>Dear All,
>
>I have NT 4.0, with 2 partitions (C: & D:), in the drive propirities there is an option "Compress" where it compresses the drive as I understood.
>
>I need to know when I use this option what effect I get on the drive, and is it helpfull and advisable to use it or not?
>
>Many Thanks
>ADSC
You can also compress individual folders, or even files. This is not like Windows 95 or 98 (with the old FAT system), where you could only compress the entire drive - all or nothing.
In general it seems a good idea to compress files or folders that don't move much. This can save you a lot of space. For other files (and only if you really need the space), do some speed tests: each file has to be de-compressed as you access it. Pressumably not the entire file, but the sectors close to the piece you request.
You can change the options - I don't remember where - so that compressed files and folders appear in blue in Windows NT Explorer.
Anyway, I didn't notice a reduction in speed.
HTH, Hilmar.
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