[Question] enable advanced performance

[ripken204]

my question is, should i "enable advanced performance" ?

does anyone know the benefits of it? is it safe?

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--Sonic

[Sonic]

This option is hidden on my system with PATA disk and a PATA-USB disk.

Perhpas it's just for SCSI ...

[Zxian]

The advanced performance options on disk drives often refers to disk caching. This means that files that you have recently accessed may be stored in the cache instead of directly being written to the disk. If you've got a decent power grid where you live, or you've got a UPS backup, then go for it.

The risk otherwise is, as the description says, that you might loose some data if the power suddenly goes out since the files may not yet have been written to the disk.

[ripken204]

ill just leave it alone, thx

[LLXX]

With it disabled, the HDD operates in write-through cache mode, in which all data that gets written to the drive is immediately written to the disks and also stored in the cache. Writes are not cached, but reads are.

When the option is enabled, the HDD operates in write-back cache mode, in which all the data that gets written to the drive is first stored in the cache, and then later written to the disk. Both writes and reads are cached in this case.

I recommend disabling it, to reduce chances of data corruption.

[kurt476]

hi, is there a registry tweak for this?

[Anusha]

AFAIK, this option is only present in Windows 2003 Server. I don't know whether this can be enabled in Windows XP via a registry tweak. Even in Windows 2003, if I install nforce2 IDE drivers, this option goes away - you have to have the Microsoft drivers installed for IDE Controllers.

I have enabled this option in Windows 2003 Standard (which I'm running as a workstation). I have seen performance gain in certain places. One of them is when I save the ISO file after processing a Windows Setup in nLite - it saves the ISO file very quickly. Also when you try to open a file that has been opened at least once before (in the same login session), you'll see that the file opens up faster the next time. Also, launching programs (for the second time) is faster with NOD32 anti-virus (what I have in my system) installed - it can do the filesystem scan very fast.

And I haven't had any issues so far - may be because I have a UPS.

Edited February 24, 2006 by Anusha

[kurt476]

I'v tryed some from windows server 2003 like lammerserver and change to high. that worked.. u may be able to see if that works.. if that dose please post the registry tweak here thank you