Parallels Performance tips

One simple tip

less is more
don't interfeer with the auto configuration

don't allocate more than 40 to 60% of avaliable memory

a virtual windows machine needs to be managed like any other WinXP machine
using the MS uitlities and adware, spybot, spyware blaster, firewall and ante virus siftware

It pays to shut down correctly after every session and not suspend

if you treat a laptop rough it runs rough
and eventually crashes


Hugh W
 
Last edited:
gcaprio said:
I've started to publish a series of tips for optimizing the performance of parallels.

Check out #3 here:

http://blog.1530technologies.com/2007/02/parallels_perfo.html

Comments and questions are welcome.

- Griffin
Click to expand...

You don't need to move your swap file to a separate partition. Use Page File Defragger from www.sysinternals.com Set it to defrag on every boot (first time takes a bit, each additional time is insignficant.) It also defragments the registry hives, etc. You can also change the swap file to a fixed size ensuring it won't get fragmented during use.

If your separate partition happened to be located on another physical disk, well then you'd get better performance...
 
simplicity said:
You don't need to move your swap file to a separate partition. Use Page File Defragger from www.sysinternals.com Set it to defrag on every boot (first time takes a bit, each additional time is insignficant.) It also defragments the registry hives, etc. You can also change the swap file to a fixed size ensuring it won't get fragmented during use.

If your separate partition happened to be located on another physical disk, well then you'd get better performance...
Click to expand...

Simplicity,

You're right about swapfile fragmentation, i'll check out that util. However, moving your swap file to another partition has performance benefits from an windows POV, not just Parallels. You get better virtual memory performance from a dedicated swap partition pretty much regardless of which OS you're using because you're optimizing the location of the swap partition. If it's on it's own partition, it doesn't get hidden among your other fragmented files.

But you are right in that moving it to a different physical disk would result in even better performance.

Cheers,
Griffin
 
You get better virtual memory performance from a dedicated swap partition pretty much regardless of which OS you're using because you're optimizing the location of the swap partition.

I don't want to keep harping on this relatively minor point, but that is simply not true. Putting something on a separate partition isn't magic and doesn't result in one bit more performance. A partition is simply a disk map that says sectors 0-10000 are for you, 100001-??? are for you, etc. Your 'swap' partition may end up in the middle of the disk, esp if you have several operating systems on your HD, which is the same as having it in the middle of the disk as a file in your primary OS. No difference. The key is ongoing deframentation. A dedicated swap partition does eliminate fragmentation, but so does a swap file of a fixed size. And the fixed sized swap file has the added bonus of being able to be resized later if needed whereas resizing a partition is much more difficult.

So we all agree that the swap should be defragmented. The method of defragmentation though is less important.
 
To get the benefit of moving the swap file to another partition, the new partition has to be on another spindle, and preferably on another controller. New partition is half right.
 
If you have only 1 physical hard disk then, that disk can only read from one partition at a time. So creating separate partitions on a single disk provides somewhere between little and no benefits. Moving the swap to a second partition on a second physical hard disk, means the apps can run and access the main disk and the os can access the 2nd disk for swap space, simultaneously
 
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