-= Defragging a LARGE file? =-

[Rotax]

Ok, I was attempting to defrag my hard drive last night, had about 4gs free or so, and there is a 2.3g or so texture.txt file in my everquest directory that is not defraggabled it seems, I thought it was due to lack of space so I freed up about 8gs now, still can't defrag that file.. I was wondering if this large of a fragmented file would cause me slow downs in game, etc.. I tried to dump the file onto another partion, defrag my C: partition, and then bring it back and attempt to defrag again yet it just puts it all at the end of the drive in a big fragmented mess.. Is it too late for it now? Reinstall EQ? =\ Just lookin for some ideas here..I've used all mine up. =P Thanks for any info/help!

 

[stevewm]

Does your defragmentation program specifically say that file is fragmented?


Many people are confused by the drive maps some defrag programs show. Some see the data spread all around the drive and think its fragmented, when in fact it is not. Most programs show fragments in a RED color on their drive map. Unless you see red blocks on the drive map then nothing is fragmented.


I assume you are using the Windows 2k/XP defragger. If so, highlight your hardrive in the program and click Analyze, after a few seconds a dialog will come up, click the View Report button. This will tell you specifically which files on the drive are fragmented. If the file is not listed there then it is no fragmented.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Depends on just how fragmented it is. (The .txt extension is really weird for a texture file...stupid Verant.)

I assume you're using WinXP. Unfortunately most defraggers, including the one in XP, don't perform a really complete defrag, and they're slow about not doing it. As long as the file isn't in a tremendous number of fragments, it shouldn't cause much of an issue for you. If it is in fact just all the textures in the game, then the data will be read in blocks as you change levels or whatever, maybe when a new player comes in, rather than needing lots of continuous access.

You can also download the trial version of PerfectDisk. It actually performs a complete defrag of every file, consolidates free space, and optimizes file placement. Even DiskKeeper won't do all that for some reason. PerfectDisk is also able to optimize the MFT, directories and swap file, which the XP defragger can't, but most others do. The trial version is completely functional, not crippleware.

Large files DO take a significantly long time even in PerfectDisk. I watched for several minutes as a several hundred MB file was defragged, you could be waiting a long time for that texture file to be done.

I suppose it's possible that the XP defragger isn't even capable of defragging quite such large files. Or it has simply determined that it is efficient enough even though it's fragmented. DiskKeeper (which XP's defrag is based on) also does that. It leaves lots of files fragmented but considers them optimal.

 

[Rotax]

I'm runnin 2k. Just using the built in defragger. I do "know" its fragmented (have enough experiance w/ PCs to know how to read the results, etc.) I think it said it had prob around 500 fragments.. Maybe I'll give that PerfectDisk a shot, and yeah, I do know that it will take hella long. lol I copied the file over to my other partion...like 60 mins to do it. =P Out smarted it when I 'moved' it back tho.

Yeah I thought it was quite odd to have a texture file w/ a txt extension too... *shrug* txt=texture? lol I dont' know.

Anyway, thanks for the tip! I'll give it a shot.

Peace.