Is it normal to copy 6.6gb of files in 30 minutes?

[KIAman]

I have only a single drive, a WD 160 SE. I decided to copy over some files from 1 folder to another. It was approx 6.6gb worth of files but took 30 minutes to copy. That seems a tad too slow. I tested several times just in case it was a fluke. Same results. Even rebooted and shut off all programs.

Thats about 6600mb/(30minutes*60seconds) = 3.7mb per second!!!!!!!

Is this normal???????

Specs
Epox 8k3a - 8/15/02 bios
WD160SE 160GB 7200RPM 8MB
VIA 4in1 V4.42
Windows XP Pro Sp1

 

[Maki]

Yes.

Copying on the same disk tends to be brutal. Your 3.7mb/s is more like 7.4mb/s because the system first has to read then it has to write. Also note that the disk will never get rolling because it is thrashing about reading data from one spot and then hotfooting it to another to write it. Throw in having to read and write from and to assorted disk structures (fat tables or whatever ntfs has) and you have the disk spending a lot of its time seeking all over the place.

 

[Peter]

Yes, given the poor file access time in Windows (esp. on FAT partitions) combined with IDE drives' incapability to order pending reads and writes to optimize media throughput (like SCSI drives would), this is perfectly normal.

 

[KIAman]

Wow, this amazes me how this factor doesnt show up in any sort of performance tests. Well in anycase, thanks for the info Maki and Peter. That is one more mystery I dont have to worry about anymore.

 

[LouPoir]

Very slow.

 

[KIAman]

What do you mean?
Do you think something is wrong with my HD/IDE/MB/OS/Drivers?

 

[Adul]

Originally posted by: KIAman
What do you mean? Do you think something is wrong with my HD/IDE/MB/OS/Drivers?

there is nothing wrong with your setup.

now if it was between two different drives then that would be an issue

 

[randypj]

Hmmm....I'd like to give that a try on mine and see how it compares.

Were you copying lots of little files, or just a few biggies?
--Randy

 

[KIAman]

About total of 60 files.