Defragmenting a RAID-0 Array

[Nethermancer]

Can I use Norton Speeddisk or will this mess up the array and I have to use some special utility instead? Also with a 320GB (4 x 80GB disks) array do I need to use NTFS to use this as one big partition or will FAT32 do (with the controller translating in hardware)? Finally has anyone tried out the new promise controller with a big drive (say 160GB Maxtor) to see how well the new BigDrive technology works?

[Karen St Martin]

I have a 2x40GB RAID-0 array which use the Promise RAID stuff that came on my main board (Gigabyte 8TXR). I use Norton Speed Disk on it on a regular basis and have had no problems.

Karen

[Brian Ellis]

I would suggest it may be preferable to reformat fully before starting each project. Speed Disk would obviously be preferable if you have problems in the course of a project. Defragging a striped set of drives could be quite a lengthy process.

[Karen St Martin]

In reality, Speed Disk seems to function more quickly on the RAID-0 array than on some of my normal drives. I usually start it up when I break to watch a TV show and it's done when the show is over. I've been doing for a while now and have encountered no problems at all.

Karen

[Dr Mordrid]

I'm with Brian. Most times a format takes less time and is less likely to cause other problems than using defrag utilities.

By "other problems" I'm talking about the risks you take even having some of Norton's software on your system.

Dr. Mordrid

[Karen St Martin]

Hi Dr M!

I can certainly understand your position, but using a reformat assumes that the drive contains no useful data. I usually have 2-3 projects in progress at any one time so my array almost always contains useful data.

As for the Norton stuff, well, if we were talking about stuff like Crash Guard I would agree completely, but for basic things like Speed Disk and Disk Doctor I have never had any problems with them and they are much faster than the Microsoft supplied programs.

Karen

[Patrick]

Yes, me agree.

SpeedDisk.....good
CrashGuard.....bad

[Dr Mordrid]

Ahhh....I see.

But then I usually don't have more than one project/machine as a rule.

That's the nice thing about having 8 editing systems on a network

Dr. Mordrid

[Brian Ellis]

Re Norton

CrashGuard is a dead duck: you won't even find it on modern CD-ROMs. Worst thing ever out of the Norton stable and Symantec admit this.

The other utilities are excellent: I use them, in various versions on all 4 computers.

Norton AntiVirus is probably the best AV on the market and certainly knocks MacAfee into a cocked hat, especially for detecting rotten stuff coming in via e-mail.

SpeedDisk is an excellent defragger and has many advantages over the Windows varieties, not the least of which is that it can defrag the swap file, should you not put it in an ad hoc partition. Furthermore, if you have your swap file of fixed size on the C: partition, it puts it right at the start of your disk, where it works fastest.

The very important point about Norton products is that, other than AntiVirus, never allow anything to work in any mode other than manually. In some installation proggies, for example, it asks you whether you want to give it its head or work manually. Always check manually, then regularly use it.

For those who use SystemWorks, I find the 2000 version is better than the 2002 version for W98SE, but only the latter should or can be used with W2000, ME or (I think) XP.