Defragging XP

AranyicAranyic Casstown, OH Icrontian
edited August 2003 in Science & Tech
What's a good program for defragging XP? The built in one is ok but I want something that will automatically defrag it as I want to keep this install going for a long time (laptop and all my work will be kept on here.) I'm keeping regular backups but it's still a pain.

Comments

  • stoopidstoopid Albany, NY New
    edited July 2003
    Windows has a task scheduler built in.

    Go to start-->help and support, use the keyword "schedule a new task." Help will walk you through step-by-step. :)
  • AgeekAgeek
    edited July 2003
    Some admins use Diskeeper from Executive Software. However, you might want to check your HD's cluster size-- if clusters are over 8K, Diskeeper probably will not play nice.
  • CoasterCoaster
    edited July 2003
    Diskeeper
  • ml_manml_man The Asylum... Seeking Refuge
    edited July 2003
    Diskeeper runs fine at 16k.
  • eofeof
    edited July 2003
    What advantage would you get from using Diskeeper over the built-in defragger? As far as I understand defragging is a fairly simple process. I can't see where the need to use a 3rd party utility would come up....:confused:
  • ml_manml_man The Asylum... Seeking Refuge
    edited July 2003
    The need for speed brother. :)
  • AgeekAgeek
    edited July 2003
    Diskeeper can be bought and used to defrag a whole cluster or network, not just one box, on a schedule, in background. many folks find it faster than defrag.

    I go by-- if not broke, don't fix, but AFAIK defrag is not network aware. So, if you have one box, defrag is probbaly fine, if a network then an Enterprise version of Diskeeper might be your cup of brew or glass of beverage (best thing, cup of tea, etc... :) )

    Depends on how often you want defrag to run and whether you want an effective background defragger for NT\W2K\XP and other operating systems enough to buy it. Diskeeper does much better background with less interference than defrag does. This used to be a Network Associates product, IIRC, and started out as Enterprise grade for LANs. Some admins like it for defrag while you work, as it can skipactive files, then remember to check later and defrag THEM when not active, among other things. For a home box, no, for acompany these kinds of features are very valuable.

    I do not know if you have one box, or several, or many, to defrag, so brought it up as something that might suit. You know what you need better than I, though. For my own single XP box(actually, XP Pro Hard Drive as this box mostly runs something that does not need defragging very often at all), I do not use diskeeper. For customers, I have many happy folks with small LANS that love this thing.

    For 98 SE I use Speedisk. A friend uses and swears by Diskeeper instead as he does not want to stop doing things so defrag can run alone and get best results.

    That covers the basics, though. ;)
  • DooGieDooGie Stockport UK
    edited July 2003
    Diskeeper is undoubtedly the fastest defrag tool around but for thoroughness give me O&O Defrag every time.
    O&O also has more options such as defrag by Space, Name, Date or Access.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    Diskeeper is the pro's tool of choice, but whoever said 16K is wrong - Diskeeper, up to the latest version going, will not defrag clusters over 8K-- it won't just "not play nice" -- it won't work period.. So, if you use cluster sizes over 8K, you're SOL.. Not sure about O&O, I've heard good things about it, but I don't know if it will do clusters over 8K. The only one that I use anymore is Norton Speed Disk, which I hate.. I hate it because it is slower than molasses - it can take an hour or more to degfrag a large drive, but it's the only one I've found that will do 64k clusters. If Diskeeper did 64K clusters, I'd switch back in a heartbeat, since it is blazingly fast.
  • a2jfreaka2jfreak Houston, TX Member
    edited July 2003
    Never heard of O&O. Who makes it?
  • DooGieDooGie Stockport UK
    edited July 2003
    O&O can be downloaded from here.

    http://www.oosoft.de/cgi-bin/download/download-e.pl
  • verselloversello New
    edited July 2003
    I reccomend O&O as well. Many many more nifty options.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    Does O&O support large cluster sizes?
  • DooGieDooGie Stockport UK
    edited July 2003
    Re O&O Defrag

    Cluster size
    The cluster size on FAT volumes must be 4096 bytes or less. Volumes with larger cluster sizes cannot be defragmented.

    This limitation does not apply to Windows XP, so that every volume can be used with every cluster size.
  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited July 2003
    i use norton speeddisk, which also seems to work well. i probably like it a little better because systemworks pro is just so damn useful
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    Yeah, but speed disk is just so........damned.............slow...........

    compare defrag times btwn diskeeper 7 and speed disk 2003. Systemworks is like, gonads slower than DK7
  • DooGieDooGie Stockport UK
    edited July 2003
    Yeah but how often do you defrag? If someone likes the way a defragger works but it takes a while then you set it running just before you go out to do the weekly food shop lol.
    Admitted though, Diskeeper is bloody fast.
  • ml_manml_man The Asylum... Seeking Refuge
    edited July 2003
    :)
  • MERRICKMERRICK In the studio or on a stage
    edited July 2003
    Aranyic
    This might be worth checking out:

    http://www.prosoundreview.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=114
  • MERRICKMERRICK In the studio or on a stage
    edited July 2003
    :)
  • MERRICKMERRICK In the studio or on a stage
    edited August 2003
    BUMMMMMP!


    BTW,I use Diskeeper and I could swear I'm 16k. How can I find out my cluster size?


    :D:D:D:D:D
  • AgeekAgeek
    edited August 2003
    Hmmm... What O\S??? Version???
  • MERRICKMERRICK In the studio or on a stage
    edited August 2003
    cough...cough win98 SP1
  • AgeekAgeek
    edited August 2003
    Click my computer, right click a logical drive, look at and write down the stated capacity of the drive. Run Scandisk, note the number of clusters shown. Divide total capacity in bytes by number of clusters. Divide results by 1024 for K cluster size.

    OR, RUN Partition Magic 8, click on a partition line, look at the drive info from clicking an option in the menus, or with the partition line highlighted just do an:
    Actions|Advanced|Resize clusters.

    I hope I got the PM8 right,I know it has at least two ways to show this.

    The first way above with Scandisk and drive properties applies to 95, 98, 98SE and ME (that is why I asked, XP does it different and easier and I did not think you had that running ATM from the thread contents adn past memory but wanted to cross-check).
  • MERRICKMERRICK In the studio or on a stage
    edited August 2003
    Hi Ageek, according to partition magic 7 I'm 8k. I just formatted my DAW test machine fresh with 32k. I'll install diskeeper in a week or two and see how it does. I'm outta town for 6 days. See ya when I get back!! Thanks for the help.
  • AgeekAgeek
    edited August 2003
    Welcome, happy to help. Would like to see what it does.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited August 2003
    No defragger supports over 4k clusters as they all use the Same MS api's ... expect norton disk keeepr.

    It doesnot have the optiosn of the big boys and doesnt do the MFT and stuff but its works wll for me as non of my disks has smalll 46 clusters.

    Tex
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited August 2003
    No defragger supports over 4k clusters with ntfs as they all use the Same MS api's ... expect norton disk keeepr.

    It does not have the options of the big boys and doesnt do the MFT and stuff but its works well for me as none of my disks have smalll 4k clusters.

    Tex
  • gtghmgtghm New
    edited August 2003
    I use O&O seems to work well.

    "g"
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