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

[Marious]

In Windows 7 all you have to do, using the mentioned program is patch your main folder, delete the 2 symlink folders from your copies and redo the link to the new one, and copy over your WoW execute that's it. There is nothing else to do and it works perfectly fine. Again this is in Win 7, XP you probably have to break the links and then recreate and copy your Wow.exe file to your other folders. In XP if you don't break the links prior to deletion they might delete your linked from folders, have not done it in XP so could be wrong. I keep seeing this I had to reinstall because of my symlink, and well I did the same thing until I read in one of the threads what you have to do.

[Barelan]

Can anyone explain why it would be a benefit to have the OS think its loading multiple files? - Surely caching would be better if it knew it was loading the same one.

I've always thought a bigger cache - i.e. lots more memory - was better than anything you can do with disk access speed. I'm not sure how the new SSD's work out, but I've seen some tests say the difference is marginal.

[jak3676]

When you simlink your folders, the OS does know that i's loading the same one (and cache's it appropriatly). Your OS sees a simlink exactly as though it is the same file as the non-linked one.

The purpose for symlinking is to allow other programs and users not to see them as the same file.

[jak3676]

SymLink set up was faster then ... everything from one folder

This is what I don't get. I've agree that this was said a few times in some of the old threads. But this can't be true.

It would be like if I put some file on my desktop. I then right clicked the icon and selected "Send to" -> "Desktop (create shortcut)". I then clicked the original file 5 times and timed it. Then clicked the shortcut 5 times and timed it. You are doing the exact same thing when you simlink something. The OS knows that it's just a link (a "simulated link", one might say) to the original file. Opening a symlink can't be quicker than opening the original, because you are actually opening the original file.

Symlinks do offer the benifit on not being a 100% pure copy - you can customise graphics or addons seperately, while still getting the performance benifit from using a single folder. I'm not saying they aren't useful. But they aren't quicker than just running the same executable 5 times. I believe both Keyclone and ISBoxer (probably some others) have a built in utility to do things like remember your username and video settings. So if you are using one of those there's no reason I can think of to run symlinks at all.

Am I missing something here?

[rahven32]

Running 5 seperate folders is slower because your hitting 5 seperate folders for info. Where as with one folder or symlinked it's just hitting one. It has something to do with the cache i believe. Now as far as one folder and being symlinked I don't know if there is a difference. I do know though going from 5 seperate folders to being symlinked made my load times way faster. The main reason i run with them linked is just for seperate config's. Patches do suck though =/