Can I copy than rename ?

[jacek0841]

It's about file named c:\Program Files\Common Files\Solidworks Data\Lang\English\SWBrowser.mdbold

The file size is 49 Mb and the file is excessively fragmented - it has 441 fragments. WindowsXP defragmenter won't touch it.

Using Windows Explorer I just copied that file in the same directory - new file has name: Copy of ...

Now using the same Windows Explorer I renamed the fragmented file to: Old_... and than from the new file with: Copy of ... I removed: Copy of

Now, when I use Windows defragmenter and analyse (not defragment) the disk, it reports that the Old_.... is still fragmented as before, which is obvious, but the copy of that file (now with the "original" name without words Copy of) is not fragmented.

Of course that tempts me to wipe out that "Old" fragmented file, but I am still hesitant a bit.

So the question is - what's that ...... \SWBrowser.mdbold file is for , and how could I "use" SW2006 to test it and to see if the "new" non-fragmented file works properly before wiping out the "old" one.


Thanks.

 

[EEnd]

SWBrowser.mdb is a key database file for the toolbox. SWBrowser.mdbold sounds like an automatically generated backup of the file. If I followed what you did correctly you should be safe deleting the Old_... file.

Eric

 

[jacek0841]

After further examination it looks like WindowsXp Defragmenter wil not defrag ANY SolidWorks fragmented files after all ... :-(

 

[fcsuper]

EcoSqueeze is common in SolidWorks cirlces, but just in case someone doesn't know about it, here's some info and download:

http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php?name=UpDownload&req=viewdownloaddetails&lid=37

It will reduce the size of SolidWorks files (and supposedly unfrag them too). I'm not sure it will handle SWBrowser.mdbold as special, but it might. It works on all types of files, but has special functions for SolidWorks docs.

Matt
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA

http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php

 

[manxJim]

We use a program called diskeeper

http://www.diskeeper.com

It will defrag anything

 

[jacek0841]

A guy in my company just used WindowsXP defragmenter on his computer HD and it did defrag his SW files.

Why the heck it does not work on my computer ?

Does anybody have any ideas ??

 

[jacek0841]

Another thing - my HD is 223 Gb and it has 200 Gb free space - that is 90% of the HD is free.

Why would it fragment even small, couple of Mb, SW files ???

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

"Why the heck it does not work on my computer ?"
Permissions?

"Why would it fragment even small, couple of Mb, SW files ???"
It won't unless you tell it to.


SW07-SP3

 

[EEnd]

You might try rebooting the computer immediately before attempting to defragment. Windows applications, SolidWorks included, tend to keep files locked even after they appear to have been shut down. Another thing is that several passes with the Windows defragmenter is often needed to get everything it can defragment defragmented.

Eric

 

[jacek0841]

"Why would it fragment even small, couple of Mb, SW files ???"
It won't unless you tell it to.

How ?? Is there any switch that needs to be turned off or on ??

This afternoon I have worked on a totally new small project - assy of three small parts.

The defragmenter analysis report tells me the assy file size is 480 kb (correct, kilobytes) but the file itself has 8 (eight) fragments !!!

 

[jacek0841]

Another thing, I do not know if it is related - after printing the Defragmenter Analysis Report I see 11 (and there is probably more but unprinted) files like:

\System Volume Information\_restore{2C4EEC66-1D4D-4D88-B177-DA8A21110D8A}\RP273\SNAPSHOT\_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE

This file is 22 Mb and has 285 Fragments.

Is that normal ??

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

How ?? Is there any switch that needs to be turned off or on ??

Running the defragment tool is telling it to defrag all files which are fragmented.


SW07-SP3

 

[draftsman101]

You might try to reboot in safe mode and try it again..


B. Long
P 4 2.80 GHz
2.5 Gig Ram
Solidworks Office 2007 Sp. 2.2

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

jacek0841 ... My apologies to you ... I've been reading defragment where you have been using fragment.
"Why would it fragment even small, couple of Mb, SW files ???"
The fragmentation of a file is caused by the way Windows writes to the HDD. I could be wrong, but I don't believe that SolidWorks does the actual writing. It just invokes the applicable Windows dll/routine.


SW07-SP3

 

[jacek0841]

I just got to the office after having the WindowsXP Defragmenter working for last night. Not much difference - visually on the chart a little difference, the report still listens tons of fragmented files.

I do not think WindowsXP Defragmenter is any good ... This is not a first time around I am doing the Defrag.

I could be wrong, but I don't believe that SolidWorks does the actual writing. It just invokes the applicable Windows dll/routine.

I think so too - but why none of my few Excel (one of them over 15 Mb) files get fragmented ??

Could it be that SW writes (somehow) files "as you go", in "chunks", appending perhaps - and that confuses Windows resulting in very fragmented files.

Another thing - I copied one SW job files to a different drive (D - they showed up unfragmented (which it should be because that disk was also 90% free and fully defragmented with all the "blue" color files neatly packed on the left of the chart)

Than I did a little work on a few SW files from D: and saved them (on that D. After that I run the defragmenter in Analysis mode - the files that I worked on were fragmented.

What's more is that when I defragmented that D: - just to fix those four or five (now) fragmented files - it did defragment them, but the amount of time seemed to me too much - it took like 60 sec and the noise coming from the reading heads vere extraordinary - I was worried something (mechanical) would happen to the disk heads.

Anyway it looks to me that the best way to defrag the SW files is:

- have a big chunk of the disk empty
- just open another folder named "Job_123_Defrag"
- copy "inside" of the original folder to that new folder
- discard the original folder.
- rename that "...._Defrag" folder to what the name of the original folder was.

 

[fcsuper]

The default windows defragger is a scaled down version of DiskKeeper. In my view, these are nearly worthless. Because of Windows security, anything sneezed on in the wrong way will be "protected", and these defraggers don't touch them either.

I don't know if there are better general defraggers out there that actually do what they claim. I do know that the EcoSqueeze linked above handles SolidWorks document files very well, and also does a decent job with other file types.

Matt
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA

http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php

 

[jacek0841]

I think the fact that the computer guy installed FAT32 file system does not in anyway help either

 

[jacek0841]

It looks like Defragmenter is defragmenting SW files after all but somehow not very efficiently so I got the impression that it was not defragmenting at all

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

http://www.oo-software.com/home/en/products/oodefrag/

has a free trial of O&O Defrag.

I have not tried it but have read that it is very good.


SW07-SP3