Do you "compress files" in XP via Disk Cleanup?

[archcommus]

I've been doing this recently. All it seems to do is compress files (they turn blue) that haven't been touched in a long time. Frees up like an extra gig or more every once in awhile, I'd say that's pretty decent.

Do you do this? Any disadvantages? How exactly is it "compressing" these files?

 

[lxskllr]

I don't know exactly how compression works, but it'll slow down the files opening when you need to use it. I don't compress my files. Hard disks are cheap enough that I can buy another hd if space is getting low. I guess if you don't use the files much it isn't a big deal, but hds are already too slow for my taste without adding to the problem.

 

[bendixG15]

The ship has sailed on compressing files.

In days of yore with small hard drives, MS pushed for file compression as a way to gain storage. Never really became popular, cause bigger drives came out.

IMHO ...Do not use file compression, not worth the trouble and possible headaches.

 

[greylica]

Some times is very interessant to compress files,In some cases files compressed are faster than non compressed files.
In Files about 2 - 4 Mb the process are faster cause the compressed file are decompressed with lower latency. The drive read a lower amount of data and send it to the processor that is 600 times faster than read an large amount of clusters of the hard disk drive. Such files are better to be used in case of lower usage and net shared folders whereas your software generate a great amount of small files. Compressed files in this case have advantages cause a hash is generated to protect the file.

With bigger files, we have another situation cause sequencial reads and files that are larger takes a long time to decompress, the process is redundant. Videos are the poorer compressed files cause the amount of data are so complex to compress and are so large that it can lower all of your sytem with a great amount of processor used and no advantages.

All compressed files need to be decompressed by the processor to be used, large files turns the process a redundant lower process,
Small compressed files are cached faster, and decompressed faster, is transparent to the user, and have a non perceptive impact on overall system performance.

 

[Nothinman]

I don't know exactly how compression works, but it'll slow down the files opening when you need to use it.

Not really, chances are that your CPU is more than fast enough to decompress them in real time so the fact that you have to read less from the disk will speed up access to the files. Writing to them will obviously be slower thoughs so it doesn't make sense to compress files that you change a lot.