Hard drive speed boosts

How to Increase Hard Drive Performance in Vista

information   Information
This will show you how to increase the hard drive performance by enabling Advanced Performance, disabling NTFS from creating 8.3 versions of file names, and defragging on a regular schedule.
Note   Note
You can follow all the steps below, or just pick the ones you would like to do.




STEP ONE
Enable Advanced Performance for Hard Drive
warning   Warning
This option enables extremely aggressive write caching that will speed up the hard drive's performance, but it can also cause you to lose data in the drive's cache if you lose power suddenly. It is not recommended for laptops that run on battery power all the time. While this is fine for the normal home desktop, it may not be a good idea if you have unreliable power.
Note   Note
This may not be supported by some hard drive setups (Ex: RAID). If it does not, then you will see that it will just change back to the default settings automatically when you look at the Properties again.

1. Open the Control Panel. (Classic View)​
2. Click on the Device Manager icon.​
3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.​
4. Close the Control Panel.​
5. Click on Disk drives to expand it. (See screenshot below)​
6. Right click on your hard drive device listing and click Properties.​
Device_Manager.jpg

7. Click on the Policies tab. (See screenshots below)​
8. For a ATA (Parallel) or Serial ATA (SATA) Hard Drive
A) Check the Enable write caching on the disk box. (See left screenshot below step 10)​
NOTE: This should already be checked by default.​
B) Check the Enable Advanced performance box.​
NOTE: If this will not stay checked for you, then check to make sure that you have the latest chipset drivers installed for your motherboard. Also see: Write-Caching - Enable or Disable - Windows 7 Forums

9. For an External Hard Drive
A) Dot Optimize for performance. (See right screenshot below step 10)​

10. Click on OK to apply.​
Policies.jpgEXT_USB.jpg






STEP TWO
Disable NTFS from Creating 8.3 Versions of File Names for Backwards Compatiblity with DOS

NOTE: You will not need this unless you work with DOS or the command prompt and have long file names.
1. Open the Start Menu.​
2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.​
3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.​
4. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)​
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Filesystem
5. In the right pane, right click on NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation and click on Modify.​
8dot3.jpg

6. Type 1 and click on OK. (See screenshow below)​
NOTE: To enable it again, type 0 (number) instead.
Modify Dos.jpg

7. Close regedit.​




STEP THREE
Defrag the Hard Drive on a Regular Schedule

1. If you use Vista's Disk Defragmenter, see the link below on how to create a automatic defrag schedule.​
2. If you do not like Vista's Disk Defragmenter, you can use a 3rd party program instead. Auslogics Disk Defrag is a great program that has a status graph of the hard drive's defragmentation progress, but the free version does not have a automatic defrag schedule. Here is the link:​
3. Here is a recommended schedule of times to defrag.​
NOTE: The more you save and delete items off your hard drive, the more often you should defrag. Adjust to your needs.

Scheduled Time

Description

Once a Month

For a user that is only on the computer a few hours a week and does not do much file saving and deleting. You rarely install and uninstall programs.

Once a Week

For most average users that use the computer for a few hours on a daily basis and does a lot more file saving and deleting. You only do a few installing and uninstalling of programs.

Once a Day

For your power user that uses the computer for several hours a day and does an unbelievable amount of file saving and deleting. You do a lot of installing and uninstalling of programs.

Enjoy faster performance,
Shawn




 

Attachments

  • thumb_Hard_drive.jpg
    thumb_Hard_drive.jpg
    2.2 KB · Views: 370
Last edited by a moderator:
Tnx for this.
I will try to update the chipset and bios.
I usually use the computer with power cord, so Im not worried about loosing stuff. The only times I use it without powersuply is when I watch dvds.

Il try and come back to you.
 

My Computer

Ok. It didn't help at all. Still the same. I Check the boxes, and press ok, and when I open them, its the same again, still unchecked.
I have disabled UAC, can this make a difference?
 

My Computer

Chris,

I searched hi and low and you are not the only one with this problem. Everything points to the cause as the drives being on a Raid controller. If it is on a Raid controller, they say to adjust it from the Raid controller's settings instead. I have yet to find a solution for this if Raid is not the issue.

Sorry,
Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Chris,

I'm afraid this has me stomped to. I do not know what else to do to make it take the settings.

Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
I was eager to try this on my laptop, because I am connected to AC 98% of the time. But as reported by the other user, in my system the settings do not stick.

I can check the box by:
"Enable write caching on the disk"
But right below, it says
"This device does not allow its write cache setting to be modified"

All the other choices are grayed out.
This is a fairly new Dell, Maybe the newer ones, newer drivers, let you know that you cant change it, rather than just rejecting it..
 

My Computer

Hey,

How do I know wether I have a backup power supply? Mean, can I check it without opening my case?
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel Q9550 @ 3.2 GHz (for now)
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Striker 2 Extreme
    Memory
    2 x 2Gb Patriot DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    XFX GeForce 9800 GTX+
    Sound Card
    Creative Supreme FX 2
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Neovo F417 17''
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SP2504C SATA 7200rpm
    PSU
    Pc Power & Cooling 750
    Case
    Coolermaster CM 690
    Cooling
    6 120mm's, Xigmatek HDT 1283 with crossbow backplate
    Keyboard
    Logitech G11
    Mouse
    Logitech Cordless Trackman Wheel
    Internet Speed
    ~1000 Kb/sec

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Right, thanks!!
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel Q9550 @ 3.2 GHz (for now)
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Striker 2 Extreme
    Memory
    2 x 2Gb Patriot DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    XFX GeForce 9800 GTX+
    Sound Card
    Creative Supreme FX 2
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Neovo F417 17''
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SP2504C SATA 7200rpm
    PSU
    Pc Power & Cooling 750
    Case
    Coolermaster CM 690
    Cooling
    6 120mm's, Xigmatek HDT 1283 with crossbow backplate
    Keyboard
    Logitech G11
    Mouse
    Logitech Cordless Trackman Wheel
    Internet Speed
    ~1000 Kb/sec
Your welcome amplid.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Great guide, thanks. I have a question related to the Optimize for Quick Removal option.

I've got that setting for my flash drive, meaning I never use the Safe Removal option. The annoying thing is everytime I plug the flash drive in, I get a "Do you want to scan and fix the flash drive" prompt. I always click continue without scanning anyway, is there a way to disable to prompt message?
 

My Computer

Jim,

That is a good question. I do not know though. :o

You might also post this question in one of the forums or newsgroups to see if someone may know that has experienced this to.

Sorry, :(
Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Hey Brink, I have the same problem where I tick the box 'enable write caching' on my Raid setup, but after I close and come back it has been unticked? Any solutions yet?

Another question, when I was installing Vista64, I have my Raid drivers on a USB drive and tried loading them when I was prompted, but as soon as it has loaded up the files from the USB it made the install process freeze so I rebooted and tried without loading the drivers at all...and so far it has been fine. Question is I'm scared now as to whether I should have installed the chipset drivers once Vista had been installed? All seems to be working fine except this write caching business. Would loading the Chipset drivers perhaps fix this or increase performance at all? I have followed the rest of the guide and have done all the optomizations and it helped Alot...thanks for that man:p
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel C2D E6850
    Motherboard
    Asus P5K Deluxe WiFi/Ap
    Memory
    4GB DDR2 8500 Dominator 5-5-5-15
    Graphics Card(s)
    320mb 8800gts
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 500GB HD501LJ in Raid0
    320Mb Maxtor Backup
Hi Harkin,

Welcome to Vista Forums. :party:

Sorry, no solution yet. :( Some drive setups just do not support this option.

You might look in your RAID card or chip setup screen to see if there is a similar option to enable in it though.

Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Cheers Brink..

Well as soon as I load the Raid drivers in Vista (Intel Matrix Drivers) I get a whole lot of BSOD's. My Raid setup is running really slow with the deafault drivers that Vista installed, I'm only getting 5.7 score for HDD performance whereas everything else is 5.9, I just don't expect that from a Raid0 setup:sarc:
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel C2D E6850
    Motherboard
    Asus P5K Deluxe WiFi/Ap
    Memory
    4GB DDR2 8500 Dominator 5-5-5-15
    Graphics Card(s)
    320mb 8800gts
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 500GB HD501LJ in Raid0
    320Mb Maxtor Backup
Actually wait that is wrong, I am getting 5.9, but I can tell that it is pretty slow, on XP the transfer rate was alot quicker, something just ain't working right. Plus I can't enable Write Caching. If I install the Chipset drivers for the motherboard could that help?
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel C2D E6850
    Motherboard
    Asus P5K Deluxe WiFi/Ap
    Memory
    4GB DDR2 8500 Dominator 5-5-5-15
    Graphics Card(s)
    320mb 8800gts
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 500GB HD501LJ in Raid0
    320Mb Maxtor Backup
Always install the chipset drivers
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Workstation
    Manufacturer/Model
    doofenshmirtz evil incorporated
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 5950X
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO Black 64GB (4x16GB) 3600MHz AMD Ryzen Tuned DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT 16GB ROG Strix LC OC
    Sound Card
    Creative
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x27" Dell U2724D & 1 x 34" Dell U3415W
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB M.2 2280 PCI-e 4.0 x4 NVMe Solid State
    Drive
    PSU
    1500W ThermalTake Toughpower
    Case
    ThermalTake Level 10 GT
    Cooling
    Enermax Liqtech 240
    Keyboard
    Surface Ergonomic.
    Mouse
    Logitech Performance MX
    Internet Speed
    350 Mb/s
    Other Info
    WinTV NovaTD
    HP CP1515n Color Laser
    Sony BD-5300S-0B Blu-ray Writer
    Microsoft LifeCam Cinema
    APC 750i Smart UPS
  • Operating System
    windows 10
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Pro 3
    CPU
    1.9GHz Intel Core i5-4300U (dual-core, 3MB cache, up to 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost)
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4400
    Monitor(s) Displays
    12" Multi Touch
    Screen Resolution
    2160 x 144
    Hard Drives
    128GB
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Keyboard
    yes
    Internet Speed
    350 Mb/s
I have the same problem where I tick the box 'enable write caching' on my Raid setup, but after I close and come back it has been unticked.
when i looked closer it's telling me the device does not allow it's cache to be modified.
is there a setting in the bios to change that?
Capture.JPG


thanks scrooge
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 / 3.00
    Motherboard
    ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Int
    Memory
    G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    SAPPHIRE 100225L Radeon HD 387
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1tb western digital
    4 x 250 western digital
    2 x 160 western digital
    1 x 320 western digital
Always install the chipset drivers

I thought so, I was just a bit scared after the 1st time I did it and things went funny.. but I think that was down to the Raid drivers I installed in Vista. If I install the Motherboard Chipset drivers now and it goes wrong, is it recoverable? I haven't installed the Raid drivers in Vista because I know as a fact they don't work and gave me a million BSOD's...
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel C2D E6850
    Motherboard
    Asus P5K Deluxe WiFi/Ap
    Memory
    4GB DDR2 8500 Dominator 5-5-5-15
    Graphics Card(s)
    320mb 8800gts
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 500GB HD501LJ in Raid0
    320Mb Maxtor Backup
Back
Top