slow partition

[Jugulator*{MEOW}*]

I have two drives. one is C; with windows
the slave is partitioned d:, E:,f:.
f is the restore section.
d and e are on the same drive, I use e for pics, vids, docs.
on D i install applications, and games. I had BF2 installed on d and i was experiencing slow load times
I fouund this little program that rights and reads a file to a drive and times it.
i tested each partition and found that d was slow, but c and e were much faster. I expected c to be faster, its an ata133. the d/e drive is a ata100.
why would one partition on a drive be 1/3 as fast an another on the same drive?
BTW: d is 130gb and e is 50gb. my page file is on C only.

[THEKATZ*{MEOW}*]

It's actually pecking order.  C (in most all cases) is the root drive.  Storing programs away from that drive will result in poor performance issues particularly in gaming.  The reason is access time and read time.  Indexing is another factor here, since C: is usually where the program files are stored the registry will need to call on another drive to access that information being that info is not locally on your C: drive. 
Here is a good tip.  Keep your games local on the C: drive.  Set your swap file setting on the other physical hard drive (if you have a 2nd drive, use a portion of it as your swap file).  Set the minimum swap file setting at 1024 mb and maximum at 2048 mb * the minimum is debatable, some think the minimum should be no larger than 255 mb. Others say to match the min and max settings.  This is something that you can experiment with.  IMHO, 1024 x 2048 is a nice sweet spot for my machine.

For those that are in the know, a swap file is also your virtual memory.  This is not the same memory or ram you installed, it is memory that is readily accessed on the hard drive rather than pushing your physical RAM to it's limit.  Windows default is not a good setting as it will expand and contract the swap file which in turn is using system resources.  Think of it this way, you have 512 mb RAM installed, the game needs at least that much or more to play.  What happens here?  You get an out of memory error or crash to desk top .  You may have never seen that out of memory error before because of that wonderful swap file a lot of people ignore.  It takes up the slack so that RAM can do it's thing while the swap file holds other data that the game or program need to have at hand.  Your Ram is fast so it will do everything that needs the speed while the swap file is much sower but is an important part in having other data readily available when needed.  Google up the key words Virtual memory, nice read.  CNET or Call for help has plenty of help there.

[NighEve*{MEOW}*]

I love the way TK types about this stuff.  Sounds like he's talking about a favorite pet or something. 

. . .  because of that wonderful swap file a lot of people ignore

I bet he has a bumper sticker that says "Ask me about my grandkids virtual Memory"
Tee heee

[Felix*{MEOW}*]

I just read this the other day in GTR.

http://www.gamerstech.org/forum/index.php?topic=583.0

[THEKATZ*{MEOW}*]

Eve 

How odd Felix, I too run a dual swap.  One on the local and  the other on my 2nd HD.  Works like a champ.