How often do you defrag your hard drive?

[DaFunkyUnit]

I try to do it a couple times a year.

[DoPeY5007]

when ever I think about it, about once a month

[hapoo]

i usually end up reformating before i defrag... which isn't too often

[Hoser]

I defrag at least once a week, more often if there's been any big changes to the contents of the drive.

[OC]

2-3 three times a week. I start it as I leave to go somewhere so it doesn't take away from me using the computer.

-OC

[Kevster]

I usually defrag weekly. I move a lot of data around and that builds up fragmentation big-time.

I also wipe my free-space at the same time (using the 7-pass method).

[skynet]

I have disk keeper (great program) scheduled to run every day at 4am. I am usually not on my computer at 4am. I have a Maxtor 7200 ATA 133 40 and 80 gig drive. Both of which are constantly being filled and clean from download, so after a day or two of that and no defraging it really boggles down my system.

[Merlin]

I download lots of movies and such so my hard drive has quite a bit of turnover. As such I defrag about every other day. Sometimes more.

[Bires]

Originally posted by DoPeY5007
when ever I think about it, about once a month
:stupid:

It used to be a bigger issue. Now, the performance gain is so much smaller than it once was (with smaller/slower HDs).

I use FixIt Utilities DiskCleaner, DiskFixer, RegCleaner, RegDefrag, and then Jet Defrag (HD) in that order about 1-2 times a month.

[Ladogaboy]

Usually once a week... or around there...

Oh, and skynet, Windows has a task scheduler that will do that on its own, why buy another program? :confused:

[Kevster]

Originally posted by Ladogaboy
Windows has a task scheduler that will do that on its own, why buy another program? :confused:

Maybe because the built-in windows defragmenter really sucks compared to Norton Speed Disk or Diskkeeper?

[bachviet]

At least once a week and I either use the built-in WinXP defrag (cheap version of DiskKeeper) or Norton Speed Disk.

[Ladogaboy]

Originally posted by Kevster


Maybe because the built-in windows defragmenter really sucks compared to Norton Speed Disk or Diskkeeper?

Exactly how does the Windows defrager suck? :confused: What do the other programs do that it doesn't? I'm asking this just out of curiosity, because I have no experience with the other defraging programs.

[d12agonxboi]

yes tell me more about the other programs, how are they so much better?

[Kevster]

Here's one good reason:

Diskeeper vs. Windows 2000 Disk Fragmenter (http://www.nstl.com/Downloads/NSTL_MDD_Vs_DK_Final_Report.pdf)

Here's an even better one:

Q227463 (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q227463)

And for all you XP users out there, here's yours:

Q314848 (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q314848)

Also, it's veerrry slow compared to 3rd party products out there including Diskeeper and Norton SpeedDisk.

[Jeffbx]

My drive gets defragged when I format & reload the OS... does that count?

I also only change the oil in my car every 7000 mile or so.

[ribitch]

defrag, whats that :D

when i used to have my pc, i would tell norton to do it every night twice. Never seemed to slow down.

My mac only gets defragged once in every great while since fragmentation really is a non issue

[topane]

Whenever I think about it, which is probably every few months.

[skynet]

Well I guess everyone answered my questions. And Disk keeper is much better. I like it alot more and Winodws Task Scheduler sucks.

Plus if you look hard enough, you don't have to but anything

[Bires]

Originally posted by d12agonxboi
yes tell me more about the other programs, how are they so much better?

"Utilities", "FixIt Utilities", and "Nuts and Bolts" respectively do something that Windows does not do, but should.

If a dll or similar file is needed by an executable for a windows program, these defraggers move the needed files nearer to the executable (ideally, right next to the executable) so when you run the program, the harddrive needs to make only a single sweep to read the files. Otherwise it may have to jump all over the harddrive platter to read the separate files, which takes more time.

In my very unscientific tests, Norton's Speeddisk was the best at this, but I use OnTrack's FixIt Utilities Suite because the registry degfrag appears to me to be more effective.

(I may go back to Norton...I haven't used the newest version of Systemworks and my FixIt Utilities is two years old.)

[d12agonxboi]

how long does it usually take when defragging your computer?

i just did mines today and it took about 6 hrs for my 80gb partition, it was really pissing me off, i guess cuz it's full of movie media that i moved around and lots of fragments

does the more you do it, the quicker it'll defrag the next time?

[Ladogaboy]

Originally posted by d12agonxboi
does the more you do it, the quicker it'll defrag the next time?

In my experience, yes...

[Bires]

The next logical question is then ... Which defrag program is everyone using?

[billxp]

I use Diskeeper. I have it scheduled to run everyday at night. I dont know how long it takes cause I'm sleeping. :)

[attgig]

at work - we're still using NT
i use diskkeeper lite - and went on a defragging binge - every night for about a week..
then, just kinda do it when i think things are getting slower than usual - pretty often.

at home...on my xp boxes....don't really defrag.

[NuTs62]

Today is the first time, on this system. I've had this system for about over 6 months now. Still defragging my 3 drives in the RAID 5 setup. Been defragging since around 4:30pm. It is 11:30pm, and I still have 1 more drive to go. What can I do about all the files that couldn't be defragged? I've got several on two drives.

My 45GB and 75GB each took less than an hour to defrag. 45GB has 8% free space, the 75GB has 18% free space. My 224GB RAID 5 partition has 3% partition, and took 5 hours. Have one more drive to go.

And I'm just using WinXP to defrag. Wasn't sure of any apps that would help defrag. And with the other defragging apps that you guys mention, you still gotta shutdown many apps..? If my system is on, my P2P softwares are usually running all night long. So it'd interrupt the defragging process.