Thread: Read only attributes??

First of all ... this text is very simplified ...


Hummm, it works like this.
If you write five files to the HDD they will be put like this when the HDD is formated:

AAAAABBCCCDDDDDDDEEEEEE

If you then delete 2 of the files it might look like:

AAAAA CCC EEEEEE

So now when you write two new files, the files will fill the gaps and it would be come like this:

AAAAAFFCCCFFFFGGGEEEEEEGGGG

The harddrive is now fragmented ...
What a Defrag does is to rearrange the files (clusters actualy) so they come in one "String".

AAAAACCCEEEEEEFFFFFFGGGGGGG

And the HDD will be able to read the file at once instead of jumping back and fort on the HDD to find the files clusters.

--------------------------------------------

So what is all this about?
If you write files to the HDD and then defrags it and don't remove or copy any new files to the HDD it should not get fragmented just by playing the songs. The files keeps their position and don't change just by reading (palying) them.

I hope all of this is understandable
I tried to find some text that described it easily but couldn't find any.

// Markus

Thanks markus! I understood that, it was well explained.

Thanks again..

That WAS well explained Markus, but I don't think you addressed his specific question.

Whether or not you will need defragmenting in the future depends on what you have on the drive. If it's just mp3's then like markus pointed out, it is irrelevant. Because all you will be doing is reading them.

Now if you have the operating system and associated programs for a player then maybe. It depends on how your system is set up.

But to answer your question, if I'm not mistaken, then the answer is no.
Making them read only won't stop defragger from moving them into into sequence with other data. The only files that defrag will not move are system files.

Steve

[This message has been edited by DarkStorm (edited 07-08-2000).]

DarkStorm :

Im sorry to say that you are wrong, try and mark alot of files and watch the detail window, it will show all readonly files(areas) and leave them where it found them.

This means that any file that is readonly will not be defragmentet.

ok cool!, so darkwingduck if the mp3s on my HD take up about 80% of the space, making them read only should make defragging faster?..

Thanks for replying guys!

Yeah, marking them read only would propably make the defrag run faster in theory.

But (in theory) there isn't much to gain on doing this, since, if the mp3s are only read, and not written to (of course), they would be drefragmented the first time you run defrag. Later on the files would be just as defragmented as they were right after you ran defrag, since they are only read and not written to. And when u defrag, the program runs over already defragged area quickly, since there is nothing to do with it.

I hope you understand what i'm trying to say, since i'm from norway and my english writing/speaking isn't "all that"

Yep your english is good ^insane, and I understood your explination...

Thanks for everyones help...