Copyright: © 1994-2002 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved.
Citation: © 1994-2002 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved.


  Introducing Norton Optimization Wizard

There is no context-sensitive help for this feature. Click here to open the online User’s Guide.


 About optimizing the registry

The registry is a large database used by Windows and other applications to store hardware and software configuration information. Information is continually written to and deleted from the registry during the course of everyday computer use.

When data is deleted from the registry, the space that was occupied by the data is not always immediately reused. Such leftover space in the registry can prevent data from being stored efficiently, and can cause the registry to take up more space in memory and on disk than is absolutely necessary.

Norton Optimization Wizard can rearrange the data in the registry for efficient information storage and retrieval, improving the performance of Windows and other applications. By packing registry data more efficiently, Norton Optimization Wizard can also reduce the size of registry files on the disk, making more disk space available for other data storage.

More Info


  About optimizing the swap file

In order to run a program, the computer must first load portions of that program into physical memory (RAM). The number of programs that can be run simultaneously, and the size of those programs, is limited by the amount of RAM installed on your computer.

To increase the effective size of RAM, Windows employs "virtual memory." Virtual memory lets the computer treat a portion of the hard disk as if it were an extension of RAM. This part of the disk is called the "swap file." Data that is not immediately needed in RAM can be temporarily moved ("swapped") to the swap file, freeing RAM for other data. By using a swap file, Windows can run more programs simultaneously than the RAM would otherwise allow.

By default, Windows manages the size of the swap file, changing it dynamically to meet changing system conditions. Because the file is continually changing size, it can become fragmented very quickly. Swap file fragmentation can contribute to fragmentation of other files on the disk. When the disk is fragmented, computer performance suffers.

Setting an efficient minimum size for the swap file can dramatically reduce disk fragmentation by preventing or eliminating frequent swap file resizing. It is important that the minimum size be large enough to accommodate most virtual memory requirements, but not be so large that it occupies a significant proportion of the hard disk. Norton Optimization Wizard examines your system and sets an efficient minimum size for the swap file. This helps minimize disk fragmentation and improves overall computer performance.

To get the full benefit of swap file optimization, Norton Optimization Wizard also moves the swap file to your fastest drive.

Run Speed Disk after Norton Optimization Wizard has optimized the swap file minimum size and moved it to your fastest disk. Subsequently, the swap file will remain permanently unfragmented.

More Info


  Welcome to Norton Optimization Wizard

Norton Optimization Wizard improves your computer’s performance by optimizing several critical elements of Windows: the swap file, the application loading process and the Windows registry.

Optimizing swap file [image] The Windows swap file is used for temporary data storage to increase the effective size of your computer's physical memory (RAM). By default, Windows changes the size of the swap file dynamically, to meet changing system conditions. An unfortunate side effect is increased disk fragmentation which can hurt computer performance.
Setting a minimum size for the swap file can reduce or eliminate swap file fragmentation, and, secondarily, slow the normal disk fragmentation process. Norton Optimization Wizard examines your system and sets an efficient minimum swap file size. If you have multiple drives, and they have been benchmarked to determine the fastest, Norton Optimization Wizard also moves the swap file to the fastest drive.

Optimizing the registry [image] The registry is a database used by Windows and other applications to store hardware and software configuration information. The registry is vital to Windows, and the efficiency of data storage in the registry can have an impact on computer performance. Norton Optimization Wizard reorganizes registry data for efficient storage and retrieval, improving the performance of Windows and your software applications.

More Info


  Optimize your swap file

Norton Optimization Wizard can optimize your swap file to improve your computer’s performance. It examines your system and sets an efficient minimum swap file size. If you have multiple drives, and they have been benchmarked to determine which is the fastest, Norton Optimization Wizard also moves the swap file to the fastest drive.

If Norton Optimization Wizard tells you that your swap file is already optimized, leave the option checked. Norton Optimization Wizard will not re-optimize the swap file.

More Info


 Optimize your registry

Norton Optimization Wizard can optimize your Windows registry. It rearranges registry data for efficient information storage and retrieval, thereby improving the performance of Windows and your software applications. By packing registry data more efficiently, Norton Optimization Wizard also reduces the size of registry files on the disk, making more disk space available for other data storage.

More Info


 Benchmark your drives

Norton Optimization Wizard benchmarks each of your drives to determine which is the fastest. The benchmark duplicates how a drive operates during normal computer operations by writing various amounts of data to a temporary file on the drive and then reading the data back.

Once it knows which drive is the fastest, Norton Optimization Wizard moves the swap file to that drive to get the full benefit of swap file optimization.

Norton Optimization Wizard benchmarks one drive at a time. This process has no adverse effects on the drives or the data they contain.

More Info


  Finish

Norton Optimization Wizard lists the options you have selected on this screen. Review the options to verify they are the ones you selected.

Warning: We strongly recommend that you close all other applications before clicking Reboot.

More Info


 To open Norton Optimization Wizard

You can open any of the Norton Utilities programs from Norton Utilities Integrator.

More Info