Set HDD access priority like CPU priority: is it possible?


Recommended Posts

You know how in the Windows task manager, you can set the priority of certain applications to "above normal, below normal, realtime (which I never use), etc". Well correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand it, this is only for CPU instructions. So that an application with "below normal" priority will wait for all the apps with "normal and above" to finish using the CPU before the below-norm app gets a chance.

Is there a way to do this with hard-drive access? There are situations when a certain app is using a lot of HDD bandwidth to check file integrity, or when I'm copying files from one drive to another, or an app flushes something to the disk. I would like to be able to continue browsing the web or playing games and such, without any performance hit, with this HDD-heavy app running in the background, accessing the HD only when it will not affect the high-priority applications.

Either there's software that can do this, or this is what the task manager in Windows 7 already does, or it is technically impossible to do. Either way, any info would be greatly appreciated!

There's software that can (kind of) do this - Process Lasso can adjust I/O priorities.

Task Manager certainly does not do this.

It's technically possible. And Windows even does this increasingly* better.

* Or so it seems, because teh hardware is getting faster/better, creating the illusion... I'm not acquainted with the proper facts in respect to this.

It's still an area where a lot of progress could be made, and I'm afraid, being already shadowed by throwing hardware at the problem - namely, SSDs. Look how long it took them to add Pause button to file copy dialog. :pinch:

  On 02/03/2013 at 23:38, Phouchg said:

There's software that can (kind of) do this - Process Lasso can adjust I/O priorities.

Task Manager certainly does not do this.

It's technically possible. And Windows even does this increasingly* better.

* Or so it seems, because teh hardware is getting faster/better, creating the illusion... I'm not acquainted with the proper facts in respect to this.

It's still an area where a lot of progress could be made, and I'm afraid, being already shadowed by throwing hardware at the problem - namely, SSDs. Look how long it took them to add Pause button to file copy dialog. :pinch:

Thanks for the info! Yeah, I'm aware that if I got an SSD, I wouldn't have to worry about this issue. Unfortunately, I can't afford any kind of PC upgrades at the moment.

There's a pause button in the file copy dialog?! This is something I've been complaining about for years! I assume you're talking about Windows 8? If only it weren't suck a clusterfark of a GUI, I would make the switch. Unfortunately, my computer still has a keyboard and a mouse, which Windows 8 was clearly not designed for.

[edityness] - Wow, Process Lasso was exactly what I was looking for! Kind of... very minimal GUI, no frills whatsoever there, and an abysmal documentation, but it gets the job done! I/O priorities, huraah! thanks again!

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Sony unveils its first fight stick 'Project Defiant', supports PC and PS5 by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe In a surprise twist, Sony announced a new piece of hardware at its State of Play presentation today. Currently going by the codename Project Defiant, it is Sony's first attempt at making a fight stick. Considering the company is currently partnered with Marvel to make a first-party fighting game featuring heroes and villains from the popular comic universe, this seems to be the right time to unveil the project. As seen in the teaser trailer above, the wireless fight stick follows the modern black and white PlayStation hardware style of the consoles and standard gamepad controllers. The controller will ship with a toolless design for changing the restrictor gates, with square, circle, and octagon options incoming for the stick. Meanwhile, the buttons are confirmed to have mechanical switches. Plus, a dedicated touchpad, much like on the DualSense controller, is available on the top of the fight stick. "It’s built in a sturdy, ergonomic design for a comfortable feel during intense fight sessions," adds the company. Sony is leveraging its PlayStation Link technology in the device. With it, the company is promising ultra-low latency wireless connectivity, making sure it provides players "precise in-game response to each button press and digital stick movement." Interestingly, PlayStation Link is Sony's proprietary wireless connectivity standard designed for PlayStation 5's audio transmissions, which is now being used a little differently for this piece of hardware. The controller has built-in storage for holding both the restrictor gates and the PS Link USB adapter. As expected, a wired connection is also possible, with a USB-C port available on the device for connecting to a PlayStation 5 or PC. To make sure the device remains in good condition during travel, Sony is throwing in a sturdy sling carry case with each Project Defiant fight stick. More details, like the official name, internal hardware, release date, and most importantly, price, will be revealed later. The hardware has a 2026 launch window right now.
    • Precisely. I didn't give Reddit permission to sell my posts to any AI vendor from any of my accounts. Since I've been on Reddit since before the current pseudo-AI existed, I don't think anyone did...
    • The character tech looks awful, like something from 10 years ago.
    • lol net-negative? They're worth $29 billion, so they aren't hurting. They're just money hungry and don't care at all about the free videos on their platform. They shouldn't be making money off of those, but they are. Those content creators that are uploading their videos they made aren't making anything, but YouTube is making tons of money off of them, along with being exorbitant. If they want to do what they did before and lock Premium videos in a paywall, then fine. But no one is going to put up with them strong-arming people into paying just to have an ad-free experience while watching super old videos uploaded by John Doe at 360p.
  • Recent Achievements

    • First Post
      James courage Tabla earned a badge
      First Post
    • Reacting Well
      James courage Tabla earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Apprentice
      DarkShrunken went up a rank
      Apprentice
    • Dedicated
      CHUNWEI earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • Collaborator
      DarkShrunken earned a badge
      Collaborator
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      348
    2. 2
      snowy owl
      167
    3. 3
      +FloatingFatMan
      164
    4. 4
      ATLien_0
      161
    5. 5
      Xenon
      127
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!