Daily Defrag Strategy for Gamers

[jeroen]

I don't think that a 500Mb gap between every game is useful. Windows will use gaps anywhere on the disk, not always the gap closest to the original file. So I think a very simple and basic "SortByName" for the full games folder is just as good, it will place one game after another on the disk.

[Temra]

I don't think that a 500Mb gap between every game is useful. Windows will use gaps anywhere on the disk, not always the gap closest to the original file. So I think a very simple and basic "SortByName" for the full games folder is just as good, it will place one game after another on the disk.

My theory is that I'll switch to a simple defrag for each game block at some point so.. blah..

.. It works, and I got some python practice in. I'm ok with that <_<

[PythonJones]

I don't think that a 500Mb gap between every game is useful. Windows will use gaps anywhere on the disk, not always the gap closest to the original file. So I think a very simple and basic "SortByName" for the full games folder is just as good, it will place one game after another on the disk.

For me its because I have that much free space that its there so I can see the zones and give them some breathing room. Ideally a zone that could shrink and stretch depending on whats changed would be great but I wouldn't have the foggiest clue if that was possible or even that you would even consider adding this sort of feature, for I know its already in there.

Now I do read most the scripts people make and not have a clue what they do but from my experience my script performs better than a straight forward "SortByName" defrag and runs faster for me, why? no idea it just does. I kinda have green fingers when it comes to computers, no idea what I'm doing but everything works.

[gaspard.leon]

I don't think that a 500Mb gap between every game is useful. Windows will use gaps anywhere on the disk, not always the gap closest to the original file. So I think a very simple and basic "SortByName" for the full games folder is just as good, it will place one game after another on the disk.

For me its because I have that much free space that its there so I can see the zones and give them some breathing room. Ideally a zone that could shrink and stretch depending on whats changed would be great but I wouldn't have the foggiest clue if that was possible or even that you would even consider adding this sort of feature, for I know its already in there.

Now I do read most the scripts people make and not have a clue what they do but from my experience my script performs better than a straight forward "SortByName" defrag and runs faster for me, why? no idea it just does. I kinda have green fingers when it comes to computers, no idea what I'm doing but everything works.

Hmm... well I don't know, but if you don't edit the game partition very often then it really doesn't matter you just defrag once and you're done with it.

However if the game partition contains other files that you change occasionally, then windows is going to use any free spaces available to it.. Remember the gaps are not magic, they are just empty parts of the disk, MyDefrag can't mark the "zone" and windows adhere to it... so it seems to me that the only advantage to leaving gaps between parts would be if you had a game that got patched frequently and with certain fileactions it might be a bit quicker to optimize (less data to move around)


Unrelated to the above:
The "import list from boot optimize"... doesn't that only apply on boot partitions?

[Darlis]

The "import list from boot optimize"... doesn't that only apply on boot partitions?

XP makes entries for files on other partitions in the layout.ini. Win7 only for the system partition. I'm not sure about Vista but I guess it's the same like 7.

[PythonJones]

Hmm... well I don't know, but if you don't edit the game partition very often then it really doesn't matter you just defrag once and you're done with it.

However if the game partition contains other files that you change occasionally, then windows is going to use any free spaces available to it.. Remember the gaps are not magic, they are just empty parts of the disk, MyDefrag can't mark the "zone" and windows adhere to it... so it seems to me that the only advantage to leaving gaps between parts would be if you had a game that got patched frequently and with certain fileactions it might be a bit quicker to optimize (less data to move around)

It helps with games like Guild Wars that always fragments after use and Steam patching games every few days.

I don't think there is any definitive defrag strategy for games other than whats right for the person using it. I use Jeroens scripts for everything else but for my games disc I have my own script that works great for me but probably not for others, thats the beauty of MyDefrag you have the option to change what you want.

The "import list from boot optimize"... doesn't that only apply on boot partitions?

XP makes entries for files on other partitions in the layout.ini. Win7 only for the system partition. I'm not sure about Vista but I guess it's the same like 7.

Thanks for the info as I didn't know that.

[Wolfmight]

Latest version of the script

Step 1: Place this code between Zones 3 and 4 . 

Note: To save a hassle, you don't have to rename any Zones already in your script.  MyDefrag will automatically rename the following zones for you when the code is executed (Zone 4 will automatically be renamed to Zone 6, etc etc)

Step 2: fill in the required information in bold
(1. insert the name of the game and 2. insert the game's directory path)


Add to Daily Defrag

  /* Optimize Game - NAME OF GAME */
  FileSelect
    DirectoryPath("FULL GAME PATH")
  FileActions
    Defragment(Fast)
    FastFill()
    AddGap(RoundUp(ZoneEnd,VolumeFree * 0.03))
  FileEnd

  /* Optimize Game's Saves - NAME OF GAME */
  /* (remove this zone if your Save Folder is located in the same directory above) */
  FileSelect
    DirectoryPath("FULL PATH OF GAME SAVES FOLDER FOR ABOVE GAME")
  FileActions
    Defragment(Fast)
    FastFill()
    AddGap(RoundUp(ZoneEnd,VolumeFree * 0.03))
  FileEnd



Add to Weekly Defrag

  /* Optimize Game - NAME OF GAME */
  FileSelect
    DirectoryPath("FULL GAME PATH")
  FileActions
    Defragment()
    FastFill(WithShuffling)
    AddGap(RoundUp(ZoneEnd,VolumeFree * 0.03))
  FileEnd

  /* Optimize Game's Saves - NAME OF GAME */
  /* (remove this zone if your Save Folder is located in the same directory above) */
  FileSelect
    DirectoryPath("FULL PATH OF GAME SAVES FOLDER FOR ABOVE GAME")
  FileActions
    Defragment()
    FastFill(WithShuffling)
    AddGap(RoundUp(ZoneEnd,VolumeFree * 0.03))
  FileEnd

Add to Monthly Defrag



  /* Optimize Game - NAME OF GAME */
  FileSelect
    DirectoryPath("FULL GAME PATH")
  FileActions
    SortByName(Ascending)
    AddGap(RoundUp(ZoneEnd,VolumeFree * 0.03))
  FileEnd

  /* Optimize Game's Saves - NAME OF GAME */
  /* (remove this zone if your Save Folder is located in the same directory above) */
  FileSelect
    DirectoryPath("FULL PATH OF GAME SAVES FOLDER FOR ABOVE GAME")
  FileActions
    SortByName(Ascending)
    AddGap(RoundUp(ZoneEnd,VolumeFree * 0.03))
  FileEnd



For example: If you want Daily Defrag to optimize Fallout 3 located on your C: drive & My Documents located on your C: drive (change C: to whatever location they are located on- i.e. C:, D:, E: etc)

  /* Optimize Game - Fallout 3 */
  FileSelect
    DirectoryPath("C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks")
  FileActions
    Defragment(Fast)
    FastFill()
    AddGap(RoundUp(ZoneEnd,VolumeFree * 0.03))
  FileEnd

  /* Optimize Game's Saves - Fallout 3 Saves */
  /* (remove this zone if your Save Folder is located in the same directory above) */
  FileSelect
    DirectoryPath("C:\My Documents\My Games\Fallout3")
  FileActions
    Defragment(Fast)
    FastFill()
    AddGap(RoundUp(ZoneEnd,VolumeFree * 0.03))
  FileEnd

[Gurky42]

Latest version of my game script (very similar to DailyDefrag):

Thanks for putting that up there. I've been working on a script for my games drive as well. Oddly, your script almost matches what I had in mind. At least the part about optimizing a favorite or heavily used game Dir before anything else. In my case, my recent install of Fallout3 (Fastest part of the disk) is getting a real boost in performance.

Maybe when I fine tune my script I'll upload it as well. Probably won't be much of a difference script wise since I'm working off of jerones original scripts as well.

[Wolfmight]

Awesome and thanks.
Next step, one of us should run a game benchmark (average - min/max fps & load times) for several games without defrag, with defrag, and with out special optimized defrag.

That would really be interesting to see.  I do know from pure observation that the games really do have much less lag (frame skips) and (audio skips) as well as more efficient loading and load times.             

[Gurky42]

Well, my games drive (Nothing else but games directories) is an older 40 gig and it needs all the help it can get. The performance boost I referred to was directly related to faster game startup and overall load times. When I tested with another Bethsoft game called Oblivion, loading lag when moving between territories/sections was indeed less noticeable. I doubt a defrag/optimize will have any real impact on the fps. I think the defrag and placement of the files had more to do with the perceived performance boost then anything else. The exception being the placement of the mft/reserved zone/directories thing. But even then, one might not get more then 5-10 percent increase in response time and thats not really "human" noticeable.

Anyway, I can test games using Fraps (fps), but I wouldn't really know how to Benchmark a games overall I/O.