DOCUMENT:Q81965 04-OCT-1999 [win95x] TITLE :Loading SMARTDrive Low May Improve Speed w/ Double Buffering PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product PROD/VER:MS-DOS:6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22; WINDOWS:3.1,3.11 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS: ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows versions 3.1, 3.11 - Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 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. Additional query words: 3.10 SMARTDRV.EXE ====================================================================== Keywords : Technology : kbAudDeveloper kbWin3xSearch kbWFWSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin310 kbWin311 kbWFW310 kbWFW311 kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600 Version : MS-DOS:6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22; WINDOWS:3.1,3.11 ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.