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Which is the best defragmenting software?

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OK - here is the illustration from my Vista system - and the display and progress indicators are exactly the same as in XP Pro.

Vista PD2008
 
Jkdefrag, or Jkdefrag GUI. Hands down, quick, simple, safe,free, and easy.
JKdefrag
Fits on a usb stick easily, oh and BTW it's free but doesn't feel cheap.
 
PerfectDisk and Diskeeper are both excellent programs. They each work a little differently. Slightly more people seem to prefer PerfectDisk, but Diskeeper is popular as well.

PerfectDisk defragments and consolidates free space, moving files to the front of the drive so you have one big chunk of free space at the end. Diskeeper doesn't move files around as much, so you have lots of free space chunks scattered throughout the drive. Diskeeper claims it is unneccesary to consolidate free space though, as it provides no performance increase (which is why they don't do it). Diskeeper runs continuously in the background, defragging whenever it is necessary and whenever your computer is mostly idle or you are doing simple tasks like web browsing.



To put it in simple terms, it's like this:

PerfectDisk does like an ULTRA defrag, whenever you tell it to. Heavy duty, on demand.

Diskeeper kinda does a lot of mini-defrags, all the time. Lightweight, consantly working in background. Set it and forget it.
 
I do not like Diskeeper because it runs all the time. I want as few as possible things running in the background. O&O Defrag also will not leave your computer alone. I don't know about PerfectDisk. Does it run as a process all the time?
 
Originally posted by: jsalpha2
Does it run as a process all the time?
Click to expand...

It can be scheduled - but on my systems, it only runs when I tell it to. (I'm a control freak!) 🙂


If you look at either of the screen shots I posted, the next scheduled run box shows MANUAL for all drives. As it should be.
 
I tried PerfectDisk for the first time last night. . .chances are I did something wrong.

I manually selected a partition and let it run, and then when I was going to bed I figured I'd select all three drives (two are partitions on one) and let it run SMARTPlacement. This morning I found my second drive (no partitions) free space was far more fragmented than it was last before running PerfectDisk.

Take a look:

http://s6.photobucket.com/albu...¤t=perfdisk1.jpg
 
Originally posted by: Andvari
PerfectDisk and Diskeeper are both excellent programs. They each work a little differently. Slightly more people seem to prefer PerfectDisk, but Diskeeper is popular as well.

PerfectDisk defragments and consolidates free space, moving files to the front of the drive so you have one big chunk of free space at the end. Diskeeper doesn't move files around as much, so you have lots of free space chunks scattered throughout the drive. Diskeeper claims it is unneccesary to consolidate free space though, as it provides no performance increase (which is why they don't do it). Diskeeper runs continuously in the background, defragging whenever it is necessary and whenever your computer is mostly idle or you are doing simple tasks like web browsing.



To put it in simple terms, it's like this:

PerfectDisk does like an ULTRA defrag, whenever you tell it to. Heavy duty, on demand.

Diskeeper kinda does a lot of mini-defrags, all the time. Lightweight, consantly working in background. Set it and forget it.
Click to expand...

After reading this, I think I prefer PerfectDisk.

I acknowledge the fact that placing data back to back won't give any performance improvements over simple defragmentation, however, having chunks of free space increases future fragmentation. It's not a problem for Diskeeper, since it's always running... but personally, I don't want my defragmenter always running anyways.

Here is a comparison of PerfectDisk vs. Diskeeper. One thing I forgot to mention is that PerfectDisk is MS Certified whereas Diskeeper is not. Either one is very good, though...kinda like comparing a BMW to a Mercedes...
Click to expand...

PerfectDisk may have certification, but Microsoft actually USES a basic version of Diskeeper as the built in defragmenting software in Windows. Funny eh? 😉

I think I might try a trial for PerfectDisk...
 
I agree with Crow550, I've been using aus logics free defrag for a year or so now and I haven't been disappointed. It's better than windows built in defrag anyhow, has a nice graphical representation of you drive data which vista doesn't have, at least basic edition doesn't. It's also super fast, it went threw 5000 fragments on my sisters computer in about 15 minutes. I use it once every week or 2 and it only needs to run generally for a few minutes.

I used diskeeper for awhile but it was so slow and such a hog on my system, not to mention it wasn't free.
 
2 steps:

1) Download Contig from this Microsoft website (free)

Create a folder for it under C:\Program FIles and just stick it in there. You don't install it or make a start menu entry for it or anything, just let it sit in that folder.

2) Download Power Defragmenter from any of several sites such as Softpedia or MajorGeeks )

Install Power Defragmenter into that same folder as Contig. You do want to place Power Defragmenter on your Start menu. That's what you run to make it go.

Power Defragmenter is a gui that runs Contig. Set it on the Power (2-pass) option.

All free. I've experimented with several defraggers, this is the one I've been using for a couple of years, seems among the best.

It offers various settings choices. On the Power setting it does a 2 pass, 1st pass it runs Contig, and 2nd pass it runs the Windows XP built-in defrag.

Very effective. Free.

 
Some people are still trying to use the defrag method. Defragmentation is a waste of time on any modern filesystem. Fragmentation was a problem in FAT for small drives but should have no noticeable effect on any modern system. Furthermore unless your defragmentation program uses only atomic actions (and is slow as a result) it may corrupt your disk if the power fails part-way through. With the technology evolving so fast and manage to produce high end and fast computer's then fragmentation is of no use. If you have fast computer's then mid you you don't need to defrag your system.

LINK DELETED

esquared
No spamming for coupon sites. Goodbye.

esquared
Anandtech Senior Moderator
 
i use jkdefrag http://www.kessels.com/JkDefrag/

it arranges the files in alphabetical order and other optimizations. suppose to make it faster.

what is the best defrag as far as performance is concerned. and by performance i don't mean time to complete the defrag. i mean making the system faster.
 
Defragmentation is a waste of time on any modern filesystem.
Click to expand...

On HDs that are less than 50% utilized and don't have a lot of delete and replace activity going on I'd agree. Particularly if you have a drive dedicated for your OS, don't constantly install and delete programs, and have a dedicated drive or partition for data files.

However, fragmentation increases dramatically as your HD fills beyond 50%, and is even a problem on my Mail servers like Exchange over time.
 
I rarely defrag, too lazy. When I do I just run Windows' own inbuilt defragger, but I do it in Safe Mode.

spikespiegal's comment about 50% or more full intrigues me, I'm nearly full. I better check how bad it is.
 
Originally posted by: Steve
I rarely defrag, too lazy. When I do I just run Windows' own inbuilt defragger, but I do it in Safe Mode.

spikespiegal's comment about 50% or more full intrigues me, I'm nearly full. I better check how bad it is.
Click to expand...

Probably not that bad, because Windows XP and Vista defragment in the background by default.
 
Nothing

Really nothing is wrong with the built in one in Windows. Don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise. Defragmenting is only important if you are constantly running low on drive space.
 
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