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Introduction
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A disk defragmenter is a key toolkit element for keeping your PC running optimally. Disk fragmentation occurs through normal everyday use of your PC; over time your system becomes unable to store related data on your disk in a sequential (contiguous) manner, and must "fragment" files across different physical locations on your hard drive. This increases the number of times your hard drive must spin (or "seek"), which slows down the process of reading and writing files. Defragmentation software compresses files and free space back into contiguous blocks. Here is an example of a contiguous file system:
Here is an example of a fragmented file system:
Defragmenting your hard drive on a regular basis is a sound housekeeping habit; a chore that most home users should do once a month. By Defragmenting your system, one can greatly increase system performance. Your computer will be able to read files much quicker. It will also relieve stress on your hard drive. |
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Discussion
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Well ladies and gentlemen, MyDefrag has been dethroned. I rarely move around the top product, for I once thought that no program could beat the programming skills that have developed such masterpieces such as MyDefrag and JKDefrag. However I stand corrected. The last couple of releases for MyDefrag were very frustrating experiences for me. That being said, I waited around in hopes of a better version being released. This corrected version, has yet to be released. On the other hand, Auslogics latest release (3.1.1.80) is way ahead of the competition. I found the defragmentation time to be incredibly fast. Analyzing my disks took seconds, and for the first time in a while, the long process of defragmenting my hard drive was shrunk to minutes. I now officially recommend Auslogics as the best free disk defragmenter.
A great free program here is MyDefrag, which is actually the successor to a very popular program called JkDefrag. JkDefrag has been a favorite among many computer users for years. It provides stability and performance within a very lightweight package. I've been folowing MyDefrag since its beta, and I have been very impressed with the software. Aside from the Slow Optimize, all the processes run very fast. With other defragmenters, I was always irritated because no matter how many times I would defragment, upon analyzing afterwards, I would still have fragmented files that refused to defragment. MyDefrag completely solved the problem for me. Those stubborn files were ironed out and in my testing I personally saw increases in disk performance. Close behind is Defraggler – a solid combination of performance, stability and usability from Piriform. We have been watching Defraggler since its Beta release and now that some of the early bugs have been ironed out with its most recent version, it’s a good, safe bet. With a very clean interface design based on the common Windows defrag interface, Defraggler is incredibly easy to use and offers all the options you need to keep your machine running smoothly – including the ability to defragment individual files and folders as well as an in-built defragmentation scheduler. As an added bonus, excessive Software – the guys behind the popular Power Defragmenter interface – have released a shell extension called Enhanced Defraggler Shell which allows Defraggler to be run directly from the Windows Explorer context menu.
To go along with MyDefrag, there is an excellent addon dubbed "MyDefragGUI." MyDefragGUI provides an enhanced graphical user interface for MyDefrag. It allows the user to access all the advanced features of MyDefrag in one easy console. If you use MyDefrag, then you know that instead of a GUI (graphical user interface) MyDefrag instead uses a series of start menue entries. For those of us who feel uncomfortable with that method, MyDefragGUI provides an excellent alternative. |
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Related Products and Link
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Enhanced Defraggler Shell for Defraggler from eXcessive Software. Desktop Utilities with Diskeeper Lite V9 from Intel. Instructions to remove nag screen from Diskeeper Lite. |
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3.1.1.80 
Unrestricted Freeware 
7/Vista/2008/XP/2003
Portable version available
This software category is maintained by volunteer editor drewbee
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To the tech guy: can you please post your expertise or findings or experience on a different blog/web/host whatever? There is obvious interest in your knowledge about defragmenting and would be VERY beneficial to "some" people.
I do understand you point of view in regards to this mod delete thingy and I do appreciate your time and effort upfront.
Regards,
Ivan
The place to continue this discussion is the forum. There it can be subject to correct peer review. Assuming you want that?
Rik Mayell - Category Editor, Best Free Windows 7 / Vista 64 bit Software
Vista's Defrag from mike
Please post this in the forum.
Rik Mayell, Editor Best Free Windows 7 / Vista 64 bit Software
Why have teh posts from the techy guy been removed? That was really good info.
yeh, I wanted to copy that and when I got home it was gone.
Slim
Apologies, but I was not the guilty party.
If the original contributor or anyone who did copy this is able to post it back I'll check it out myself.
Please stick a note on the bottom saying "MC says why WOZ this nuked?"
I was the original poster of that information. I posted it because somebody asked me to. I'm sorry, but I didn't keep copies, and I simply can't be bothered to post it all again from scratch.
If you don't want technical info here then you should say so, and this would prevent people wasting their time. None of the info I posted was advanced, merely simple explanations for various things which I hoped would save people time and trouble.
Of course you can simply delete whatever you like, but I imagine you will find that doing so will result in fewer and fewer people posting, and virtually nobody offering any useful info.
I can certainly save you the time and trouble involved in deleting my posts, and obviate the obviously massive risk of inexperienced users destroying their machines as a result of too much information, by the simple expedient of not posting any more. I hope that helps.
Have a nice day.
I only copied the registry instructions for the automatic optimize feature the rest of the stuff was useful and interesting but I didnt copy it all.
"Enable/Disable Automatic Boot Disk Optimization [Defrag]
Locates and consolidates fragmented boot files, data files, and folders on local volumes. For a complete description of Defrag, type "Defrag" ( without the inverted commas), in Help and Support Center
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction
Modify/Create the Value Data Type(s) and Value Name(s) as detailed below.
Data Type: REG_SZ [String Value] // Value Name: Enable
Setting for Value Data: [N = Disabled / Y = Enabled]
Exit Registry and Reboot"
I did some of the other stuff he posted as well works great and now I know now why it didnt work before.Seems very strange that info posts like this get removed when you see the other stuff some post.
MC's comment
Thanks for taking the trouble to post this part back here. It's possible that another moderator was concerned that inexperienced users may misuse this content and in so doing cause damage to their system. This is always a possibility, but the same can be said for file and registry cleaners, tweakers, optimizers and other programs. I would just repeat that users should only attempt to run programs on their computer or edit their system files/registry within the limits of their knowledge to do so. Basically, if you don't understand it then you don't need it, and if something isn't working then seek expert help.
I moderated the comments as I saw fit, if advanced defragmentation techniques are your interest, please consider starting a thread in our forums.
Please realize this page is for the average google user looking for help, and registry changes could be destructive.
Drew
You didnt moderate nothing you just deleted the posts. You think average people are stupid or sonething or are you just better than aveage? the guy explained a lot, you dont explain anything just say "this is best" any changes can be destructive deleting posts is destructive you couldve explained but you just deleted I know im not very clever but I understood.
Deleting the posts comes under moderation, so yes, he moderated things, and I am with drewbee on this one. Making changes to the registry is not for novices, or average users, and it can cause damage to the system, if not done carefully.
That registry change was only a small part of the information provided, and was supplied with a very emphatic warning that it should not be attempted unless the person doing it was sure about it.
Also, that registry change simply turns the automatic boot optimisation feature on or off, why this might be useful was carefully explained, and doing this can not harm the system in any way.
It is easy to comment negatively about posts which no longer exist, and which you have presumably never seen. If you think all your users are stupid or not to be trusted with simple information then I am surprised you even bother to advise the use of these programs at all.
While solidarity amongst colleagues is a good thing in general, you should not automatically assume a colleague is correct simply because he is a colleague.
Finally, I posted in order to provide some obviously needed information to people who were looking for it. You are not the final arbiters of what is useful or sensible to users. Of course you can ( and often do! ) delete whatever you please, and in the case of abuse or spam that is a very good thing. Deleting informational posts based on your assessment of other people's needs or intelligence, ( which you apparently deem to be very low in comparison to yours), is neither sensible nor useful.
I am quite gratified to see that a few people noticed that posts they found useful were deleted, and complained about it. Supplying flimsy excuses for not wanting people to post sensible information AFTER you have deleted it, and also arguing about it, is also neither sensible nor useful.
Have a nice day.
Imagine... all programs that have features that inexperience users might try and then find out that something is wrong with their machines...
I guess all those reviews would have to be reviewed very carefully and we would be left with only a very small number of top rated programs.
A simple warning will do. If a reader doesn't pay attention to that, then it's probably his own fault as well if he does things that he shouldn't do.
Censuring information to avoid people making mistakes is only keeping them "stupid", instead of allowing them to make their own choices and deciding to or not to get any further experience in using programs.
Well, I meant to say: if "dangerous" (content in) posts of users will be removed because of the potential dramatic effect when read by novice users, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect the reviews to contain none of those programs that contain "dangerous" features, too.
I you really want to be só protective, we will only be left with "set it and forget it" or simply "just execute it" programs that will all be restricted to perform action that can have no unwanted effects at all. How many of those are there?
This has now provided an opportunity to review how the increasing number of technical responses are dealt with on site. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
Thank you for your courtesy and helpful attitude.
Average people do not come to places like this. Fact.
People with an interest in PCs do.
Instead of deleting it why not just add a disclaimer highlighting your concerns, Drew?
Looks better than the unilateral decision to delete and doesn't treat the audience as though they are dumbos who can't think for themselves.
Gizmo needs to proclaim on this. I come here to learn not be saved from my own stupidity courtesy of the Politburo and its censorship.
It would be an interesting PhD topic.LOL
Ian
Thankyou for your kind reply, Ian.
First off, I do believe average people come to this site. Every day average computer users type into google "best freeware for this" "best freeware for that," etc.
Secondly, I am not treating you all as "dumbos," I have said many a time that the best thing for you to do would be to start a thread in the forum, where this valuable data can be put to better use!
I must treat this article as if someone simply stumbled upon it looking for a great free defragmentation software, not registry change recommendations!
Once again, I greatly appreciate your input, and in no way am I trying to stifle creative thought, but please, my friends, allow me to do my job as an editor.
From now on, if you have a suggestion or tip, directly relating to registry changes or advanced techniques, please register on the forums and send me a message, I would be MORE than happy to hear what you have to say and think about incorporating it into my article.
Thankyou
Drew
He had a big warning on his post about the registry changes. The main thing was the explaining of how the defrag worked. Now I know what I was doing wrong. Sorry i didnt copy all of it. I cant explain it exactly but I understood it OK the opther stuiff was explaining things real good helped me anyways. Some explaining would be better with some of these things just a recomend is not clear sometimes.
Auslogics defrag is by far the fastest and easiest I have used thus far. I can not say enough about it. However I have noticed that some cites listed as download ones for this product have not been well liked by McAfee Site Advisor so I would use caution when picking one.
Thanks
Wildman
With Puran Defrag I always have 0% of Fragmentation in my disk, maybe the other user that can't defrag more is because he don't use it well, maybe his HD have a couple of bad sector of something, but in My HD almost full Puran Defrag defragment complety, totally recommended now that its free, others free fragmenter lie about the result.
This post reads like bad translation of the English language. It makes me wonder whether the Indian company that developed this product is not the one making the comments.
Anyhow, because of other comments here, I tried the Puran defrag, and found that it seemed to optimize files in a different manner than Auslogics. When I ran Puran it would rearrange files that I had just optimized with Auslogics. Then when I ran Auslogics it would rearrange the files I had just optimized with with Puran. I don't know which way is best but the difference in performance to me was not noticebale. I didn't set up the exact same scenario for both programs, but the analysis with Puran was faster and the defrag/optimize with Auslogics seemed faster. Since I liked the interface and options better with Auslogics, and the fact that Auslogics is continually improving their product, I switched back.
Just my two cents.
Glad you brought this up. I've had the same experience using Auslogics and then using 2 other "disc optimizers/defrags". I haven't tried the Windows defrag yet after using Auslogics. The other two programs promptly re-configured what Auslogics had optimized and it took Auslogics about 1.5 hours to move it all back. I suppose different programmers have different ideas of "optimized". I suppose the best advice is to choose one defragger and stick with it.
English is a primary language of India along with Hindi, Urdu, Bengali....It WAS a British colony,remember your history? So your remark about the translation is moot.
You're probably right, but it just seemed strange to me that someone would accuse others of lying about a product. Also, although I didn't need the history lesson, it has been my experience with tech support from India that they don't all speak impeccable English, to say the least. No matter.
I have direct personal knowledge of outsourcing English speaking call centres to India and how much trouble the operators there go to ensure staff are able to perform this function. For many this even includes providing videos of British soap operas and other TV programs to ensure they are 'up to date' with popular news. This is what I admire and respect, when another culture goes the extra mile to communicate in a language which is not their own. Certainly puts me to shame because despite living first in Spain and now here in Brazil, I've not been able to master either Spanish or Portuguese.
Agreed, and considering a daily hit rate of up to 40,000 the chances of other non-English speakers making the post is pretty high.
Lie about the result? Please explain your statement.
I downloaded Puran Defrag, and tested it out. My drive had not been defragged from quite sometime, and this was a good time to defrag it.
I first used boot time scanning of Puran. It restarted the system, and started the defrag. Before defrag, the analysis was that fragmention was 45%. After completion of boot time defrag, along with optimizing directory access... the analysis showed fragmentation as 35%. I again performed defrag using Puran, this time from Windows... the result was the same. Infact, after second time defrag, the fragmentation was 38%.
Then, I turned on Defraggler. It analysed fragmentation as 38%... informed me that there was not enough disk space on my disk, and that the defrag would be slow. I let it run, and although it took a lot of time... after defrag, the fragmentation was only 14%.
Sorry to say, but Puran does not perform well at all, like the people have been telling in the comments.
I make the comment above, and if you noted, English is not my first language, anyways, I find some other freewares defragers that show that my disk its almost totally defragmented but later I test with Puran Defrag and show a significant different fragmentation percent in the result. I think that free defragers not show a true result about the fragmentations in my disk. PS: I'm spanish. :)
If all other defrag software are showing the same result, it might be that Puran is incorrect... yes?
That its a weird result, with my 500GB almost full I always have 0% fragment files and with 0 % MFT fragment and 0% Registry fragment, in other word, NOT fragmentation at all with Puran Defrag.
How much free space do you have left on your hard disk? And can you please post a screenshot of your 0% analysis in the forum :
http://www.techsupportalert.com/freeware-forum
We have now a wonderful FREE defrag: Puran Defrag Free Edition.
Far better than Auslogic and Defraggler; if someone dislikes MyDefrag interface can try Puran: it does an excellent work (like MyDefrag).
http://www.puransoftware.com/Puran-Defrag-Download.html
I tested the product and it did nothing. I ran it a couple of times but it never defragged anything. I kept checking with the windows defragger and i had the same fragmented files. Went back to Auslogics.
"but it never defragged anything."
It seems that it doesn't work in your system, for a strange reason.
You can to clarify the annoyance with Puran'support. Let us to know what is the cause then.
Can't say the same.
Just tried Boot Time Defrag feature. It did the boot defrag without issues (Win XP SP3 32bit).
File placement optimization seems to be good (checked with HighlightSelectedFile v1.9, by RobL in MyDefrag).
You need to click in Defrag button. Not in Analyze button.
And for the files that are in use it doesn't defrag of course.
That's exactly what i did, but it does not defrag. Useless software.
well hats off to you sir... you beat me to the punch... I was going to post about that today but I can see someone has posted it before me... I too thing it's a great defragger a true "set it and forget it" auto defrag which isn't always running but runs every 30min or whenever you set it to defrag... its a great prog and i think it should be mentiond but we'll see what the editor has to think about it...
- Shane -
Ive downloaded Am trying looks OK up to now
Puran Defrag
Just got done testing puran defrag It works the best.My files ar opining up faster.
For the benefit of many here who might be sceptical of these claims please post details of the tests you made and the other products you made the comparison with, including how they were configured for your tests.
I liked Puran so much I bought it. Now it's free. The boot time defrag is where I can tell the most difference.
How? For many potential users this provides no information of value unless it is qualified with some verifiable results.
Well I did not set a stop watch or anything like that- but I am positive my boot time has went cut in half, at least. Maybe more. And a few programs seem to launch faster now, although that cannot be quantified and maybe I am imagining things in that regard. But I know my boot time is much, much faster. Oh, and my screensaver now works, too!
How are you associated with the Puran product?
If I were associated with the product I would not have had to spend $19 on the license I purchased. Want to see my receipt?
It's only free for 30 day's
the free version is listed at the bottom
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