Performance problems after a Win98SE re-install

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Alan Raskin - 27 Sep 2005 02:16 GMT

After I installed a new 40GB hard drive in my laptop PC and
re-installing Win98SE, I used an old version of Partition Magic to
repartition the drive into 13/15/10GB pieces and change the cluster size
from the default 32KB to 8KB. However, I've noticed that while
re-installing data files and other applications, the disk access light
stays lit up for up to 30 seconds and Windows stops responding to the
USB mouse (touchpad mouse is fine, though). Eventually, Windows starts
responding to the mouse and continues with whatever it was doing.

I don't recall this happening after any of my previous Windows
re-installs; could the smaller cluster size cause this behaviour, in
spite of it being appropriate for the given partition sizes? (I don't
recall whether I've resized the clusters during revious re-installs.)

5400rpm Western Digital 2.5" drive, DMA enabled
128MB RAM
Virtual memory controlled by Windows

- Alan

Reply to this Message

Ron Badour - 27 Sep 2005 02:49 GMT

I doubt that cluster size can be a factor since the standard cluster size
for partitions that size is 8 kb. How old is your PM--is it OK to use with
a 40 gb drive? Something caused those 32 kb cluster sizes and I am
wondering if your partitions are sound.

Signature

Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

> After I installed a new 40GB hard drive in my laptop PC and re-installing
> Win98SE, I used an old version of Partition Magic to repartition the drive
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> - Alan

Reply to this Message

Alan Raskin - 28 Sep 2005 00:43 GMT

> I doubt that cluster size can be a factor since the standard cluster size
> for partitions that size is 8 kb. How old is your PM--is it OK to use with
> a 40 gb drive? Something caused those 32 kb cluster sizes and I am
> wondering if your partitions are sound.

It's PM 5, but I've used it before without any problems. I think the 32K
cluster size was because when the Windows installation process formatted
the driver, it used the 40GB total size as the basis for the default
size. After the installation, I used PM to resize and repartition the drive.

- Alan

Reply to this Message

Lil' Dave - 28 Sep 2005 10:00 GMT

I would have:
Installed an 8GB or less primary, active partition for 98SE.
Installed an extended partition.
Installed dos logical drive partitions on the extended partition.
Left the cluster sizes at default.

Unless you copied the old hard drive's partition(s), this a new install.
Not, a reinstall.
If you're restoring from factory CD, its still a new install.

> After I installed a new 40GB hard drive in my laptop PC and
> re-installing Win98SE, I used an old version of Partition Magic to
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> - Alan

Reply to this Message