MyDefrag really needs a "Force zone" flag.

[Falcon4]

I noticed in one of MyDefrag's changelogs, it was noted that MyDefrag now "knows" when to stop searching for a free gap and skip that file, maybe "come back to it later". That's great for speeding up multi-file defrags, but in my case I have one file I'm trying to move on many PCs - the page file. I already know about the page file being unmovable, which is exactly why I delete the pagefile, reboot, then recreate it in the desired size with "fsutil" as "pagefile.sys", typically a 1gb file. It starts off as an allocated-but-unwritten file that consumes the same filesystem space as a real file but has not been written yet (therefore it finishes moving as soon as MyDefrag tells it to "move").

But a problem I consistently encounter with MyDefrag is that even though I specify a zone for the pagefile, MyDefrag sees the zone, often vacates a perfectly good spot for it, but for some reason or another it can't move it after vacating the zone.

So it moves on. It marks the file as green (processed) even though it only ended up getting moved to the first available spot (usually at the end of the drive). Sometimes I go through the trouble of doing a "for" loop to fill the drive with allocated 1gb files, then go back to analyze in MyDefrag and - shock of all shockers - one of them is where I wanted the page file to be to begin with! I rename that file to pagefile.sys and activate it. *headdesk*

Anyway, MyDefrag simply needs some mechanism in which I can tell MyDefrag to "force" this location (and I don't mean fragment it like ForcedFill), to keep moving files out of the way until it does have enough room. That would solve a lot of my problems. MyDefrag often ends up writing some files to that area (like mydefrag.debuglog... which I really wish was still called "mydefrag.log" ) and it doesn't mark that area on the map as "allocated" even after it "trips" over it. If I could just make MyDefrag not give up on that zone, it would be so nice. A "Force zone" flag.

[Kasuha]

My guess is, either there already is some small unmovable in the place (such as MFT::bitmap) or while MyDefrag is vacating space for the file, the system or your other activity creates a small unmovable file in that location and MyDefrag fails to move the file there in one piece.

I'd try the following approach:


IgnoreWrapAroundFragmentation(yes)

VolumeSelect
  Name("C:") <-- the disk letter
VolumeActions
  MakeGap(1 GiB) <- your desired location

  FileSelect
    FileName("pagefile.sys") <-- current name of the file you're going to use as pagefile
  FileActions
    SortByName()
  FileEnd
VolumeEnd

[Kasuha]

My Layout for C: (Vista SP2 with all updates, Occupied 25 GB, free 71 GB)

You should also point out that in your view settings end of the disk is at the bottom, not on top as in MyDefrag's default.

[BloodySword]

Oups, removed the post instead of editing it xDD Sorry:

Yes, at Top, there is the beginning of the partition...

[Falcon4]

Unless Jeroen added a function to reverse the drive map (and based on previous discussions, I doubt it!), your drive layout is SO backwards! :lol: Dude, the bottom of the map is the top (fastest) part of the drive!

Ah well... with Kasuha's help, I found that Defragment() + IgnoreWrapAroundFragmentation(no) + SortByName(Ascending) = a forced pagefile.sys zone. And I'm happy. It's worked flawlessly on each computer I've tried it on today, after the previous method (Defragment() + FastFill()) failed miserably...

[BloodySword]

There where the Layout.ini files are sorted, there is the beginning of my partition, the fastest area. I don't like the flipped map, can't say why, although it would be the right display (because the HDD begins at the outher side, not in the inner side).

[Falcon4]

Okay, well, what I mean is, if you have files at the top of the map, they're at the slow part of the drive! Unless you flipped that drive map in Paint or something.

I do agree, the flipped (bottom-is-top) way MyDefrag displays the info is rather backwards, but you can't just say "oh, i don't like it like that" and reverse your zones

[BloodySword]

No not the bitmap is reversed, the map in MyDefrag was reversed with DiskmapFlip(no). The prefetch and boot files are really at the beginning.
My script would look very werid when I made something you said. I used the standard scripts, lightly modified. I added the Thunderbird and Firefox zone and I changed the SortByName action for Spacehogs in Monthly script to FastFill(WithSuffling) + MoveDownFill().

[Falcon4]

Ah! That would be the "Unless Jeroen added a function to reverse the drive map..." part!

http://www.mydefrag.com/Settings-DiskmapFlip.html

That explains a lot. Didn't even see that get added. Looks like yet another thing to add to my script

[BloodySword]

Sorry for the confused confusing of cunfused drive maps. *lol* xD

Edit: Don't add DiskmapFlip(no) to every of your scripts. Simply add it into the Settings.MyD.

[Falcon4]

Nah, I've only got one that I regularly use, FullOptimize.MyD - something I wrote back in 4.0 Beta and have been patching up every time something changes I'll probably still add it to Settings.MyD anyway...

So I guess the solution to this topic is just to use SortByName(Ascending) instead of FastFill, to force a file into its own zone. That works for me

[BloodySword]

Since SortByName is very CPU consuming for very small files like directories, you could even try SortByNothing. I Think it should be renamed to "ZoneFill" or "MoveAllIntoThisZone" or "MoveIntoZone".

[andublin]

BloodySword, SortByNothing ? I don't see that in the formal script grammar, what is it and where can it be used?
Thanks.

[BloodySword]

I read about it, there. Could be that I missunderstood something... I didn't test it yet.

http://www.mydefrag.com/forum/index.php?topic=3275.msg20044#msg20044

[Darlis]

"SortByNothing" does not exist (yet). It is just a feature which Jeroen should add to MyDefrag. (or change the behavior of FastFill)