Configuring Perfect Disk Optimization

[Virgorising]

Hi.

For all the time I've used Perfect Disk (a very long time), truth is, I've never completely understood how to choose the best optimization strategy.

I have it set on stealth patrol and auto re optimization/defrag when fragmentation goes above 1% which it almost never does, so I never really have to run it manually.

I have always chosen its default optimization "Backwards," keep most files at the beginning of the drive. That just made sense to me, but I was never sure.

But it has two other options: forward and short stroke.

Anyone here using this app choose other than the default strategy for optimizing the drive? And, if so, WHY???

Thank you.

 

[Raizinman]

I use to be a disk optimizing junkie. I would await the newest optimizer on the hope of speeding up my system. I was optimizing all the time trying to see which one was fastest. That was until I had a hard drive crash. Optimizing puts a tremendous strain on your hard drive. I decided it best to run an SSD for my main drive and a 1 terabyte for backup storage. I do optimize my HD about once a year. With the speed of modern HD's with a large cache, I just don't see the need for all these specialized optimizers anymore.

 

[smakme7757]

For all my OS disks i just leave smart placement on default. It puts the most frequently accessed file blocks at the beginning of the drive.

For everything else non-os i use consolidate free space.

 

[corkyg]

Been using PD regularly for over 10 years. I prefer to disable everything that is automatic. Smart Placement is my choice for any drive that contains OS related programs/apps. For really good explanations of how all these features relate and function, it might be worth a visit to the Raxco forum. Their Techs respond regularly.

 

[Virgorising]

I use to be a disk optimizing junkie. I would await the newest optimizer on the hope of speeding up my system. I was optimizing all the time trying to see which one was fastest. That was until I had a hard drive crash. Optimizing puts a tremendous strain on your hard drive. I decided it best to run an SSD for my main drive and a 1 terabyte for backup storage. I do optimize my HD about once a year. With the speed of modern HD's with a large cache, I just don't see the need for all these specialized optimizers anymore.

Many thanks for this. I now get I am still in stuck in HDD optimization junkie prison. So much, that I try to optimize all the time when PD won't do it cause drive is under 1% fragmented.

And I DO KNOW, Optimization requiring major activity does stress the drive!

Pitiable, but yet again, I need rehab.:$

THANK YOU.

PS: The drive I usually boot into, am in right now, Piggy, is a 500GB WD Black but with 16 cache, not 32. (See that? that was the junkie talking.)

 

[Virgorising]

Been using PD regularly for over 10 years. I prefer to disable everything that is automatic. Smart Placement is my choice for any drive that contains OS related programs/apps. For really good explanations of how all these features relate and function, it might be worth a visit to the Raxco forum. Their Techs respond regularly.

Hey. I keep auto everything on.....given, the net result is little stress on the drive cause fragmentation is precluded and when optimization is ongoing, the stress to the drive is miniscule....unlike if we did a manual optimization, say, every few mos. tho that seems to work for you; we are each unique.

I have visited Raxco site infinite times......but, as per my initial post, understanding which of the three optimization methods available is best and WHY, was my confusion.

I think I will keep everything as I have configured it all.....and enter internal rehab yet again.

 

[Virgorising]

For all my OS disks i just leave smart placement on default. It puts the most frequently accessed file blocks at the beginning of the drive.

For everything else non-os i use consolidate free space.

Thank U. I will go on doing the same and work to stop obsessing. PD does a truly splendid job on its own, the objective part of me gets that....but the obsessive junkie part of me does not.

 

[Virgorising]

See below. This is how much a junkie I am.....cause PF will not let me run manual optimization or manual defrag, given the drive is 99.01% perfect, and PD keeps it that way automatically, ongoing.

But to me, it looks not good ENOUGH. I mean it.

As it is, Piggy is like 78% free. More junkie stuff re no clutter and junk.

Best I don't even open PF, forget every day more than once.

 

[Berryracer]

When I do use PerfectDisk, I always disable all its auto optimization features because when copying files from my HDD/SSD to my external USB HDD, there is a huge slow down.

I have now stopped using PerfectDisk 13 altogether bye bye to my license. It caused me a big system performance hit. So I switched to O&O Defrag FTW

 

[corkyg]

The results I have always gotten using automated settings just don't cut it. I run PD every morning when I get up - between 5 and 6 AM. I find it to be fun, and I always achieve bear oerfection, if for no other reason, it is both sdatisfying and amusing. I accept nothing more than 0% fragmentation on any HDD. Total time to do all 4 drives is about 8 miuutes while I enjoy some coffee.

It works even better in 7 and 8.1 - different machines.

Yep! We all have different druthers and standards. I see running PD manually similar to a video game - it amuses me.

 

[Berryracer]

buy an SSD and forget about defragmentation

 

[Virgorising]

When I do use PerfectDisk, I always disable all its auto optimization features because when copying files from my HDD/SSD to my external USB HDD, there is a huge slow down.

I believe U. I have two mechanical disks, so this system is in no way impacted negatively.

I have now stopped using PerfectDisk 13 altogether bye bye to my license. It caused me a big system performance hit. So I switched to O&O Defrag FTW

Again, I believe U.

 

[Virgorising]

The results I have always gotten using automated settings just don't cut it. I run PD every morning when I get up - between 5 and 6 AM. I find it to be fun, and I always achieve bear oerfection, if for no other reason, it is both sdatisfying and amusing. I accept nothing more than 0% fragmentation on any HDD. Total time to do all 4 drives is about 8 minutes while I enjoy some coffee.

I feel U. And, I am jealous of what your screenie depicts, cause is more perfect than what my screenie depicts. But I need to get, if I set mine on 0% instead on 1%, mine would be that perfect. Cause I used to have it set on 0% and it was, cause then I could run it manually as you do. I also need to get that perfection is moot.

Mechanical drives should come with tiny sheep herding dogs. Trained to regard each wandering file as a stray sheep. To me, Perfect Disk is an external sheep dog. I mean it. Then, U have yr very specialized, Field Champion sheep dogs who only do boot time defrag.

I am now trying to divest myself of this obsession/addiction/insanity.

 

[Virgorising]

buy an SSD and forget about defragmentation

I actually did on Black Friday. For like 20 mins, but then I cancelled it on Newegg. My whole heart isn't there yet. When it is, I will know.

 

[Virgorising]

Does everyone here who keeps PF on auto, keep the bullet in the (recommended) top circle or pretch files too? This is something else I never got clear on.

 

[Virgorising]

My internal infant/addict is, so far, undiminished.

So, cause of jealousy of Corky's screenie, I went into PF and changed the 1% to 0%. Which let me run a manual optimization. ONLY cause I could then put up what I am about to put up re Piggy. If I ever had a WD Green (I prefer the black), I would name it Kermit.

But now, I am going back and changing it back to 1%. To show I am working on my obsession/addiction.

 

[corkyg]

Applause!

 

[Virgorising]

Applause!

:biggrin:

Thank U for nourishing my infant addict heart.()

But also, pls know what Raizinman posted early in this thread: that manual optimization, especially if a drive has not been optimized for a while---I get you do it every day--- truly does stress a drive bigtime, is accurate and important to know.

This is yet another reason I set PD on auto so that it can do its sheep herding and also preclude fragmentation ongoing and modestly in the background without the big stress to the drive.

 

[corkyg]

I disagree about the stress. If it were true, then I should have had a drive failure in the past 10 years plus. All my illustrated drives are vintage 2004 or earlier. 160GB drives are hard to find these days.

BTW, I rotate my OS drive every week.

 

[Virgorising]

I disagree about the stress. If it were true, then I should have had a drive failure in the past 10 years plus

Well, I read it all over the net starting coupla years ago, re the stress. but pls read what I addressed re your strategy again. If you do this every day, the stress, by definition, will be diminished. Or, if you do as I choose, to keep PF on auto re both stealth patrol and auto optimization ongoing. Remember, precluding fragmentation, something PD is incredible at doing, and optimization, are two different things.

All my illustrated drives are vintage 2004 or earlier. 160GB drives are hard to find these days.

My take is the older the drive the better it is made. I mean it. You can find tons of 160GB drives on ebay, some new, for amazing money.

Edit: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=m570.l3201&_nkw=160GB+SATa+HDD&_sacat=0

I could do with 160GB, but this 500GB WD Black from a private individual, was such a buy on eBay, and I sensed it was in the perfect shape it is and dead silent....I could not resist. you always take a chance with a used drive, but most of mine have been just that.

My only bad experienced, ironically, was a good new one I bought on Newegg. A decent WD. It arrived with so many bad sectors, WD diagnostics could not count them. I RMAed it and WD sent me what they said was a tested replacement. I still keep it as a spare.

BTW, I rotate my OS drive every week.

I remember U shared that. I don't, cause my backup drive in this system is a slow Seagate 250GB with 8 cache. MY WD Black I am writing from is so much faster, words fail me. So I keep the Seagate or another one of my spare older slower WDs as backup for this system.

And, given I configure dual boot via Easy BCD, I can always boot into either drive, so no need to switch them out even were they equally fabulous fine WD Blacks.

Sad there are no black Muppets, I understand why, tho. So I hadda name the WD Black after a pink one. But Miss Piggy is my fav.

I am unclear why, given you have multiple drives, you have not tried Revosleep? One of the most genius freewares I was lucky enough to come upon long ago. It also remains unique.

And, when U say setting PF on auto doesn't cut it for you.....again, nobody needs above 90.1% in any mechanical drive, it's not even ideal.

But again, if you configured PD to engage when the drive is only over zero % fragged....it will do just that!

As I shared, mine is now set back to 1%. I only lowered it to 0% briefly, to do that last manual optimization so I could put up a more perfect screenie, which the infant in me was moved to do.

 

[Virgorising]

Below, the configure the percentage interface. Again, if you set it on zero, and everything on auto, your result re both precluding fragmentation and smart placememnt will be near what you seem to insist on now. Yes, I get you enjoy doing it yrself and why.

 

[corkyg]

Makes no diff - I simply do not trust software to do what I can do better.

BTW, I have done the auto schtick - and it always requires being redone. Like Lexus, "the relentless pursuit of perfection." It works for me.

 

[Virgorising]

Makes no diff - I simply do not trust software to do what I can do better.

For me, this is case-specific, and I determine that, the real potential of a given app, over time.

BTW, I have done the auto schtick - and it always requires being redone. Like Lexus, "the relentless pursuit of perfection." It works for me.

Re "perfection" there are no straight lines in nature; there is brilliant IMperfection by your standards.

If I'd observed that my evolved strategy re PF in the ways we R now addressing was costing me performance or speed, I would not have chosen it.

And, for me, "perfection" is engaging Optiwrite, wherein, most fragmentation is precluded! The numbers are logged!

Fragmentation Prevention with OptiWrite®

PerfectDisk's new OptiWrite technology prevents most fragmentation on your drive before it occurs, which prevents your system from slowing down. OptiWrite detects when Windows is going to fragment files and intelligently redirects I/O to stop the fragmentation from occuring. System performance is maintained and the need to utilize CPU and Disk I/O resources to defragment files is greatly reduced. Because less defragmentation is needed, there is a direct benefit in the form of energy saved in both CPU usage and in the reading and writing to a disk. It saves users both in energy costs and in the time required to defragment a file system.

 

[MongGrel]

I still use this for my HDD's myself, but have a few SSD's on here and don't touch them with it.

http://www.mydefrag.com/

It's pretty configuration friendly.

I do not defrag that often more or less.

But I still have 4xWD RE3 1TBs on a ARECA 1210 hardware RAID for storage I defrag now and then.

I still have WD Caviar Black 500's on my non main rigs myself for most things, I've come to trust them over the years.

I didn't do SSD myself for a long time, but the Samsung EVOs were on sale and had a great reputation and bought a couple 120's about 6 months ago and stuck em in RAID0 on a whim as I needed a SATA2 to SATA3 card anyways, and it supported hardware RAID, and have been happy.

The prices on the 250's have dropped enough these days I be hard pressed to not think of building a new computer without a smaller SSD myself for the OS myself these days.

 

[Virgorising]

Remember, we are each unique. Talk about the opposite of doctrinaire, standard perfection!. I am not a need to control human, so, for me, below is MY VERSION of perfection, given how few resources get used in arriving at and maintaining what you see.

That letting PD do what it is written to do can preclude all that ongoing without making a dent in system resources....knocks me out. UNLIKE the newest build of MBAM Pro which INSISTS you do this and that, which is why I rescinded my license and now run the free version.