Disk Defragmenter

[micaman]

Something I come across a lot is the surprising fact that many conputer users do not use this free utility included with Windows XP (or any defrag tool). Next to malware, it is the main reason for slow hard drive performance .

If you run the utility on a regular maintenance routine, it will save your machine from extra work and give you less headaches. I run mine every 5 days and find it only takes a few minutes to complete the process.


   

[Name Game]

I think that is a good schedule for you.. I saved this at one time from another post by a forum member and think it applies:

This is one of those questions that all depends on what you do with your computer, and how much you do it. If you just surf the net, write a few docs in Word, and maybe play the occasional game then defrag the HD once a month. If you do intense graphx design, play games every day, and download mp3's and movies then you should defrag your HD atleast once a week.

I fall into the category of "once a week", but sometimes I find myself not needing to. WinXP/WinOS's will anaylyze your HD/partitions and tell you whether or not you need to defragment them or not. Usually it's a good judge on when u should. When you defrag ur HD it basically moves all those scattered files and programs across ur HD's platter into neat blocks of data depending on how often you use them.

Now, Defragmenter is a HD-intensive app so yes it's going to put it through more stress than ur average use, but even if you defrag once a week your HD will last long after ur next upgrade (hoping that's within the next few years).

This is also an interesting discussion


[span style=\'color:blue\']Defragmenting VS HD stress/life!?[/span]
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,3766097

[Cstrikedish]

Really? I use 4Diskclean Gold to improve my computer, it  helps me fix registry errors, delete duplicate and temporary folders, repair system, erase internet tracks, block spyware, analyze disk space usage and many others. It is very efficient. My computer always works well.

[JDCUSAF]

why use extra ulitilies when there are built in ones?

[slurpee55]

why use extra ulitilies when there are built in ones?

 Why use other software? Uh, because it is often so much better. For instance, I defrag weekly, bu I use J K Defrag, a free program from http://www.kessels.com/JkDefrag/index.html
Rather than taking hours (or all night) like the defrag that comes with windows, this program races through and even cleans up some files, such as system restore files, that XP's defrag leaves in place and undefragmented.

   

[bigc73542]

I am useing Auslogics Disk Defrager. It is free and one of just a couple of free ones that work in Vista. The thing is I don't have to defrag Vista hardly ever. It seems to handle itself a lot better than XP did.


Auslogic here http://www.auslogics.com/disk-defrag/index.php

[hqconverter]

I use Norton, it works well, anyone else who use it?