design would you put the sink, refrigerator and dishwasher in separate "rooms" to make cooking meals more efficient and faster? No, all it would do is make you run around alot more! As for the pagefile, placing it on a different partition on the same hard disk is tantamount to putting the kitchen stove in the attic!

Leave ALL Windows and program working files on the same partition. You might want to cut the hard disk into different partitions to store your data or to make smaller more manageable data storage areas but as a general rule don't place programs or Windows files on these partitions. Now, if you have more than one hard disk that's a different matter.

John

drybones wrote:




John,
Please be more specific. Are you saying that I should leave everything
within the Primary partition? Games and so forth?
If so 'why'?
drybones


"John John" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:%23yQ$jfy2GHA.1292@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx




None of what you suggest or propose is necessary and any or all of it will have the opposite results, it will in effect degrade performance.

John

drybones wrote:




Am in a quandary as to placing computer games within the same partition as
Windows XP with SP2, or setting up a separate large partition with a few
special folders to place the computer.games individually into.

(?) Also there is the option of setting up a partition for each individual game
outside the primary Windows XP partition.

Wanting to achieve the best possible environment for the WinXP working
condition I am thinking of moving the Paging File to the first partition (D)
to improve Win XP's ability to work faster.

Lots of questions and I do appreciate your advice with each possible
setup of my 're-install' of Win XP and partitioning of the 160GB hard drive.

I thank you for reading this message and hope for positive responses.
drybones



.

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