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SMARTDRV--Notes

Enabling write caching on specific drives By default, MS-DOS Setup configures SMARTDrive so that write-caching is disabled. This configuration is extremely safe, but does not provide optimum speed. After SMARTDrive starts, you can use the SMARTDRV command to enable write caching on specific drives. This can significantly speed up your system. To enable write-caching on a particular drive, carry out the SMARTDRV command and specify the drive letter and a plus sign. For example, to enable write-caching on drive C, you would type the following: smartdrv c+ For information about enabling write-caching for compressed drives, see "SMARTDrive and Compressed Drives" later in this help topic. Using extended memory For SMARTDrive to use extended memory, your CONFIG.SYS file must contain a DEVICE command for HIMEM.SYS or another extended-memory manager that conforms to the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft/AST eXtended Memory Specification (XMS). Loading SMARTDrive into the upper memory area If the upper memory area is available through MS-DOS, SMARTDrive will automatically load into upper memory. You do not need to use the LOADHIGH command with SMARTDrive. If your hard disk requires double buffering, SMARTDrive may run faster if its cache is located in conventional memory. To load SMARTDrive into upper memory and its cache in conventional memory, use the following command: loadhigh smartdrv /l SMARTDrive and compressed drives SMARTDrive does not actually cache compressed drives; instead, it caches the physical (host) drive on which the compressed volume file is located. This improves the speed of both the physical drive and the compressed drive. SMARTDrive and CD-ROM drives If you are using a CD-ROM drive and you want to cache it, load MSCDEX before you load SMARTDrive. If you do not want to cache the CD-ROM drive, load SMARTDrive with the /U switch. (Note that MS-DOS Setup adds the SMARTDRV command to the beginning of your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, before any other commands.) To find out whether SMARTDrive is caching your CD-ROM drive, type SMARTDRV at the command prompt.
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