Solve : List of Defrag Software - Free!?

1.	Solve : List of Defrag Software - Free!?
Answer» List of Defrag Software - Free! If you find the built-int Windows def rag lacks performance., try none nof these and see if it makes a difference. All of the items below are for Windows. Most should work on Windows 7 64 bit. (All did for me.) 1. Defraggler. The freeware supports NTFS and FAT32 file systems. http://www.filehippo.com/download_defraggler 2. Auslogics Disk Defrag Another freeware compact and fast defragmentation software http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/disk-defrag/download/ 3. Smart Def You may find Smart Defrag is a free disc defrag tool worth investigating. http://majorgeeks.com/IObit_SmartDefrag_d5318.html 4. Puran Defrag Free This freebie has intelligent directory optimization http://www.puransoftware.com/Puran-Defrag-Download.html Let others know which you like best. Or recommend another. I miss the original Defrag that showed the blocks shuffling. The modern defrag built into windows is boring, but I suppose one reason for this may be because drives and computers have increased in speed so greatly that the screen would be flashing wild with segments of data shuffled and this might be overwhelming to the viewer ( the display from the movie wargames with all the flashing comes to mind ) and Microsoft wants something that looks smooth and not something that displays rampantly wild changes that flash by. I haven't tried anything other than the defrag built into windows, mainly due to fear of CORRUPTING a file system, but I suppose this may be simple paranoia since anything that would corrupt a file system would have plenty of warnings on google to avoid if it had issues. Thanks for linking these, I will try them out with my spare system sandbox that I build and rebuild frequently when testing. *The only issue I have seen with the defrag that comes with Windows is the one that comes with Windows XP and some large files that show as fragmented, but the defrag skips because it is unable to defrag them. These files are part of World of Warcraft install that are around 1.4GB in size each. and I think there was like 6 files like this that could not be defragmented. On a 40GB hard drive when you have around 9GB fragmented of the 40GB, it can not be a good thing with 22.5% fragmentation. I suggested to my friend to upgrade to a 160GB drive in which the fragmentation % would be less based on increased volume offset between the 9GB and 160GB capacity, which if the data remained fragmented it would only be around 5.625% fragmentation instead..I use and recommend Auslogics...I was always wondering why there are no defrag tools that are as optimal as possible by booting into a live linux mode to run the defrag tool from CD or DVD direct to RAM and able to shuffle the fragmented data blocks on a hard drive without having to work around swap space of when windows is active. To me it just seems as though this process would be more efficient and as defragmented as possible when nothing needs to use the hard drive and its idle awaiting the defrag vs having windows reading/writing data on the swap space during the process of ridding the drive of fragmentation. Unless the swap function is written as such to operate at the opposite end of the hard drive such as outter platter vs inner platter to where the data in the drive that composes swap data does not conflict with static data that needs to fit better to remove fragments. Or swap space is disabled during this process to only use system RAM and avoid writing of temporary data to an area where long term data should be stored. At least someday with SSD's eventually replacing all HDD's fragmentation may be a thing of the past.Quote At least someday with SSD's eventually replacing all HDD's fragmentation may be a thing of the past. Don't bet on it. With very large data STRUCTURES and weak tools, fragmentation will continue to be with us. Digital data is growing faster that software tools needed to handle it. The remedy is to use optical FIBER for everything. Except maybe the mouse. Meanwhile, the tools is the list alcove are way ahead of the Windows defrag. Also, there are optimizations specific to windows. Quote from: Geek-9pm on April 10, 2013, 08:23:37 PM Don't bet on it. With very large data structures and weak tools, fragmentation will continue to be with us. Maybe so, but an SSD is MUCH less susceptible (if at all) from a noticeable slowdown due to fragmentation.Quote from: TechnoGeek on April 10, 2013, 08:29:00 PM Maybe so, but an SSD is MUCH less susceptible (if at all) from a noticeable slowdown due to fragmentation. I think you missed my point. Even in RAM fragmentation is a problem. One may have, will have , data of different types in n RAM, During a process, some of the data is no longer needed., so its space is RELEASED to the general pool. Ideally any data array should be contiguous to reduce the need for porters to every little bit do data. This happens with strings, of course, but dynamic data types, sometimes used in modern programs, will hack the memory pool into little bits and pieces. It creates an overheard that reduces CPU performance. In a general way, this is also what happens to the hard drive. The workaround is to use huge blocks of data to avoid fragmentation. But that reduces usable space. In a big IT data warehouse, daily de- fragmentation of some kind is needed for data that is always changing. But for us home users, daily de- fragmentation is overkill. Yes, a faster drive is better that a slow one, given the same conditions. Speed helps. Yet a fast drive that is fragmented may not be better than a slow continuous drive structure. De fragmentation does help.Quote Maybe so, but an SSD is MUCH less susceptible (if at all) from a noticeable slowdown due to fragmentation. Fragmentation may STILL be present, but at this time I feel sort of the same as TechnoGeek, mainly because SSD's have no moving parts and data could be extremely scattered and fragmented between the data blocks, and as long as its properly indexed it should be able to read the data at around the the same rate, however I could expect to see a unnoticable with current hardware slow down on the writing to an SSD when its trying to fit the data best to the already existing data structure, and the more segments = the slower the write process. And with less gaps and more continuous writing the delays are reduced to a minimum. I agree with you Geek-9pm that daily defragmentation is overkill for most home users. However if you are creating and deleting large amounts of data with video editing or anything else that works with large portions of data, you may find that you have to defrag almost daily, although for Windows 7 it has done really well keeping itself free of fragmentation issues even when working with creation/deletion of large files. Windows XP use to be a constant weekly routine to defrag with lots of data created and deleted.

Answer»

List of Defrag Software - Free!
If you find the built-int Windows def rag lacks performance., try none nof these and see if it makes a difference. All of the items below are for Windows. Most should work on Windows 7 64 bit. (All did for me.)

1. Defraggler.
The freeware supports NTFS and FAT32 file systems.
http://www.filehippo.com/download_defraggler

2. Auslogics Disk Defrag
Another freeware compact and fast defragmentation software
http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/disk-defrag/download/

3. Smart Def
You may find Smart Defrag is a free disc defrag tool worth investigating.
http://majorgeeks.com/IObit_SmartDefrag_d5318.html

4. Puran Defrag Free
This freebie has intelligent directory optimization
http://www.puransoftware.com/Puran-Defrag-Download.html

Let others know which you like best. Or recommend another.
I miss the original Defrag that showed the blocks shuffling. The modern defrag built into windows is boring, but I suppose one reason for this may be because drives and computers have increased in speed so greatly that the screen would be flashing wild with segments of data shuffled and this might be overwhelming to the viewer ( the display from the movie wargames with all the flashing comes to mind ) and Microsoft wants something that looks smooth and not something that displays rampantly wild changes that flash by.

I haven't tried anything other than the defrag built into windows, mainly due to fear of CORRUPTING a file system, but I suppose this may be simple paranoia since anything that would corrupt a file system would have plenty of warnings on google to avoid if it had issues.

Thanks for linking these, I will try them out with my spare system sandbox that I build and rebuild frequently when testing.

*The only issue I have seen with the defrag that comes with Windows is the one that comes with Windows XP and some large files that show as fragmented, but the defrag skips because it is unable to defrag them. These files are part of World of Warcraft install that are around 1.4GB in size each. and I think there was like 6 files like this that could not be defragmented. On a 40GB hard drive when you have around 9GB fragmented of the 40GB, it can not be a good thing with 22.5% fragmentation. I suggested to my friend to upgrade to a 160GB drive in which the fragmentation % would be less based on increased volume offset between the 9GB and 160GB capacity, which if the data remained fragmented it would only be around 5.625% fragmentation instead..I use and recommend Auslogics...I was always wondering why there are no defrag tools that are as optimal as possible by booting into a live linux mode to run the defrag tool from CD or DVD direct to RAM and able to shuffle the fragmented data blocks on a hard drive without having to work around swap space of when windows is active. To me it just seems as though this process would be more efficient and as defragmented as possible when nothing needs to use the hard drive and its idle awaiting the defrag vs having windows reading/writing data on the swap space during the process of ridding the drive of fragmentation. Unless the swap function is written as such to operate at the opposite end of the hard drive such as outter platter vs inner platter to where the data in the drive that composes swap data does not conflict with static data that needs to fit better to remove fragments. Or swap space is disabled during this process to only use system RAM and avoid writing of temporary data to an area where long term data should be stored.

At least someday with SSD's eventually replacing all HDD's fragmentation may be a thing of the past.Quote

At least someday with SSD's eventually replacing all HDD's fragmentation may be a thing of the past.

Don't bet on it. With very large data STRUCTURES and weak tools, fragmentation will continue to be with us. Digital data is growing faster that software tools needed to handle it. The remedy is to use optical FIBER for everything. Except maybe the mouse.

Meanwhile, the tools is the list alcove are way ahead of the Windows defrag. Also, there are optimizations specific to windows.
Quote from: Geek-9pm on April 10, 2013, 08:23:37 PM

Don't bet on it. With very large data structures and weak tools, fragmentation will continue to be with us.

Maybe so, but an SSD is MUCH less susceptible (if at all) from a noticeable slowdown due to fragmentation.Quote from: TechnoGeek on April 10, 2013, 08:29:00 PM

Maybe so, but an SSD is MUCH less susceptible (if at all) from a noticeable slowdown due to fragmentation.

I think you missed my point.
Even in RAM fragmentation is a problem.
One may have, will have , data of different types in n RAM, During a process, some of the data is no longer needed., so its space is RELEASED to the general pool. Ideally any data array should be contiguous to reduce the need for porters to every little bit do data. This happens with strings, of course, but dynamic data types, sometimes used in modern programs, will hack the memory pool into little bits and pieces. It creates an overheard that reduces CPU performance. In a general way, this is also what happens to the hard drive. The workaround is to use huge blocks of data to avoid fragmentation. But that reduces usable space.
In a big IT data warehouse, daily de- fragmentation of some kind is needed for data that is always changing. But for us home users, daily de- fragmentation is overkill.

Yes, a faster drive is better that a slow one, given the same conditions. Speed helps. Yet a fast drive that is fragmented may not be better than a slow continuous drive structure. De fragmentation does help.Quote

Maybe so, but an SSD is MUCH less susceptible (if at all) from a noticeable slowdown due to fragmentation.

Fragmentation may STILL be present, but at this time I feel sort of the same as TechnoGeek, mainly because SSD's have no moving parts and data could be extremely scattered and fragmented between the data blocks, and as long as its properly indexed it should be able to read the data at around the the same rate, however I could expect to see a unnoticable with current hardware slow down on the writing to an SSD when its trying to fit the data best to the already existing data structure, and the more segments = the slower the write process. And with less gaps and more continuous writing the delays are reduced to a minimum.

I agree with you Geek-9pm that daily defragmentation is overkill for most home users. However if you are creating and deleting large amounts of data with video editing or anything else that works with large portions of data, you may find that you have to defrag almost daily, although for Windows 7 it has done really well keeping itself free of fragmentation issues even when working with creation/deletion of large files. Windows XP use to be a constant weekly routine to defrag with lots of data created and deleted.

Solve : List of Defrag Software - Free!?

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