hardisk become fast when empty ?

[rahulkothari]

when something on harddisk is deleted ... its not actually deleted ... the space isnt actually freed.
then why does harddisk become fast when it has lesser amt of data.

ex- i have a 10gb hdd entirely filled. it gives slower performance.
now i have deleted 9gb and the performance improves. why??? bcoz
the harddisk still has all the 10gb of data.

[Rick]

Each time you access the drive the FAT is read by the system / drive.
If that Table looks like this
102191
109978
111119
112496
119282
120640
122552
123191
123975

It is easy to read and quick.
If that table looks like this
102191 ,109978 ,111119 ,112496 ,119282 ,120640 ,122552 ,123191 ,123975 ,
124308 ,124497 ,124956 ,125004 ,125557 ,125583 ,126027 ,126298 ,127568 ,
128107 ,128248 ,131873 ,131912 ,134968 ,138121 ,138869 ,140299 ,141619 ,
141994 ,142260 ,144242 ,144525 ,144669 ,147394 ,147787 ,148046 ,148406 ,
149822 ,150848 ,151904 ,152105 ,153089 ,153137 ,153139 ,153358 ,153377 ,
153422 ,153797 ,154951 ,155412 ,157184 ,157214 ,157268 ,157277 ,157280 ,
157286 ,157286 ,157315 ,157327 ,157327 ,157363 ,157384 ,157412 ,157459 ,
157475 ,157483 ,157492 ,157502 ,157616 ,157811 ,157926 ,157948 ,157968 ,
160015 ,160054 ,163362 ,163694 ,165433 ,166693 ,168988 ,169550 ,170659 ,
171627 ,172321 ,172516 ,173144 ,173232 ,173359 ,173390 ,173677 ,174429 ,
174611 ,174620 ,177758 ,179526 ,180376 ,181203 ,181748 ,187095 ,187617 ,
196851 ,197374 ,197475 ,199103 ,200107 ,200808 ,201050 ,202060 ,203133 ,
204219 ,204399 ,207220 ,207221 ,207311 ,209150 ,210238 ,210260 ,210356 ,
210509 ,219178 ,221022 ,222714 ,223114 ,223605 ,224769 ,225105 ,225943 ,
227164 ,228528 ,228684 ,229717 ,229846 ,229957

It’s going to slow down
When you reach the 50% full mark on an IDE drive it will show the signs of slowing faster

The above Numbers don’t have to be file names.
They could be the locations on the drive where the file is stored.
That is 1 (one) file among 10,000 files stored on the drive.

Now think about what will happen when a smaller file .
The first example is deleted and an empty / available space is created between all these 10,000 files and another larger file is added.
Part of it is added before and the remainder is added after the above file and every other little available space on the drive.

[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 02-20-2002).]

[rahulkothari]

i didnt get u entirely . could u xplain it in laymans language ?

[Rick]

Now comes the fun part.
You delete a file.
Doubleclick’s cookie it has or is using 144525
You Delete a graphic file that uses 155412 ,157184 ,157214
And a Fragmented file that used 157483,165433,201050,207220 ,207221

102191 ,109978 ,111119 ,112496 ,119282 ,120640 ,122552 ,123191 ,123975 ,
124308 ,124497 ,124956 ,125004 ,125557 ,125583 ,126027 ,126298 ,127568 ,
128107 ,128248 ,131873 ,131912 ,134968 ,138121 ,138869 ,140299 ,141619 ,
141994 ,142260 ,144242 , ,144669 ,147394 ,147787 ,148046 ,148406 ,
149822 ,150848 ,151904 ,152105 ,153089 ,153137 ,153139 ,153358 ,153377 ,
153422 ,153797 ,154951 , , , ,157268 ,157277 ,157280 ,
157286 ,157286 ,157315 ,157327 ,157327 ,157363 ,157384 ,157412 ,157459 ,
157475 , ,157492 ,157502 ,157616 ,157811 ,157926 ,157948 ,157968 ,
160015 ,160054 ,163362 ,163694 , ,166693 ,168988 ,169550 ,170659 ,
171627 ,172321 ,172516 ,173144 ,173232 ,173359 ,173390 ,173677 ,174429 ,
174611 ,174620 ,177758 ,179526 ,180376 ,181203 ,181748 ,187095 ,187617 ,
196851 ,197374 ,197475 ,199103 ,200107 ,200808 , ,202060 ,203133 ,
204219 ,204399 , , ,207311 ,209150 ,210238 ,210260 ,210356 ,
210509 ,219178 ,221022 ,222714 ,223114 ,223605 ,224769 ,225105 ,225943 ,
227164 ,228528 ,228684 ,229717 ,229846 ,229957, , , ,

Now add a file / program that requires
144525 ,155412 ,157184 ,157214 ,157483 ,165433 ,201050 ,207220 ,207221 ,
229976 ,230015 ,230017 ,230017 ,230018 ,230054 ,230055 ,230055 ,230058 ,
230062 ,230063 ,230063 ,230063 ,230063 ,230065 .230065 ,230069 ,230070 ,
The size of that file and location will be scattered across the drive filling the free
and or available spaces
102191 ,109978 ,111119 ,112496 ,119282 ,120640 ,122552 ,123191 ,123975 ,
124308 ,124497 ,124956 ,125004 ,125557 ,125583 ,126027 ,126298 ,127568 ,
128107 ,128248 ,131873 ,131912 ,134968 ,138121 ,138869 ,140299 ,141619 ,
141994 ,142260 ,144242 ,144525 ,144669 ,147394 ,147787 ,148046 ,148406 ,
149822 ,150848 ,151904 ,152105 ,153089 ,153137 ,153139 ,153358 ,153377 ,
153422 ,153797 ,154951 ,155412 ,157184 ,157214 ,157268 ,157277 ,157280 ,
157286 ,157286 ,157315 ,157327 ,157327 ,157363 ,157384 ,157412 ,157459 ,
157475 ,157483 ,157492 ,157502 ,157616 ,157811 ,157926 ,157948 ,157968 ,
160015 ,160054 ,163362 ,163694 ,165433 ,166693 ,168988 ,169550 ,170659 ,
171627 ,172321 ,172516 ,173144 ,173232 ,173359 ,173390 ,173677 ,174429 ,
174611 ,174620 ,177758 ,179526 ,180376 ,181203 ,181748 ,187095 ,187617 ,

196851 ,197374 ,197475 ,199103 ,200107 ,200808 ,,201050 ,202060 ,203133 ,
204219 ,204399 ,207220 ,207221 ,207311 ,209150 ,210238 ,210260 ,210356 ,
210509 ,219178 ,221022 ,222714 ,223114 ,223605 ,224769 ,225105 ,225943 ,
227164 ,228528 ,228684 ,229717 ,229846 ,229957,229976 ,230015 ,230017 ,
230017
,230018 ,230054 ,230055 ,230055 ,230058
230062 ,230063 ,230063 ,230063 ,230063 ,230065 230065 ,230069 ,230070

The drive has to read the locations of that file then retrieve it.
In the case of the added file it is hoping around the drive collecting the data from each tract and sector location

[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 02-20-2002).]

[bassman]

Dang Rick, you is crazy http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif
But whats real crazy is, I caught myself reading each address to see how acurate you were being http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/eek.gif And you were http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/eek.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Hey, are you the one who posted the memory addressing last spring? I would love to see that again http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

------------------
Waiting patiently for the future to arrive. Frank's Place (http://dreamwater.net/tech/frankscomp/)

[Rick]

Memory Addressing ?
Not me.
That’s way To much work for me to do.

[Paul Komski]

Beno's library analogy on http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/000643.html might explain it a bit more simplisticly. I thought it was elegant.

When the "files were deleted" it was in fact the filing cards (the FAT) which were torn up. Now that there are fewer filing cards to search through it is quicker to "find" the smaller number of referenced books. The files that remain sitting on the disk are like the unreferenced books still on the shelves, which stay on the shelves until another referenced book is placed on a shelf pushing the original one(s) away (i.e. overwrites the file(s)). As that happens, a new reference card is added to the box of filing cards. The unreferenced books (files) are just ignored and don't come into the equation.

I now realise that this analogy could usefully be expanded in a number of ways. Perhaps it should be called BLM (Beno's Library Metaphor). http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif


[This message has been edited by Paul Komski (edited 02-20-2002).]

[sea69]

I thought BLM was very well put!

didn't see it until Paul pointed it out.

nice job beno

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif



------------------
sea1_69@hotmail.com

homepage (http://www.seanweb1.homestead.com/3.html)

[rahulkothari]

u guyz r really helpful.

so the whole thing goes like this ... as u delete files the FAT enteries also reduce and with it the 'look-up' time. Hence performance improves.

am i correct ?

[Rick]

yes.