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Registry cleaning software debunked...

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pilgrim:
1. How an image is created matters. Norton Ghost creates image very differently with different parameters/settings. i.e. disk imaging utility normally won't create byte by byte image unless you specify so.

2. One might restore an image to a new HDD with different capacity. (bigger or smaller or even to SSD).

If a disk utility like Ghost restores an image to a HDD and manage to create all partitions with correct alignment, to me, that simply means the utility knows and have done its part in making sure alignment is right. i.e. it has nothing to do with whether the original HDD (where the image is based on) has all its partitions aligned.
-tslim (April 02, 2013, 11:27 AM)
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Bear in mind that I am talking about NG 10 (and TI 11) both programs have changed and expanded considerably since then.
The number of options available at the time was far more limited than it is now.
Alignment was unheard of to most people, as was 'restore to dissimilar hardware'. (So for that matter were SSD's.)

Another consideration not yet mentioned is, if used, the type of partitioning software.
My original program was Acronis Disk Director Suite 10, one thing it was not was precise, it was impossible to use it to align a partition, if it did finish up aligned it was luck not judgement.
Through exchanges I had with people on a number of different forums I discovered other programs with greater accuracy, the one that stood out the most was Bootit NG, I never got anywhere near all the possibilities of that program even with the help of someone who was very skilled with it.


SKA,

I cannot answer for the software you refer to either but both my XP computers were aligned with established systems, i.e. OS and all programs installed.

Shades:
Yes, you can align when a partition has content already, though it would be advisable to make a backup first (especially of the partition your computer boots from).

It takes a long time though. My 400GByte partition (with over 200GByte of free space) on a SATA2 drive took about 8,5 hours to complete (with Minitool partition wizard).

When you have storage space to spare, you could move data temporarily from partition 1 to partition 2, align partition 1 and move the data again to partition 1. Which method would be fastest, is a good guess and very much depending on (the state of) the hardware in your computer.

tslim:
Sorry for dumb q :

Can Min Partition Wizard Home edition be used to align partitions on a disk with XP installed already ? Or align partitions must be done BEFORE install OS/Programs etc ?

Thanks/Ska
-SKA (April 02, 2013, 10:40 PM)
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Yes, you can.
e.g. lets say, you have XP on C: and data on D:, just resize a bit C: (say make C: a little bigger and D: smaller or vice versa) and when the program alter the drives, it will always ensure partitions alignment are correct.
Generally speaking only the type of partition matters when doing HDD alignment.

You may also use Acronis Disk Director (latest ver is 11) to do that, but it is not a freeware like the Mini Partition Wizard Home Edition.

tslim:
It takes a long time though. My 400GByte partition (with over 200GByte of free space) on a SATA2 drive took about 8,5 hours to complete (with Minitool partition wizard).
-Shades (April 03, 2013, 08:26 AM)
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This can't be true. I have alter size of drives on my 500GB HDD (even on my 1TB HDD), the process normally take about 2 hours.

Shades:
I really had to wait that amount of hours, the system was also very slow when doing this...hence my comment about the state of the hardware, which in my case is a 4 year old heavily used common standard (not server grade) Seagate sata 2 disk.

There is also my suspicion that Seagate doesn't ship their best performing commercial grade drives to the South American markets (where I live). Unfortunately, it is also the only brand on sale here in Paraguay. You want a different brand, order it through internet in Brazil or North America (to keep shipping costs a little bit in check), which means I have to wait quite some time for arrival, which also means that I have to travel to the only postal office here in the capital several times to see if it arrived/passed through customs.

Oh, before I forget, I should also mention that Paraguay does not use any form of postal code, so it is not possible to have direct delivery at your house without a local courier service (again adding to costs). Computing hardware is also very expensive here in the capital. When I need to build a system for someone, it is actually cheaper to travel 600 km (1-way!) to a city bordering with Brazil and buy the hardware there.

Yeah, welcome to different world...

Ah well, luckily this country is stacked with beautiful women, parading around during the months that the sun shines (9 months) and beer is sold in 1-liter bottles.  ;)

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