s907396@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Miramar [Eugene Mok]) (06/26/91)
Has anyone out there used Stacker ( a device driver to compress files
to hard disk on-the-fly) with Windows 3? Is it safe? How much of a speed
loss is there when accessing the HD? Can it be loaded high?
And what's the most stable disk cache for use with stacker and Windows 3?
How do would you compare Hyperdisk and Super PC-Kwik?
Thanks...
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| o o | Eugene Mok s907396@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Melbourne OZ)
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------\ o /----------------------------------------------------------------yiky@bmerh768.BNR.CA (YikHon Yu) (06/27/91)
In article <1991Jun26.041734.20046@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au>, s907396@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Miramar [Eugene Mok]) writes: |> |> Has anyone out there used Stacker ( a device driver to compress files |> to hard disk on-the-fly) with Windows 3? Is it safe? How much of a speed |> loss is there when accessing the HD? Can it be loaded high? |> I'm using the coprocessor version of Stacker with DOS 5.0 and 386^max. My Win3 directory is in one of my Stacker partitions (and obviously runs from that partition). The Stacker driver is loaded into UMB with 386^max and I haven't noticed any detectable slow down in Windows (even just running the software-only version of Stacker). One thing to keep in mind is the Win3 permanent swapfile must NOT reside on a Stacker partition. |> And what's the most stable disk cache for use with stacker and Windows 3? |> How do would you compare Hyperdisk and Super PC-Kwik? |> I have used SMARTDRV, PC-Cache (PC-Tools Ver. 6) and HyperDisk 4.21 with Win3 and Stacker without running into any problems. Although HyperDisk 4.21 does offer noticable better performance on my system. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | YikHon Yu | | Bell-Northern Reaerch Ltd. | | Phone: (613) 765-4894 | Internet: | P.O. Box 3511, Station C, | | FAX: (613) 765-2907 | yiky@bnr.ca | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1Y 4H7 | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
rassilon@pogo.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Brian Preble) (06/27/91)
In article <1991Jun26.041734.20046@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au> s907396@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Miramar [Eugene Mok]) writes: > >Has anyone out there used Stacker (a device driver to compress files >to hard disk on-the-fly) with Windows 3? Is it safe? How much of a speed >loss is there when accessing the HD? Can it be loaded high? I'm using Stacker with Windows and it works fine. There is no speed loss, in fact I got a speed gain. But I'm using the hardware version of Stacker, and have a 2 meg disk cache, so any speed lossage would be hidden. I've been told that the software version slows down disk I/O by 2% if your machine is less than 20 Mhz. Mine's only 10 Mhz, but, as I said, the hardware coprocessor and disk cache prevent lossage. Stacker can be loaded high if you have a 386, QRAM, or LIM 4.0 EMS. In addition to disk savings, Stacker increases the efficiency of disk caches, as the data loaded into the cache is compressed. Thus your 1 meg disk cache becomes a 2 meg cache, 2 meg to 4 meg, etc. (Your mileage may vary.) >And what's the most stable disk cache for use with stacker and Windows 3? >How do would you compare Hyperdisk and Super PC-Kwik? I'm not familiar with PC-Kiwk. Hyperdisk has problems with Stacker. Specifically, you can't format floppies if you run Hyperdisk and STacker together. I called Stac's tech support line, and they suggested disabling floppy cacheing. I haven't tried that, yet. For now I"m using SmartDrv (which came with MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.0). SmartDrv and Stacker get along fine.
mihalik@techbook.com (Michael Mihalik) (06/30/91)
Works great.
I've been using Stacker and WIN3 for several months. Also have QRAM to load
drivers high (including Stacker, and WIN's disk cache). Follow
directions and everything should be OK.
My machine config is AST 286 Premium, DOS 3.31, 40M drive as C:, 70M
drive as D:. I only have Stacker working with the D: drive; results in
indicated 130M drive. Works fine with PCTOOLS backup.
Only thing that I can find negative is that YOU SHOULD NEVER TRY TO
DEFRAG THE STACKER DRIVE.
No other incompatibilities have been found.
Mike Mihalik
k
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Public Access User --- Not affiliated with TECHbooksrussell@spdcc.COM (Tim Russell) (07/01/91)
In article <1991Jun30.001334.16687@techbook.com> mihalik@techbook.com (Michael Mihalik) writes: >Only thing that I can find negative is that YOU SHOULD NEVER TRY TO >DEFRAG THE STACKER DRIVE. I've heard (and the manual says) that you CAN run one, but shouldn't. It ends up fragmenting the stacker drive more. I've also heard that Stac is about to release their own defragmenter for stacker volumes. That'd certainly be nice! -- ____ \TR/ Tim Russell "Homo sum, et nihil humanum \/ russell@ursa-major.spdcc.com a me alienum puto" - Terrence