Disk defragmentation

[axlrose]

Okay, I feel like I'm going to get hammered on this one, but I have a velociraptor that's probably been running for a year now and I haven't defragged it. I only have it about half full, but I am guessing I ought to be doing that once in a while.

Any advice on hard drive maintenance?

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

The usual wisdom is that for safety and speed you should occasionally defrag. I must admit that I've yet to notice any performance improvement through defragging.

Usually just dumping detritus form the hard drive and unused programs from Windows will effect a speed up.

 

[jitpublisher]

It really depends on how you use your drive. I defrag about every month to maybe 6 weeks.
You can set it up in your task scheduler so that it does this automatically.
And yeah, keeping your temporary files/cookies, your internet cache cleaned up(set this to 50meg max, or it will literally fill your drive), and any unused programs cleaned up, and running a good spyware program (there are several you can download for free, Spybot Search and Destroy is one of them that is very good) every couple of weeks, as well as keeping all your device drivers up to date will go a lot further to keep your PC running crisp and quick, like it was when it was new.
You see those adds on TV for "Finally Fast.com"? This is exactly what they are going to do, and charge you for it.

 

[shovenose]

avg free is a good free antivirus. it doesnt slow the system too much except when scanning, then ur better off going out to llunch, etc.
this company makes good pc optimization software: iobit
here are the links to the 2 optimization that i use:

http://iobit.com/advancedwindowscareper.html?Str=download

http://iobit.com/iobitsmartdefrag.html?Str=download

and then theres always iobit security 360, which i use in conjuction with AVG free:


http://iobit.com/security360.html?Str=download


hope this helps!

and the 1st thing you should do when you download Smart =Defrag (if u do) is a "DEEP OPTIMIZE"
i actually noticed a performance increase on my hp laptop running vista home preium 64bit

 

[F3Ature1]

Auslogics Defrag is another good program, I use it every 4weeks or 6weeks and I can see improved performance.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I use diskkeeper to run daily while I'm sleeping. Pays to watch your defrag process if only to see where your page file is....you want it in 1st 10% of drive.

 

[blackhawk1928]

Okay, I feel like I'm going to get hammered on this one, but I have a velociraptor that's probably been running for a year now and I haven't defragged it. I only have it about half full, but I am guessing I ought to be doing that once in a while.

Any advice on hard drive maintenance?

Thanks.

If your hard drive is a boot drive, for top notch performance of your actual hard drive, Defrag is with a quality utility (Disk keeper, perfect disk...) every week I'd say if you performance many writes/deletes. Also on top of defraging, performance a consolidation where all data is pushed to the outer tracks of the magnetic platter for faster access.

 

[axlrose]

well now i'm a bit intrigued. i've always just right clicked on the hard drive until i got to a point to defrag. i don't know that i've ever even considered a third party program to defrag. tell me more.

 

[blackhawk1928]

Well the windows defragger is pretty crappy. A 3rd Party Defragger can do the job much faster and thoroughly.

Here is a very specific set of how to keep a HDD on top notch performance:
File Defragmentation=Take files broken into many sectors and placing them together for faster access.

File Optimization=Taking already defragmented files from a certain applications and putting them together for faster access. Basically defragmenting file directories.

Consolidation=Putting all Data on the platter to the very edge where read speeds are much faster allowing for faster data access.

Defragmenting the Windows MFT (Master File Table)=This the windows table of contents keeping this defragmented is very important for windows for a high performane increase.

Defragment the Page File=Combining the Page File so windows can acccess it faster and it can improve application performance.


OTHER TWEAKS FOR PERFORMANCE:
-Place the Windows MFT on the very edge of the magnetic platter followed by the Page File, windows files, applications, and storage/data in that specific order.

 

[F3Ature1]

Well the windows defragger is pretty crappy. A 3rd Party Defragger can do the job much faster and thoroughly.

Here is a very specific set of how to keep a HDD on top notch performance:
File Defragmentation=Take files broken into many sectors and placing them together for faster access.

File Optimization=Taking already defragmented files from a certain applications and putting them together for faster access. Basically defragmenting file directories.

Consolidation=Putting all Data on the platter to the very edge where read speeds are much faster allowing for faster data access.

Defragmenting the Windows MFT (Master File Table)=This the windows table of contents keeping this defragmented is very important for windows for a high performane increase.

Defragment the Page File=Combining the Page File so windows can acccess it faster and it can improve application performance.


OTHER TWEAKS FOR PERFORMANCE:
-Place the Windows MFT on the very edge of the magnetic platter followed by the Page File, windows files, applications, and storage/data in that specific order.

Hi blackhawk192, Thanks for that information regarding Defragging but could you please provide some more explanation of how to do Consolidation,defragmenting the windows MFT would be very helpful. Thanks.

 

[sidewinderdt]

FWIW, I also use a third party defragger - Diskeeper 2010 Professional, and it's fully automatic. Just install it, go into the settings, adjust the auto defrag, directory consolidation and other options and that's about it...Diskeeper will do everything in the background automatically from then on. it also defrags most of the MFT during the auto defrag. For defragging the pagefile, you can run a boot-time defrag*.

DK's 2010 release also has a cool new feature: it prevents a lot of the fragmentation from happening, so lesser future defragging.


*If you have multiple physical drives, move the pagefile to the non-OS drive and set it to a reasonably large static size; it will not fragment after that.

 

[F3Ature1]

FWIW, I also use a third party defragger - Diskeeper 2010 Professional, and it's fully automatic. Just install it, go into the settings, adjust the auto defrag, directory consolidation and other options and that's about it...Diskeeper will do everything in the background automatically from then on. it also defrags most of the MFT during the auto defrag. For defragging the pagefile, you can run a boot-time defrag*.

DK's 2010 release also has a cool new feature: it prevents a lot of the fragmentation from happening, so lesser future defragging.


*If you have multiple physical drives, move the pagefile to the non-OS drive and set it to a reasonably large static size; it will not fragment after that.

Thanks for the info.

 

[blackhawk1928]

Well, i cant really name you one ultimate utility that does it all, but \
-My Defrag
-Ultimate Defrag
-Disk Keeper/Perfect Disk

Those three utilities will carry out the 4-5 different things to keep a drive at top performance, non of them can do them all, but each of those utilities does a part.

My Defrag takes care of File Optimization very well, it basically places directories and app files together.

Diskeeper does regular file defragmentation the best and it also defragments the MFT/Page File and does some file optimization.

And Ultimate Defrag, does a true file consolidation where you can see data being moved to the outer tracks of the magnetic platter.

ultimate and my defrag are freeware and diskeeper is paid for, however i highly recommend getting diskeeper. It keeps your system running flawlessly.

Also here are some other tweaks that aren't maintenance, just tweaks to make a HDD faster.

-Do a full format into 64KB clusters vs the 4KB clusters that windows does by default. 64KB will reduce fragmentation and increase performance...by a lot.

-Turn off windows page file completely if you have enough ram. if your OS is loaded into the ram, its much better off in ram then on the storage device, it will be much faster.

 

[F3Ature1]

Well, i cant really name you one ultimate utility that does it all, but \
-My Defrag
-Ultimate Defrag
-Disk Keeper/Perfect Disk

Those three utilities will carry out the 4-5 different things to keep a drive at top performance, non of them can do them all, but each of those utilities does a part.

My Defrag takes care of File Optimization very well, it basically places directories and app files together.

Diskeeper does regular file defragmentation the best and it also defragments the MFT/Page File and does some file optimization.

And Ultimate Defrag, does a true file consolidation where you can see data being moved to the outer tracks of the magnetic platter.

ultimate and my defrag are freeware and diskeeper is paid for, however i highly recommend getting diskeeper. It keeps your system running flawlessly.

Also here are some other tweaks that aren't maintenance, just tweaks to make a HDD faster.

-Do a full format into 64KB clusters vs the 4KB clusters that windows does by default. 64KB will reduce fragmentation and increase performance...by a lot.

-Turn off windows page file completely if you have enough ram. if your OS is loaded into the ram, its much better off in ram then on the storage device, it will be much faster.

Thanks for that detailed description of the functions,much appreciated.

 

[imannotu]

I use tuneup utilities 2009. It works in vista x64 and has a registry cleaner/defrag a drive cleaner/defrag/sector tester as well as a "shredder" to permanently delete something off your hdd and a file restore to un-delete things. I highly recommend it.


BTW the windows defrag is crappy.

 

[Guest]

If I might put an alternative view.......

From comments, clearly Windows Defrag is slow and rubbish -- which confirms my experience that most things included "free" with Windows (WMP, IE, Networking) are pretty poor, and often poorly thought out, compared to some third party stuff.

The only problem I have is that it is "well known" that defragging puts a strain on the hard drive mechanicals. Whether this is more stress than unnecessary searching caused by fragmentation is arguable.

Any thoughts ?

 

[blackhawk1928]

Uhm, during the defragmentation process, it puts stress on the hard drive ofcourse, however when you do regular use of the HDD like opening apps...etc, the hard drive must work much less since it doesn't need to search as hard as all files are organized and placed together and therefore it increases its life. The amount of work a fragmenting hdd has to do is 10x more then one that goes through a weekly/monthly defrag and doesn't need to work nearly as hard for regular tasks.

 

[imannotu]

Not to mention regular defrags help the LBA board spot troubled sectors so it can swap them out for "hidden" good spare ones it keeps around before they turn into a drive crashing event. That is one thing I hate about windows defrag, it defrags no matter what even if the drive doesn't need it. That is also one thing I love about tuneup utilities 2009. It checks the disk and defrags the disk only as needed.

 

[shovenose]

+1 ^^

 

[Guest]

I downloaded My Defrag and Ultimate Defrag -- certainly faster than Windows Defrag and I suspect the machine is starting a little quicker since.

Thanks.

 

[jitpublisher]

If I might put an alternative view.......

From comments, clearly Windows Defrag is slow and rubbish -- which confirms my experience that most things included "free" with Windows (WMP, IE, Networking) are pretty poor, and often poorly thought out, compared to some third party stuff.

The only problem I have is that it is "well known" that defragging puts a strain on the hard drive mechanicals. Whether this is more stress than unnecessary searching caused by fragmentation is arguable.

Any thoughts ?

:lol: Yes, I guess if you never used your hard drive for anything, it would last forever. If you never drove your car, you would never have to buy gas, tires or oil either.

 

[Guest]

See post above yours.

 

[jitpublisher]

See post above yours.

Not laughing at you, just along with you. I have no idea how much defragging shortens the life of a drive. I am sure there is merit to your suggestions, it would be an interesting study.

 

[Guest]

I think the other question one might ask is does downloading extra software to speed things up just, itself, slow the computer down ?

Fortunately freeware seems to be relatively bloat free compared to some of the ridiculous stuff on sale.