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A stable clean working machine.
Hi there…
I’ve noticed that quite a few comments about problems that folks have, come back to the computer not being a stable, clean, working machine. I get a lot of help on the COW so here is a little thank you note.
Since it is difficult enough to edit video without troubleshooting a PC, I’ve put together a few of the techniques I use to smooth out the process. Anybody that reads many of my posts, knows that I like it simple and easy. Free is good too.
Drop in a comment, criticize or add to the list if you wish.
It’s ideal to start with a clean install of Windows fully updated. But anyhoo…
This is step one. Image your hard drive. I use Acronis True Image. It’s one of the few things on this list that is not freeware or shareware, but it is the number one tool.
My system drive has about 5 or 6 gigs of data, mostly Windows… Make a Secure Partition that is big enough for a full image and some room to add to and away you go (you can make changes to your system drive… and if it suddenly doesn’t work… recover to a working image). Acronis allows you to make dated and annotated incremental images so you can drop back to one that really works if you have must. It is easy to use. My Secure Partition is around 15 gigs. I’d also reccomend keeping an image on CD’s for outside the box protection. An Image on a Data Drive wouldn’t hurt. If I ever get around to shrinking XP, I’ll probably put an Image on a USB keychain.
Keep your system drive loaded with a minimum of stuff… Windows, Vegas, DVD Architect,and a few other critical tools.
I actually start with these other tools first and when my system drive is running smooth, then I add Vegas.
There are some very, very good programs out there, and a lot of them are freeware, a few are shareware, and some you gotta pay for. Here is my list, I’m sure that the local gurus can chime in. If you must use your video machine for surfing the net, ya gotta have antispyware… use the free ones and keep them up to date.
Ad-Aware SE Personal – Free
A-squared – Free Version
Spybot Search and Destroy – Free
SpywareBlaster – FreeMcAfee Scan For Viruses… (Pay up or sign up with AOL.)
ZoneAlarm Firewall … Free Version. Pesky to get set up but works pretty good.
Ok… Enough Paranoia.
Windows and Video editing are two great ways to gunk up your computer… here are some good degunkers.
EverestHome – A PC analysis software … Just lay on the couch and tell me about your motherboard. Handy for keeping your drivers updated, the motherboard BIOS site it leads you to though is a pay site… the manufacturer’s site is usually a better bet. – Free.
WINASO Registry Optimizer… This one cleans out the registry of mysterious registry junk, left behind by deleted programs, etc., etc., … I don’t even think Microsoft knows what the Registry does. The trial version only corrects 10 items per scan, so if you have 700 errors, you may have to run it a few times. I don’t mess with the Registry too much without using this or the next program.
JV16PowerTools – A 30 day fully functional trial. It has Registry Tools and File Management tools… it’s a good way to get your computer clean, but watch it… don’t be too aggressive… or you’ll be recovering from that IMAGE you made in step one… Right?
Another great free tool is DG-Defragmenter. This is a DOS level program that you start in Windows. I always shut down all my programs (including disabling my network card and then my Firewall) and let this one run when I got nothing for that computer to do. Defragging takes time, but the only way you can tell when this software is doing it’s thing, is when the drive lite is flashing. A progress bar or something would be great, but hey, whaddaya want for free. It is easy to use and can put all the files at the front of the drive. For defragging a drive, that’s the way.
It also comes with HD-Tune for hard drive analysis. Find Junk Files is also included for free.
Karen’s Power Tools has a few other fun and free programs. Snooper… tells you what is running on your computer. Whois – for figuring out who owns what URL. And Windows Watcher – another program for seeing behind the curtain.
There are a few essential tools that you gotta pay for and they are worth it if you need them.
GRC Spinrite – this is a heavy duty Hard Drive program for physical drive testing. If you go thru hard drives the way I do… it might be worth having… it’s definitely fun to visit his site.
And the best File Recovery program I’ve ever used… is Quetek’s File Scavenger. I had a brand new drive go bad immediately after a big show… 12 hours of video on it. Spinrite wouldn’t even touch it. I tried all kinds of software for two weeks, stuff from Japan, Germany, nothing would work, some almost worked… Some were outrageously expensive and that don’t even count the companies that want to charge you for data recovery.
I finally downloaded a trial of File Scavenger… it allows you to scan your drive and recover tiny files… 64k or less. But if it succeeds in that, it’ll most likely get the rest of them. You pay for the license key and grab your files. It runs from the dos level and bypasses windows… this is a save your butt program… Fantastic.
I don’t mess with defragging the page file… If I think it is getting hit too often, I go into System and set it to zero… defrag the drive and then set it back to 1.5 times the RAM. Most Video systems have enough RAM and if you don’t; that’s definitely the cheapest way to improve your hardware. I don’t usually use much above 1 gig (your mileage may vary)… and remember Windows Vista is on the way… :~/
Keep your system and CPU cool. MPEG rendering pushes my CPU harder than any other process… it’ll sizzle in a minute. I’m thinking strong about adding watercooling or heat pipes to my CPU… right now between the fans and the AC unit… my studio sounds like a helicopter taking off.
So…
Get a working system drive.
Make an Image.
Make it better.
Make an Image.
Make it better… Oops… Made it too good… Recover that image.
Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
If you made it this far into this thesis… please take away two or three things.
Acronis True Image. – Pay for it.
Quetek File Scavenger. – Pay for it.
DGdefragmenter – Free.
Best of Luck… (and just remember I’m not really a PC doctor – I just play one on TV, so be careful out there).
Steve
P.S. I don’t usually get to spend this much time on the COW… it’s been fun.
Sony VX-1000 and others, P4 3gHz,
3000 Gigabytes Online(Not Enough), AMD64 laptop, Vegas+DVD-Architect, ReelDVD, DVFILM, Lightwave, Photoshop, Independent Production Since 1985 -
3 Replies
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I agree. An image of the stable system can be a lifesaver. When something starts to go wrong, pull any really “must save” files off that partition, restore the image, restore those “must save” files, and you’re back to running normally.
For your anti-virus, I believe that AVG is a free alternative (for personal use).
Edward Troxel
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I agree 100% for Acronis True Image – much better than PowerQuest Drive Image (corrupt as heck) or Norton Ghost (buggy). And Acronis is currently only 15 quid on Amazon.co.uk
ditto on most of your other utilities.
Also try Diskeeper 8 by Executive Software for best defragging tool. some say you don’t need to defrag NTFS but I beg to differ.
Just got Registry Mechanic from download.com – looks good. Likely to buy it.
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You didn’t mention what operating system you’re using but last I checked Spinrite is only FAT which is Win98. Won’t work with 2000 or XP. Found out after I bought it.
Using Registry Mechanic here along with AVG free Anti Virus. Got rid of Zone alarm when I put in XP Pro. Same with the new upgrades of Ad/Subtract Pro and Spy Subtract from Intermute. It was getting so bad I couldn’t even access my email or my own web site, and those companies couldn’t/wouldn’t help me get the new setting right. So out they came and when it came time to renew, I said no. Before XP I swore by these but now? Forget it. Using Aluria Spyware remover, Spybot and somwething called Cookie Wall which was free. And I like Perfect Disk over Disk Keeper. Never could find out if Disk Keeper defrags the swap file off-line. Their big advertising is set-it-and-forget-it. I don’t leave my computers on 24/7. I most always defrag after capturing video and before rendering. Time of MY choosing and my own option settings. And Perfect Disk will defrag in the background so sometimes I can do some work while it’s defragging. Mostly I don’t as I have 2 computers on a network. My internet everything else mach8ine is seperate from my editing machine.
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