Loading SMARTDrive Low May Improve Speed w/ Double Buffering

 Last reviewed: November 23, 1994
Article ID: Q81965
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.1, 3.11
  • Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.1, 3.11
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22

SUMMARY

If double buffering is enabled for SMARTDrive version 4.x or 5.x, a significant performance gain can be achieved by loading SMARTDrive low.

MORE INFORMATION

If double buffering is required, it must be loaded from the CONFIG.SYS file as in the following example: 

   DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE /DOUBLE_BUFFER
NOTE: This only loads the double buffer driver. It does not load the disk cache portion of SMARTDrive, and cannot be loaded high.

To force SMARTDrive to load into conventional memory, use the /L parameter in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, as in the example below. 

   SMARTDRV C: D: /L
When double buffering is enabled for SMARTDrive, system performance decreases. This is expected, due to the nature of adding an additional buffer to handle all disk reads and writes through conventional memory.

Loading SMARTDrive into low memory is quicker than loading it into an upper memory block (UMB) because this eliminates the additional step of buffering from the UMB to conventional memory.

KBCategory: kbenv
KBSubcategory: Win31 WFW WFWG WinMem msdos
Additional reference words: 3.10 SMARTDRV.EXE

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Last reviewed: November 23, 1994
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