Defrag - Try this...

[S.O.P]

Just came across this defragger the other day that claims to 'defrag' in a unique way. Basically, you can choose which files you want on the faster part of your hard drive spindle.

Ordinary defraggers are a dime a dozen. UltimateDefrag is NOT just a defragger. It's a totally unique software that is both a defragger AND a file placement optimizer.

UltimateDefrag is the ultimate defragger and File Placement Optimizer. Defragging hard drives helps to restore your hard drive performance. File placement optimizing on the other hand, boosts your theoretical hard drive file access performance by up to 300% of manufacturers quoted averages (typical performance increase you'll experience is between 25 and 100%) by placing the files you want performance from onto the faster performing (outer tracks) areas of your hard drive. With UltimateDefrag - you can specify which individual files, programs or games you want the best performance from. The "Archive" function places all of your unused files out of the way and onto the slower performing areas of your hard drive.Source: http://www.disktrix.com/UDIntroduction.htm

This software is free. Actual benefit to your gaming? Unknown. It may help people with 1GB RAM and less by reducing HDD lag.

It can be downloaded from here: http://www.disktrix.com/downloads/UltimateDefragFREEPu blicDomainEditionSet up.exe. 2MB download.



How to Defrag for BF2

Install and Start the Program.

Go to 'Tools>Options'.
Under 'High Performance' check 'Custom'. Click 'Select Files'.
Tick the Checkbox next to your BF2 directory and C:\Windows. Press the '<<' key to move them to the left.
Change the order so BF2 is at the top by clicking and dragging if needed (this is assuming you have BF2 installed on C:\Program Files\EA Games\ [I use \EA Games\ as BF2 is my only EA Game installed]).


http://img152.imageshack.us /img152/1066/drivesvb2.png

Under 'Archive' click 'Custom', click 'Select Files'. Check everything other than Windows and BF2 and any other games or important programs you have. I checked absolutely everything for now (except for those 2).
Tick 'Use Fast Archival'.

Note: If you had C:\Windows and D:\BF2 for example, when you are in 'Tools>Options', just put \Windows\ as your High Performance on C: and archive everything else and on D: do the same for \EA Games\ and archive everything else.


Press 'OK' to get out of the Options.

Mark the Radio Button next to 'Consolidate' on the left and click 'Options'.
Tick 'Respect High Performance'.
Tick 'Respect Archive'.

Start the defrag.

Profit.


During:
http://img265.imageshack.us /img265/9876/defragpy1.png


Finished:
http://img142.imageshack.us /img142/8793/finisheddefragva5.pn g

[Bahlye]

I stopped at the
" Tick the Checkbox next to your BF2 directory and C:\Windows. Press the '<<' key to move them to the left.
Change the order so BF2 is at the top by clicking and dragging if needed (this is assuming you have BF2 installed on C:\)."

.................... ....bit.

I didn't want to ferk up Pr ,cos its a pita reinstalling.

Do you mean select program files/ea games/bf2 directory.?,I ticked that but the "C:\Windows" is where I stopped the process/got stuck..
Not going to mess around in there atm.;)


I have BF2 running on a virtual drive,is there a problem if I run this ,its installed on the C:\,but run off the virtual(E:\) drive.

[S.O.P]

I don't think you could feck it up, due to it only being files moved here, there , everythere. It doesn't actually 'change' anything.

I have my BF2 disc on a virtual. I have C:\Windows and C:\Program Files\EA Games as my High Performance files.

Similar to you?

http://img152.imageshack.us /img152/1066/drivesvb2.png

[CDN-SMOKEJUMPER]

Anyone tried this? Is it easy to set up and will the windows defrag thingo screw it up?

[GruAncH]

I would but I'll let someone else test and explain :)

[CDN-SMOKEJUMPER]

That's what I was thinking.

[Wokeye]

LOL chickens

[S.O.P]

I've done it which is what spawned the guide.

Whether or not it makes any difference, it's really hard to tell. I loaded up AlBasrah and it seemed to HDD lag less but there are worse maps for me to test it on.

It will screw up Windows Defrag as it will put a lot of files in different places that Windows Defrag is not used to. Therefore, if you run Windows Defrag again, it will take forever trying to move them all back. Best to setup UltimateDefrag and just use that exclusively.

If you have heaps of system RAM, I'd say this may not be necessary as most info will sit in memory, but if you have 1GB and your HDD is accessed frequently, it may help. The UltimateDefrag site quotes numbers of 100% improvement in arbitrary times but that's marketing speak.

If I had to say for sure, I'd say it has made a small difference for me.

[GruAncH]

So does it have its own guides to setting up for gaming or you just tried it out?

[S.O.P]

Yeah, linked into it's Help Menu which is a locked PDF (can't copy and paste). I just made the guide for BF2 and BF2 only, and also tried to make it slightly easier to setup.

[S.O.P]

Added link to a finished defrag for interests sake. First pic is about quarter to halfway through (you can see it moving PR files), second is finished.

[GruAncH]

Yeah I did it havent blown my computer up yet and havent had a chance to test it out in game, heres hoping :)

[Sandy_Beret]

oops

[S.O.P]

Got to test Fools Rd tonight.

1st was a fresh install - pretty good (files must of been in order on disk)

2nd was after a Raxco Perfectdisk defrag - had bad HDD lag

3rd was after UltimateDefrag - good.

I noticed a improvement in HDD access during the entire map, server was not completely full though. I believe Gruanch noticed an improvement with his setup (which is worse than mine) as well.

[AncientMan]

I use Perfectdisk, run it every night at 3am... Don't notice any bad HDD lag, but everyone's different I suppose, some things work differently on different computers.

[S.O.P]

Yeah, but how much RAM do you run?

[GruAncH]

I myself have 2 gig's but yeah Foolsroad is practically unplayable for me I get 8-15 frames and bad rubberbanding, but I notice the rubberbanding effect was not as bad, still struggle but it was almost playable as I wasn't getting stuck in the trees lagging out. Coincidence who knows I've played the map before with less people and still was worse than last night.

[S.O.P]

What's your full specs, Gruanch? I didn't ask last night.