I just finished installing DOS on a CF card, and I plan to do the same with Windows 3.11 and 98SE on separate CF cards.
I'd like to reduce wear on the cards if I can, what steps can I take to do this?
You could disable virtual memory, though that may lead to performance, stability, or compatibility issues.
Alternatively you could use something like an HDD or SSD and assign virtual memory to that drive instead of the CF cards. Of course, if you install an HDD or SSD, you might as well just install your Windows OS's on that drive anyway.
The Vogons wiki mentions that some people never fill the storage past 50% and modify their swap file settings. See
"Write Amplification and wear leveling" at https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/Storage# … Retro_Computers.
I think there's been some disagreement online whether or not the swap file setting makes a difference. Personally, when I'm using CF for Win98, I set the computer up to boot right into DOS. I don't know if Win98 writes much when booting, but I figured that couldn't hurt.
