Which is the best defragmenting software?

[Cheex]

Which is the best defragmenting software?

I need it for both XP & Vista....bar none


Is it:
1) Diskeeper
2) PerfectDisk
3) Other.....................??

 

[egale]

I use perfectdisk. Besides it working well for me, they always answer support and customer service questions very quickly.

Diskeeper may be great but years ago I had problems with it where it trashed my hard drive after I tried to use it the first time. I had to reformat and reinstall Windows. With a fresh clean install of Windows with nothing else loaded, I tried Diskeeper again and it trashed my drive a second time. I contacted their support who told me it was impossible that their software would or could do this. After that, I never tried it again.

 

[Gooberlx2]

I used DirMS on XP. It's free and works very well.

On Vista I've just left the built-in utility to itself.

 

[Cheex]

I need something that I can monitor at any time I so feel the desire.

 

[Nothinman]

It's not something that's worth worrying about. On XP you'll have to schedule defrag.exe manually since it's not that way by default but just leave Vista do it's thing since it is scheduled by default.

 

[cbuchach]

I currently am using Perfectdisk which seems to work without too much trouble. I know that diskeeper supposedly uses intelligent file placement and tracks file access and over time should speed up the disk access. This is only inlcluded in the expensive edition (around $100) which is way too expensive for a defragger. I am still not sure if Perfectdisk offeres this same ability.

Any input?

 

[wayliff]

i use perfectdisk 8 and i think it has been working pretty well.

 

[stevem326]

I've used both PerfectDisk and Diskeeper over the past several years on different machines. Both of them are very good but PerfectDisk is rated as slightly better by some of the PC and software magazines. Other reviews say they are both equal. Either one is very good and better than the built-in defrag tool that is part of XP. I'm not sure how they compare to the defrag tool that's part of Vista, though.

PerfectDisk just released their latest version this week. I believe both of them have have a 30-day money back guarantee. I've never had any problems with either of them. Good luck in your decision!

 

[stevem326]

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...

 

[Ultralight]

What is advantage of something like PerfectDisk over the standard XP defragmenter? What is gained, obtained? Thanks.

 

[stevem326]

Originally posted by: Ultralight
What is advantage of something like PerfectDisk over the standard XP defragmenter? What is gained, obtained? Thanks.

Here is some info that might help:

PerfectDisk

Diskeeper

Some people still say there is no difference between the Windows defragger and PD/DK so I guess you just have to familiarize yourself as much as possible with what's out there and then decide for yourself...good luck!

 

[Red Squirrel]

I use a free command line one called contig. whats nice about it is that it can be scheduled. You'd think MS would have made theirs schedulable (easily). theres ways to do it but its a pain.

 

[Nothinman]

I use a free command line one called contig. whats nice about it is that it can be scheduled. You'd think MS would have made theirs schedulable (easily). theres ways to do it but its a pain.

It's just as easy to schedule as contig, just schedule 'defrag c:'.

 

[Rottie]

Diskeeper is for me I tried PerfectDisk and it killed my old notebook last year.

 

[stevem326]

Originally posted by: Rottie
Diskeeper is for me I tried PerfectDisk and it killed my old notebook last year.

There must have been something wrong with your HD to begin with. I've never heard of either PD or DK ruining a healthy HD...not saying it's impossible but I'd have to say highly unlikely.

 

[corkyg]

I have tried 'em all. For me the winner in XCP and Vista both is Perfect disk - laptops and desktops. The GUI and metaphor is more what I am used to from good old Norton Speed Disk.

The just released Perfect Disk 2008 is outstanding - both XP and Vista. Faster than version 8 and a great GUI with everything you need to know.

PD2008

 

[stevem326]

Originally posted by: corkyg
I have tried 'em all. For me the winner in XCP and Vista both is Perfect disk - laptops and desktops. The GUI and metaphor is more what I am used to from good old Norton Speed Disk.

The just released Perfect Disk 2008 is outstanding - both XP and Vista. Faster than version 8 and a great GUI with everything you need to know.

Thanks for the info. I just upgraded to PerfectDisk 2008 last night but haven't used it yet. Are you saying the actual defrag process is faster? That would be great because I have a 500GB HD that takes awhile under PD Version 8 (the version that PD 2008 replaces).

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: stevem326
Thanks for the info. I just upgraded to PerfectDisk 2008 last night but haven't used it yet. Are you saying the actual defrag process is faster? That would be great because I have a 500GB HD that takes awhile under PD Version 8 (the version that PD 2008 replaces).

Yes - once you do the initial optimization - follow-ons are faster. It does Vista really well and gives you options on excluded files. The Off line defrag continues to be excellent.

I added an illustration to my message above.

 

[stevem326]

Originally posted by: corkyg

Originally posted by: stevem326
Thanks for the info. I just upgraded to PerfectDisk 2008 last night but haven't used it yet. Are you saying the actual defrag process is faster? That would be great because I have a 500GB HD that takes awhile under PD Version 8 (the version that PD 2008 replaces).

Yes - once you do the initial optimization - follow-ons are faster. It does Vista really well and gives you options on excluded files. The Off line defrag continues to be excellent.

I added an illustration to my message above.

Thanks for the illustration. Do you ever have any problems defragging external drives? I have a 500GB external HD and sometimes PD will hang during the analysis portion (before the defrag starts). It will get to 99% finished with the analysis and just sit there without actually going into the defrag process. I guess I should not have said that I never have any problems with PD!

 

[Snapster]

If I had to choose now it would probably still be PerfectDisk as it was a pretty good bit of software when I used it on XP. However I'm on Vista I just leave the in-built defrag to do its own thing now.

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: stevem326
Thanks for the illustration. Do you ever have any problems defragging external drives? I have a 500GB external HD and sometimes PD will hang during the analysis portion (before the defrag starts). It will get to 99% finished with the analysis and just sit there without actually going into the defrag process. I guess I should not have said that I never have any problems with PD!

No. I have several externals, USB, Firewire and eSATA. All get optimized nicely in either XP or Vista. None as big as 500. It also defrags my internal RAID 1 array I use for data storage.

 

[imported_wired247]

I am trying perfectdisk now.

Does anyone know a reason why vista does not show you "progress" versus every older version of windows defragmenter?

 

[Cheex]

Originally posted by: wired247
I am trying perfectdisk now.

Does anyone know a reason why vista does not show you "progress" versus every older version of windows defragmenter?

Good question. I've always wondered this.



NOTE: I'll be trying PerfectDisk...:thumbsup:

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: wired247
I am trying perfectdisk now. Does anyone know a reason why vista does not show you "progress" versus every older version of windows defragmenter?

Hmmm! Mine does. There is a sliding blue bar and a display of percentage done. ???

 

[iskim86]

I think the Windows XP defragmenter is identical to the Diskeeper one from 2001. open disk defrag, then go to help and then about. you can see Executive Software