Can Anyone Offer a VISTA Tune-Up List Like Nick's XP List?

[Guest Nick_N]

LOLUse the force, Steve.. let goSorry Steve.. there are no shortcuts involvedInstall everything on the drive, FSX, add0ns, updates, etc and repeat the steps for defrag, every one of them... except you do not need to use the command line for idle process task execution and you do not need to worry about the prefetch folderThats the way it is... each drive must be completely defragmented using O&O 8 exactly as I laid out.. which is why I posted that in the list about repeating for each drive in the systemI probably would have installed everything, including the OS, FSX on its drive, addons etc.. because as you install addons, some things get changed on the Windows partition... FSX also adds simconnect to the Windows folder so you see, installing all software should really be done first and the defrags are all lastAfter you finish with the FSX drive I would run 1 last COMPLETENAME defrag on the Windows partition just to put the finishing touches on it. And dont forget to REBOOT between every single defrag pass!however, I would not run it on the Vista drive.. not sure of the results in running O&O from WindowsXP on a VISTA boot patition. Just the XP and the FSX drive is all you need to worry about... and dont run any version of O&O from Vista to optimize the FSX drive.. do all that from XP and let VISTA live on its own.AS for install order of addons.. Any issues around that can be resolved by running the interface or configuration tools from each product to assure the configs and textures are landed right.. GEXn for example can be re-run at anytime after UTX is installed, etc, and make sure you do have all the patches for your addons.. UTX USA is 1.20b, etc.. One thing I do wish to caution about... you have a lot of scenery listed. One thing I do is make sure hard drives are at 60% and under and there is at least 40% free space. That can and will play into drive performance as well. Large and massive photoscenery databases can go on their own drive (not partitioned) and called by the scenery database as needed, and you would defrag the SAME if you used yet another drive for that purpose.Just make sure your drives are not jam-packed or partitioned... that will really put a massive choke on system response if they are

[pastorpilot 0]

So helpful, as always ... Nick, Okay, what I learned was:1. Its okay just to install FSX and all the software and THEN do ONE round of all the defragmentation steps. That's what I was not sure about. I have no problem with doing all the runs. Good grief, I have invested quite heavily already in terms of change and time... I am glad to do it. I just wanted to know the right "when."2. Its already too late on the Vista Drive. I am not partitioned and when I defragged J drive [where FSX used to be ... on the same drive as Vista] it went ahead and defragged the OS, as well, I assume. I'll let you know how it boots up and performs.3. I absolutely understand to defrag from XP.4. I think you answered my question about UTX and GEXn. To avoid a rerun of GEXn, it makes sense to install UTX first with the updates.5. Thank you for the comment about the massive scenery files. Actually, I thought I was up to 100 gigs for FSX, and it turns out I was including the OS size as well. It looks like I will have about 100 gigs total when finished... a nice "almost full" size according to your suggested parameters. Also I have room to install another drive which makes sense for the scenery in the future.ONE LAST QUESTION:I know how you are supposed to defrag after FSX installation. And again after Acceleration? But would it be alright just to install it all and then do the careful defragging cycles? Or should I do a one pass space drive after FSX/Acelleration? Just wondered your opinion.I don't know how you have time to answer all of this stuff and do your job, as well. It must feel great making such a contribution to the community. Being a pastor, I understand that stuff. Your posts are so good... As you write, you will list various links to other posts of yours on related issues. I wish you could put a sticky post over on the GEX site that would be a master list of the different topics you have addressed and links to each one. Now how's that for making your work load even heavier!! ;^)Thanks again, Nick. You are such good guy.Steve

[Guest Nick_N]

Acceleration is a huge installI think you know my answer.. LOLOK, but its like this.1. You only have to do ALL the defrag passes after EVERYTHING is installed... do them all and do it right2. If you install a major add-on like Accel or UTX AFTER the fact and after you have been using the system, run the SPACE, reboot and then the COMPLETENAME defrag.. thats all.the only time you must follow the full path is in the event of a MAJOR install.Anything larger than a few hundred MB's I would run SPACE and Completename.. otherwise for minor addons SPACE alone is finebut remember.. COMPLETENAME is the one that does the job, not SPACEI have 3 monitors running and one is a good size wide screen so I can work and monitor things like forums at the same time