Dropouts & Defrags

  • Thread starter Thread starter mark4man
  • Start date Start date
mark4man

mark4man

MoonMix Studios
Need some help from some senior members. Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 is droppin' out like crazy. My sound card is the Audigy. I have done the audio optimization thing, but that's not correcting the problem. I would like to defrag, but (& please don't laugh here...), I have heard that it somehow changes the actual sound. Is there any merit to this? Can defragging change or corrupt the data as the drive rewrites? Any other thoughts on causes for dropouts (in Cake or with the card)? Thanks.

mark4man


BTW

Here's my basic setup & OS settings:

Dell Dimension 700
512 MB SDRAM
2 Drives: 20GB (OS & Apps), 60GB (Audio only)
Win 98SE
Intel 440BX AGP Chipset
CWPA9.03
Audigy Platinum EX (all by it's lonesome self on IRQ3)


Virtual Memory (Swap File): Minimum = 32MB Maximum = 32MB

Read Cache [vcache]: MinFileCache=16384 MaxFileCache=16384

Write-Behind Cache: Disabled

Read-Ahead Optimization / PC Role: None / Network Server

Graphics Hardware Acceleration: 2nd Notch From Right

Wave Audio Device: Do Not Use Device

Double Buffering: Have not changed setting

IDE Disk Drive Mode (DMA): Cannot find setting
 
man DEFRAG THAT DRIVE the concept of it changing the "sound" is nonsense. Defragmentation takes fragmented files and puts them in one spot on your hard drive, then compacts the files towards the center of the spindle for maximum speed in access. Sure it doesn't hurt to backup first, but in hundreds of defrags I've never had it damage a file.

Increase your swap file to at least 500mb!!! 32 mb is like NOTHING and although you have 512mb of ram the general rule is that your swap file should be 1-2 times the size of you physical ram at least. And if you use Photoshop... errr well nevermind that. :)
 
heinz:

what's swapping files?? I have 512 ram as well, but all i did was stock those babies in my PC. Didn't do any swapping or nothing...

What does it do and how do you change your swap file size?
thanks

AL
 
AHH....optimisation settings,the proof that we're still in the stone age of computers.
After you defrag if everything is working right you may want to move your graphics acceleration slider to full and try that newer video cards handle the workload themselves and some of these optimisation tips are based on older computers.
As far as dma some newer drives are always in that mode,is it listed as a udma drive?

Shut off the antivirus when you defrag.
In the defrag menu you get an option to view the process,if you watch it you may see how scattered your files are and how hard your computer is working to tie all this information together!

DROPOUTS SUCK!:mad:
 
A1A2 - Windows was designed to make use of extra hard disk space when it ran out of available RAM. This was very prevalent in the days of 640K or 1MB memory. The area of the hard disk that is used for this operation is called a swap file. Windows would write temporary files to the hard disk, rather then keep certain information in memory. By setting the size of the swapfile, you are instructing Windows on how much (or how little) of your HDD to use for this purpose.

With 512 MB RAM, it is highly likely that your computer might never use its swapfile. However, with older versions of Windows (e.g., 98) the memory usage was very inefficient. Programs might get allocated memory when you open them, and then when you quit the program you would not gain the memory back. So if you had been on the computer for awhile doing various different tasks, you might actually have a lot less memory available than your actual 512 physical memory - and suddently your computer is using its swapfile.

To set the size, go to Control Panel -> System -> Performance and click on the Virtual Memory tab. You should see two choices there - Let Windows Manage, or Let Me Specify My Own. As heinz stated, you want to set it to about twice your physical memory.

BTW, this is for Windows ME, the instuctions for Win 2K or XP might be a little different.
 
dachay2tnr:

Thanks for the explaination. I am running 98se, and it's pretty the same way to adjust the virtual memory as 2k like you described. I am letting windows managing my memory right now, and i want to do what heinz suggested. What should i set my minimum and max to be??

thanks

AL
 
Ok that's a bit different. When you let "windows manage your swap file" that means it's not a fixed size, it's variable based on how much Windows needs. You should be FINE with this setting... unless you are low on diskspace on drive c:
 
i beat my head against a wall for a month and never figured out why suddenly there were dropouts and excessive drive percentages down on that little resource box in pa 9. Is the audio drive under warranty? when i replaced mine everything went back to normal. I had two maxtors blow out on me in one year.
 
kennedy,

I have 2 now: a Quantam Fireball 20GB (which came with my Dell) for the OS & apps; & a Maxtor 60GB for wavedata. I'm hoping the problem is with the old one, which I want to change anyway (it has gotten noisy & slow in the past 6 to 9 months.) I think I'll just save files & folders (& downloaded apps) over to the Maxtor; & install the OS & apps clean on the new one from CD ROM. Thanks.

mark4man

BTW - I'm not noticing excessive CPU usage at dropout, so maybe it is the drive?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top