Delete file in ATI image

Hello,
I have a boxed version of ATI 9.0, build 2323 and used it to created a partition backup of windows 2000 system. I used microsoft sysprep utility for enabling minisetup, etc. and everything is fine, except that the image turned out to be a little over CD-size. Following a recomendation on MS site I want to remove the now-useless pagefile.sys from the image. Unfortunately, I can only mount it in a read-only mode.
Is the version of ATI I'm using capable of editing images?
I have a bad internet connection here, and am not enthusiastic about day-long downloading-updating... Is there any alternative to that?

 

ATI 9.0 will allow you to mount the image in Read/Write mode at time of mounting.

Storage_man

 

Nope, that build doesn't. I just updated to the newest version and this option appeared. But it turns out TI doesn't actually delete a file, it only makes another incremental image that saves the modifications. So now I got 2 files that don't fit on a cd.
I guess, I'll have to restore the image and edit the actual files, then put them back in an image.

 

That is correct, the original image isn't modified but the changes are captured in an incremental. While it doesn't fit your needs, it is a good way to do it, IMO.

The Pagefile.sys file actually is not in your image in its original form. TI only writes a few bytes as a placeholder for the pagefile, not the whole large file.

Build 2323 is old and there have been a large number of bugs corrected since then. You should update it.

 

Is it a TrueImage special functionality to handle swap files?
If ATI doesn't store its actual contents, will the place for the swap still be reserved at the beginning of the volume as I had it?

 

It is the way TI handles swap files since there is no point in keeping the contents. I do not know how TI determines where to put the swap file but it does not necessarily restore a disk sector by sector, that is, if data was in sector 1234567 it may not be put back in 1234567 when restored.
Perhaps somebody who knows will give you the answer.

 

Does anybody know for certain about this?

 

Just out of interest how can one select where a swap file will be positioned in a volume ?
I placed my swap file in its own partition at the start of a slave hard drive. It works well there and that drive is not included in my images anyway. It also reduces the amount of fragmentation on the main drive.

 

There are several small utilities that place the pagefile at the beginning of the volume(right after file table reserved area). Most of defragmenter programs can also do it. The reasoning is the same as having a separate partition - to prevent fragmentation, and also to keep swap as close to the beginning of physical drive as possible - for faster access.

I guess I won't get a direct answer about swap handling from the tech support here...

 

I would imagine setting a custom size for the swap file with a minimum of about 2GB would ensure the space is allocated and thus eliminate the fragmentation concern.

I really wonder if various gymnastics over the swapfile are worth it these days. Windows does shuffle a bit of stuff here and there but if you are really relying on virtual memory then the speed reduction is going to be very noticeable no matter where you place it. The real solution is to increase the RAM to reduce swapfile usage.

 

Set your swap file to a fixed size - about 2-3 times physical memory is optimal.