Defragging While GW Is Running - Guild Wars Forums

Government Flu · Sep 20, 2007, 12:16 PM // 12:16

Hey guys, I'm running a disc defragment and all of a sudden I experienced extreme lag which I deduced was caused by the defrag tool moving the GW.dat. I was wondering if playing the game while the file is being defragged could cause future problems.

Thank you in advance.

Mr. Fahrenheit · Sep 20, 2007, 12:20 PM // 12:20

Defragging your computer takes up alot of disk space. So basically you WILL experience graphical lag while playing games while defragging.

Kakumei · Sep 20, 2007, 01:41 PM // 13:41

Defragging is designed to be done when no other programs are running--you do know what defragging actually is, don't you?

pkodyssey · Sep 20, 2007, 02:14 PM // 14:14

Defragging while playing = BAD

btw, it won't work if the file is being accessed.

Darkobra · Sep 20, 2007, 02:26 PM // 14:26

Right. Guild Wars does NOT defrag with a basic disc defragmenter, HOWEVER, you should never EVER have anything up and running while defragmenting. It takes priority over everything else, so you will lag, and it also moves system files and compresses other files. So that's why you're lagging like hell just defragging.

Mouser · Sep 20, 2007, 10:04 PM // 22:04

Try DiskKeeper 10. Not only is it capable of defragging the GW.dat file, it has intelligence that will keep it from launching if your disk is performing I/O functions, so you won't experience lag.

If you're defragging in the background with a the basic defrag tool with Windows, you are asking for trouble, as others have intimated.

Alex Morningstar · Sep 21, 2007, 07:09 AM // 07:09

I would set your computer to defrag when it wont be interrupted, like when you sleep. Probably should kill the internet and most automated processes as well.

Fril Estelin · Sep 21, 2007, 09:04 AM // 09:04

Someone mentioned in a different thread a very small and useful utility:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys...es/contig.mspx

You can ask it to defrag Gw.dat (open a command prompt in the "Guild Wars" folder and then type "contig -v gw.dat") and when this is done, launch the game and defrag the rest of your disk!

BabyJ · Sep 21, 2007, 03:04 PM // 15:04

Wouldn't it be just as easy to close your game, start defrag, go fix a snack, come back and defrag is done then its game on!
I never have anything running when i defrag.

Sep 20, 2007, 12:16 PM // 12:16	#1
Government Flu Krytan Explorer Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Guild: Paradoxa Zoloft Asylum [PXZ] Profession: W/R	Defragging While GW Is Running Hey guys, I'm running a disc defragment and all of a sudden I experienced extreme lag which I deduced was caused by the defrag tool moving the GW.dat. I was wondering if playing the game while the file is being defragged could cause future problems. Thank you in advance.

Sep 21, 2007, 09:04 AM // 09:04	#8
Fril Estelin So Serious... Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: London Guild: Nerfs Are [WHAK] Profession: E/	Someone mentioned in a different thread a very small and useful utility: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys...es/contig.mspx You can ask it to defrag Gw.dat (open a command prompt in the "Guild Wars" folder and then type "contig -v gw.dat") and when this is done, launch the game and defrag the rest of your disk! Last edited by Fril Estelin; Sep 21, 2007 at 05:43 PM // 17:43..

Sep 20, 2007, 12:20 PM // 12:20	#2
Mr. Fahrenheit Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Broadway Profession: D/	Defragging your computer takes up alot of disk space. So basically you WILL experience graphical lag while playing games while defragging.

Sep 20, 2007, 01:41 PM // 13:41	#3
Kakumei Forge Runner Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Grind is subjective Guild: learn this please	Defragging is designed to be done when no other programs are running--you do know what defragging actually is, don't you?

Sep 20, 2007, 02:14 PM // 14:14	#4
pkodyssey Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: In a cardboard box with Internet Guild: The Order of the Frozen Tundra (TofT) Profession: N/	Defragging while playing = BAD btw, it won't work if the file is being accessed.

Sep 20, 2007, 02:26 PM // 14:26	#5
Darkobra Forge Runner Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Scotland Guild: Type like an idiot, I'll treat you like an idiot Profession: E/Me	Right. Guild Wars does NOT defrag with a basic disc defragmenter, HOWEVER, you should never EVER have anything up and running while defragmenting. It takes priority over everything else, so you will lag, and it also moves system files and compresses other files. So that's why you're lagging like hell just defragging.

Sep 20, 2007, 10:04 PM // 22:04	#6
Mouser Academy Page Join Date: May 2005 Guild: Defenders of Gods Profession: N/Me	Try DiskKeeper 10. Not only is it capable of defragging the GW.dat file, it has intelligence that will keep it from launching if your disk is performing I/O functions, so you won't experience lag. If you're defragging in the background with a the basic defrag tool with Windows, you are asking for trouble, as others have intimated.

Sep 21, 2007, 07:09 AM // 07:09	#7
Alex Morningstar Krytan Explorer Join Date: May 2006 Guild: Team Asshat [Hat] leader - [GR] Alliance Profession: Mo/	I would set your computer to defrag when it wont be interrupted, like when you sleep. Probably should kill the internet and most automated processes as well.

Sep 21, 2007, 03:04 PM // 15:04	#9
BabyJ Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Illinois Guild: SFG Profession: Mo/	Wouldn't it be just as easy to close your game, start defrag, go fix a snack, come back and defrag is done then its game on! I never have anything running when i defrag.