Using Windows Disk Protection

Windows Disk Protection is off by default. It should remain off until you're ready to use it. When activated, it creates a cache file to save changes to the operating system and program files. This cache file will reserve a significant amount of space on the system drive.

After you turn on Windows Disk Protection, turning it off again will remove the cache file it created upon activation. This effectively uninstalls the protective cache feature.

Turning on Windows Disk Protection Before installing and running Windows Disk Protection, it's important to defragment the hard disk. Windows Disk Protection may fail on a fragmented hard disk.

To install and run Windows Disk Protection:

1. Log on as the Windows SteadyState administrator.

2. In the Computer Settings area of the console, click Protect the Hard Disk.

3. To run Windows Disk Protection, select On.

4. Click Yes to continue with the installation of Windows Disk Protection.

Cache size

During installation, Windows Disk Protection will calculate the size of your hard disk and create a cache file equal to 50 percent (up to 40 GB) of the free hard disk space. For example, if you have a 40 GB hard disk, and your operating system and programs use 10 GB, you have 30 GB of free space available. The cache size will be 15 GB, half of the remaining 30 GB.

Windows Disk Protection levels

When you select the disk protection level you are defining when and if Windows Disk Protection clears changes to the hard disk. The level of protection you select depends on how the computer is used and whether or not your users want to save data for any length of time. You can:

• Remove all changes at restart. We usually recommend selecting this option and restarting the computer daily. This prevents the cache from filling up over time.

• Retain changes temporarily. You may want to retain user files and data for a specified period of time. For example, you might have a user who is working on a project and needs access to project research files over a period of two weeks. In this case, you would select this option.

• Retain all changes permanently. When you need to install patches, upgrades, or new programs, this is the option recommended over turning off Windows Disk Protection. Any action you perform while this option is selected will not be removed by Windows Disk Protection. Because the cache file still exists when this option is selected, you can easily return to one of the other two options without repeating the process of turning on Windows Disk Protection.