How to make TheWord run FASTER

Share your favorite tips, workarounds and shortcuts for theWord
csterg
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Re: How to make TheWord run FASTER

Post by csterg »

+1 for the ssd, a totally new experience.
vertel
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2014 4:05 pm

Re: How to make TheWord run FASTER

Post by vertel »

yep ssd makes everything completely different :)
It starts with the Word
Everything else follows
ErikJon
Posts: 431
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:24 pm

Re: How to make TheWord run FASTER

Post by ErikJon »

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Thanks!
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I'm an Independent Baptist running TheWord portable v 5.0.0.1481 from an external 500GB hard drive with over 1,900 modules installed and loaded in my current module set. I'm using 32-bit Vista Ultimate SP1 with a 2.7gHz processor and 4GB RAM.
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petrosd
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Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:30 am
Location: Winnipeg

Re: How to make TheWord run FASTER

Post by petrosd »

Throwing my hat in :-)

TheWord runs exceptionally fast (and stable) on even the most basic of Windows systems. I've seen it 'fly' on a 14 year old XP laptop that's all but useless for anything else. It seems to me that 1000 modules is a lot of modules. Not that I want to suggest that those who want to have 1000 (or more) modules are wrong in any way, but have you considered whether you really need that many?

If you do (and you can), here are a few things you can try to squeeze every last drop of speed out of your system.

SSD Drives
Given the cost (below $100 for a 120G, or even 240G on sale,SSD) gives the maximum speed benefit for minimum costs and time.

USB Drive or Memory Card
Check ratings and test if you can using real values. Use USB 3.0 if your system can run it. Look for the fastest READ value because this is where it matters with TheWord. WRITE speed is less important. I use a variety of block sizes to test Flash Drives and Cards (2K, 4K, 16K, 32K, 256K, 1024K, 2048K, 4096K). Maybe Costas or others can give us some idea of the best block size to test. And people could pass along the results for various makes and models. Again, RED rather than WRITE is most important.

Hard Drive Partitions
Test your partitions using speed test software that uses various block sizes and random read/writes. You may find that TheWord isn't installed on the fastest partition. I haven't done a lot of partition testing on newer hardware, but previous tests have shown me that the fastest partitions are the one located roughly in the middle of the physical hard drive. For example, I have a 500G SATA drive that has four partitions (a 69G, 2 x 50G, and a 295G). The two 50G partitions are the fastest, the 69G is slightly slower, and the 295G is slowest. In fact, the 50G partitions are about 35% faster than the 295G. Size may be a factor as well. Larger partitions tend to be slower than smaller ones (and may be why there is such a difference between to 50G and the 295G partitions). All other things being equal, especially sufficient free space to defrag at maximum speed, it's much faster and easier to defrag a small partition than a large one.

If you can dedicate a single partition to only TheWord, you could also format the partition using the most efficient block size and format. Contributions from others would help here. NTFS or FAT32? 2K, 4K, or larger blocks? Assuming space isn't a factor, what would be the maximum useful block size? A larger block wastes more space when a smaller file occupies it, but it can grow or change without the need to defrag the drive as much. For example, if a module is 14K and on a drive that has 2K blocks, eventually it will become fragmented. If the block size is 16K, it won't. I know that for the techs, that's an over-simplification but it gets the main point across -- small block sizes tend to waste less space but cause more fragmentation. Larger block sizes waste more space but cause less fragmentation.

Consider the same for a Flash Drive or Memory Card if you decide to use one. Efficient block size makes a big difference for such media.

Compress or Not?
Test load times using both compressed and uncompressed modules. The same for compressing the Search Index or not. I found that the speed was slightly reduced with compressed, but I had a 'feel' that once loaded searches were slightly faster when using compressed modules. I have nothing definitive other than it 'felt' faster. So to me the speed in use is not significantly impacted by compressed v uncompressed.

Whenever you load a new module (or change it), run a new search (I use "love") so that the module(s) are newly indexed. It's time-consuming but it makes searches faster once it's done.

RapidBoost
I've used "RapidBoost" since it's inception. I've found that it can make a significant difference on some systems and little on others. Testing is the only way to find out if it will help your system. Basically, it extends the memory of the system by using small blocks on the RapidBoost device (typically a 2/4/8K Flash Drive). I'm not sure how useful it can be TheWord as the increased speed (if there is any) comes form reducing the swapping of Virtual Memory to the Hard Drive. TheWord is extremely efficient at minimizing memory usage so may not gain at all from RapidBoost technology. Consider also that the device sits on the USB bus and any read/writes will reduce the speed of another USB Flash Drive (if you use one) and any other USB device will reduce the speed of the RapidBoost device.
csterg
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Re: How to make TheWord run FASTER

Post by csterg »

petrosd has made EXCELLENT suggestions! Thank you!
My personal pick is an SSD disk: it just changes the whole experience with your PC. Adding an SSD disk is like you get a CPU 10 times faster...
ErikJon
Posts: 431
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:24 pm

Re: How to make TheWord run FASTER

Post by ErikJon »

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Wow. I had never even heard of the SSD drive, but I will certainly make the switch. Thank you, gentlemen.
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I'm an Independent Baptist running TheWord portable v 5.0.0.1481 from an external 500GB hard drive with over 1,900 modules installed and loaded in my current module set. I'm using 32-bit Vista Ultimate SP1 with a 2.7gHz processor and 4GB RAM.
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