Howto: Increase multiboxing loading times on single computer. Up to 300-800% faster loading times.

I've been thinking about symbolic links for a while and how much windows lacks by not using them. I then thought how awesome it would be if all of my 5 wow accounts would read from a single directory to use hard drive read caching.

This is only useful if you have hard drive caching enabled, I've had 300-800% in loading times, ESPECIALLY Dalran.

How does it work?

The program creates a sort of "virtual file" that simply points to another file, wow will try to read this file and the operating system will automatically point to a single location.

What is it called?

Link Shell Extension

Did you make it?

No, I am not the author.

Where do I get it?

http://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinks...kshellext.html

Scroll all the way down for downloading instructions.



Installation
Install VS2005 SP1 as instruected in the downloads FIRST.
Then install the shell extension.

Usage
Once installed, browse to your game. In our case we will use WOW's data folder.

1. In the WOW data folder, create a new folder called BACKUP, make a copy of the 5 files you see in the directory and copy it to BACKUP, this is just in case something happens.
2. In the WOW data folder, create a new folder called COPY, this is where you will create links so we can move them to different locations later on
3. Select all 5 files, right click and select "Pick Link Source"
4. Goto the COPY folder that you created and right click again. This time pick Drop As... -> Hard Link
5. You will now have 5 files that look exactly like your previous files but with a red shortcut icon, Select these files, right click and CUT them

6. Navigate to your other WOW's data folder, create a folder called BACKUP, MOVE all the files here to that folder.
7. You should have no files before pasting, otherwise you will override the files with links! We want to keep as many backups as possible!

Repeat steps 3-7 for all your other WOW installations.

Here are stome tests I ran,

Dalran loading x 5 BEFORE: 37 seconds, AFTER: 8 seconds
Ironforge loading x 5 BEFORE 17 seconds, AFTER: 2 seconds

I have 2 RAID 0 Velociraptors, please post your results here, I am very interested in what your results will be like!

It's a popular method around here! :)

It didn't really reduce my load times, it just made it so everything was synchronized... Which is good too.

A big downside to using Symbolic Links however, is updating... What a pain.


Also: An easier way to do it is this:

- In every folder BUT your "main" folder delete your Data and Interface folders.
- In your "main" folder, Right-Click the data folder and "pick link source"... then navigate to one of your other WoW folders with the now deleted folders, Right-Click -> Drop As -> Symbolic Link
- Do the same thing as data, except for interface now too.

This basically tells your computer to look at one data/interface folder for information (instead of every WoW folder... in my case, 5 )... speeding things up!

In total, you're copy/pasting the 2 link sources 2 times for each "slave" folder you have.

See also here, some useful stuff:
http://www.dual-boxing.com/showthrea...6229#post56229

I used Link Shell Extension before I upgraded to Windows 7. That utility is great because you can select multiple items and link them all at once. A huge time saver if you use multiple folders. I only use one folder now and use a virtual file where needed i.e. config.wtf .

ya.... i can't see past the -Program being posted by a first time poster, link to some site and product i've never heard of, that wants me to install thingy into my wow folders-

yup...

I think his registration got fouled up from the website switch. I have used that utility from that site. it is legit.

Should be a good way to save space too. Not very important for most users, but by doing this (and deleting/moving backups off disk) you can probaby squeeze multiple installs into a 32GB SSD; maybe get all 5 into a 64GB SSD?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zal

ya.... i can't see past the -Program being posted by a first time poster, link to some site and product i've never heard of, that wants me to install thingy into my wow folders-

yup...

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I used to be registered in the old forums so I just re-made the account.

I run a 5 mage box team: http://www.wowarmory.com/team-info.x...ct=Gnome+Power

I also run a 4 shammy and 5 lock teams on the side.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sqeaky4100

It's a popular method around here! :)

It didn't really reduce my load times, it just made it so everything was synchronized... Which is good too.

A big downside to using Symbolic Links however, is updating... What a pain.


Also: An easier way to do it is this:

- In every folder BUT your "main" folder delete your Data and Interface folders.
- In your "main" folder, Right-Click the data folder and "pick link source"... then navigate to one of your other WoW folders with the now deleted folders, Right-Click -> Drop As -> Symbolic Link
- Do the same thing as data, except for interface now too.

This basically tells your computer to look at one data/interface folder for information (instead of every WoW folder... in my case, 5 )... speeding things up!

In total, you're copy/pasting the 2 link sources 2 times for each "slave" folder you have.

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Trying to do this, I already deleted the clones folders, when I right click the data folder, I don't see a "pick link source".

Please help.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by moosejaw

I used Link Shell Extension before I upgraded to Windows 7. That utility is great because you can select multiple items and link them all at once. A huge time saver if you use multiple folders. I only use one folder now and use a virtual file where needed i.e. config.wtf .

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This might be a newb question but care to explain the process of how you made the virtual folder? I have mine symlinked but after this last patch it bit me in the ass and had to reinstall wow after breaking the link. Didn't work to well hehe. Only reason I'm using the symlink is having the seperate wtf folders.