What system defragmenter do you use?

For hard disk defragmentation I use Dirms with Buzzsaw

For registry defragmentation I use SysInternals PageDefrag.

All of the above are freeware.

 

Perfect Disk 7. Great Software

 

i'm happy with window's fragger. i'm constantly installing and uninstalling programs, so i do it once a day in diagnostic startup mode, which takes care of most of the unmovable files. currently have one large blue block.

 

I have never tried anything other than Windows DFragger either.

 

I voted for Norton Speed Disk {my perennial "fav"}; but to be fair, there should be a spot for Diskeeper; it would probably outpoll Norton as it seems quite popular. The thing I like about Speed Disk is that it not only defrags but it efficiently compacts data to achieve minimal fragmentation of free space. Most defrag utilities do a good job of defragging files {occupied space}, as, that is relatively easy to do; but in defragging files they tend to highly fragment the free space. If you have a lot of free space on your disk, it probably makes no difference; but as the free space decreases, if the free space is highly fragmented that means new files {especially larger ones} will tend to be fragmented upon creation. But really, with the typical large and fast Hard Drives available today, defragmentation does not achieve a great increase in performance, even though it makes us "perfectionists" feel good.

 

I use perfectdisk 7.0, its excellent.

 

So - Randy - and I'm dead serious here... for me, using a 40 gig for the OS and a 120 for installations and another 120 for "install files" etc - the Windows DF is just fine?

 

Windows Defragmenter

 

I think that out of the ones that I have tried in regards to the findings I have seen from this poll, mst defrag is the easiest and most to-the-point defragmentation program, with an extremely easy and limited interface. However, saying that, Perfect Disk is also very easy-to-use and also easy on the eyes. However, there is something that tells me in my mind.. "a defragmenter is a defragmenter, it has to be fast but it doesn't have to have a leather interior". The winner in my opinion is... mst defrag.

Thanks a lot for everyone's help, I really appreciated you all posting and I'll see you on the forums.

`Mishima San`

 

Hi `Mishima San`,

I'm still trying the mst defrag and I like it a lot!
Like you said, very easy to use, very ease on resources, small, good information and really works

Regards

 

Yes of course; and with large fast HDs such as you have, it would take a heavy degree of fragmentation for you to notice any performance degradation even if you use no defrag utility for a longtime. One other obvious point, if you have more than one defrag utility, it is best to stick with one utility because they use different algorithms and "undo" each others' work! With Windows XP, I vacillated between the Microsoft and Norton utilities, finally settled on Norton. The MS utility in WinXP is very good, though, being a "mini" version of diskeeper. {It even says in the About box that it was developed by Executive Software, makers of diskeeper}. As I said, I have been using Norton because I like the way it compacts all the data, like "squeezing a sponge". But it really doesn't matter that much if at all, just personal taste.

 

diskeeper 8 pro ?
what are the differences between this and perfect disk so many of you use this just wondering thanks

 

I was using O&O because Norton crawled when XP first came out.

I was going to upgrade to the new O&O but the test version crashed with SP 2 and I decided to pay $16 bucks when I saw a sale on Diskeeper
version 9.0.504.0 in the box, delivered, not a download.


I liked O&O and I think it is better than Diskeeper. But I ain't betaman.

 

Well... I've got a test of a german (yes I'm from ol'europe) pc magazin...
Gimme a try to translate it:
test candiate:
A 37,27 gb hdd
free space: 8,11 gb(21%)
(the hdd was a garbage bin, a 3,42gb-avi-file with 32,591(!) fragments, and stuff, you know)

without defrag:
editing a video(3,42gb): in 50 min
load a pic(.psd 142mb): in 27 sec
burn a dvd(8x 4gb): in 8 min 22 sec
copy a file(3,56gb/14mb):12min 46sec/7sec
(there is just a percentual value of the saved time)

"ranking":
1.
O&O Software - O&O Defrag V8 Professional Edition
length: 3 h
editing a video: 64,48%
load a pic: 25,93%
burn a dvd:6,18%
copy a file:27,02%/85,71%

2.
Raxco Software - Perfect Disk
length: 2h 50
editing a video: 57,66%
load a pic: 18,52%
burn a dvd:6,77%
copy a file:16,71%/85,71%

3.
Symantec - Norton System Works 05 (Speed Disk)
length: 2h 25
editing a video: 47,55%
load a pic: 22,22%
burn a dvd:none
copy a file:none/85,71

4.
Winternals Software - Defrag Manager
length: 17h 20 (!)
editing a video: 46,49%
load a pic:22,22%
burn a dvd: 5,98%
copy a file:28,2%/85,71%

5.
mst Software - mst Defrag Home Edition
length: 1h 20
editing a video: 23,56%
load a pic: 18,52%
burn a dvd:6,57%
copy a file: 18,67%/85,71%

6.
Executive Software - Diskkeeper 9 Professional Edition
length: 46min
editing a video: none
load a pic: none
burn a dvd: none
copy a file: none/ 85,71%

7.
Windows XP- Defragger
length: 49min
editing a video: none
load a pic:none
burn a dvd:none
copy a file: none/85,71%

8.
Golden Bow Systems - Vopt XP
n/a (breakdown, crash, sos)

info: executive software has designed the xp-defragger

comment: The xp-defragger is crap, I've tried to defrag my virgin system and on the 20% mark xp decided to do what it's best, that bitch. anyway... the mts defragger has defraged a 400mb in 14.000 fragments splitted file, exactly at this file xp has chosen to do harakiri. and I recommend the mst thing, cause it's cheap, it's fast and it's quite good.

sry for long texts and bad english

 

It's a pity that they could not run VoptXP.

I have found it to be very effective and very fast. In addition it has some nice, extra utilities bundled within the program

 

This test kinda have the same results as my personal experience. Except O&O Defrag.

I still dont understand their method of Defrag. And why/how does it speed up the process. Which method did they use?
For Perfect Disk, Did they do a Offline Defrag first before a online defrag?

For me MST is the best choose, it provide background defrag while using VERY minimal resources. So far version 1.8 beta is slightly faster. But they still dont have a offline defrag built in which is seriously hurting their performance. ( As show in the data )

 

I also use Perfect Disk, it has been updated to 7.042.

 

I used to use O&O Defrag Pro 8, buit have now switched to mstDefrag. It has very low CPU/memory footprint, with the new IOGuard stopping the defrag from slowing the system down. It also allows exceptional configurability through registry values. For example, you can place all files in the layout.ini file at the beginning of the partition, but move all recently modified files to the end, even if they are included in the layout.ini.

It's extremely well programmed as well. For example, no flicker when resizing the GUI. Minor thing, but have you seen the flicker when resizing the PerfectDisk/O&O GUI ?! I'm sorry, but if they can't get this right then I don't trust them to get the engine right.

The boot-time defrag will be introduced in 2.0, along with Options dialog, Scheduler and many other improvements.

Very cheap too, at $9 for the Home version.

 

Sysinternals Contig AND power defragmenter

very small, very faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaast and no installation required
you can defrag files,folders,disk and disk dual pass defragmentation

download latest standalone Sysinternals Contig application here:
http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Contig.html
download Power Defragmenter GUI here
www.excessive-software.eu.tt

HOW THEY WORK
extract contig.zip and power defragmenter GUI.zip to one folder then double click "power defragmenter GUI". very quick and fast defragmentation

 

I use Diskeeper professional : http://www.diskeeper.com

 

I use pagedefrag for my paging file from sysinternals.com and diskeeper lite free... I am just a simple guy who don't like to pay and always loves freewares.

 

I'm just wondering if there will be a free version of Diskeeper 9.

 

I'm with Randy Bell on this one .... "If you have a lot of free space on your disk, it probably makes no difference ...." as there's been absolutely no problem executing defrag c: from XP's safe-mode command prompt. If I were to go third party, option's afforded by this program would make selection a pretty simple matter ....

xxxx://www.geocities.com/andreigaceff/indepth_DefragNT.html


GF

 

Another PerfectDisk user here..works great.

 

Perfectdisk 7