Slowdown since partitioning drive.

So... i installed windows xp on my lappy, did stuff, booted up SUPER fast...
after i partitioned it with gparted, it worked fine, but it is slower to boot and to get windows up and running...
i tried defragging, and that did nothing...
help?

 

Did you move the partition? If your OS was installed on the outside edge of the platter before and has been moved inwards by the partitioning, that could be the issue.

 

yea... i took the orgional drive and shrunk it...

the MFT (i think that is what it's called) is now at the end of the partition... before at the beginning... so that is the issue?
can this be resolved with out a reinstall? i just got comfy

 

Yeah, GParted allows you to re-arrange partitions. It's a pretty awesome feature.

 

ok, so i should move the mft to the front?

 

Move whatever you are booting most to the front... so the MFT and XP partition as close to cylinder 1 as possible.

 

well, i cant figure that out in gparted (in the ubuntu live cd cause gparted wont boot)..

so does any one know of a program i can use?

 

Burn yourself a copy of GParted Live:

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php

 

so wait.. do i want mft at the beginning of the partition?

so, i still can't figure out how to move the mft... and should it be at the beginning or the end?

 

Put the $MFT at the beginning of the drive. The backup ($MFTMirr) is located at the end of the partition.

I don't think GParted has the ability to move the MFT. I think this link might help:

http://arstechnica.com/guides/tweaks/sgp-tweaks.ars

Look for the Optimize Boot Files section. That might get XP to move most of the MFT (the first 16 inodes cannot be moved). Then again, it might not. There has to be space available at the beginning of the partition.

I think the best way to fix this is to reinstall the operating systems (XP first, then Linux). The MFT will be in the proper place after that; at least, I think it would.

 

thanks for the link, i had that last night, very helpful...
BUT, doing that actually moved the mft to the back

so.. im half tempted... i have the choice of XP or Vista... XP is fast as is, but i have a spare 8gb SD card, which i could use in vista...
Would the SD card bring Vista up to speed?

Also, is there a function (like in vista) where it backups all your programes, files, regestry, ect? because i really... REALLY don't want to have to re apply all registry tweaks and programs and what not

 

well that's great...
I rand perfectDisk, as i have read that it will move the MFT... and it actually moved all the unused files to the beginning, and the most used ones to the end, and left the mft at the end...

so.. i guess it is reinstall time... maybe... idk... ill have to think if i really want to...


Ok, so i just got the times in..
The only diff between NOW and before...
is that when you have the windows logo and the load bar... it takes 7.5 bar moments, compared to the old 2.5...

I really don't want to do a clean install, so if any one knows a way to move the mft, tell me please

 

You have a single-platter 7200RPM drive ?, so it shouldn't really make a huge difference whether installing the OS in the first or last partition.

Anyway, playing around with the MFT isn't gonna make a huge difference. Are you dual-booting or recovery partitions, etc or is there just a single OS - XP on the whole 149/160GB ?

 

well, it was both, then i removed ubuntu, because i was having issues with the boot loader, and diddnt feel like fixing it, so now i jsut have it booting of a flash drive...

so idk if it is single plater, ill ask hep!

 

Ok, so the whole 160GB is for a single OS ? Then whats the problem with the end/beginning of the platter ? Are there any partitions at the moment ?

Can you upload a screenshot of Disk Management showing all the partitions.

Also, for the HDD model, check Device Manager > Disk Drives.