Do you defrag?

 
Greetings, fellow PC:

I just finished defragging and feel so much zippier now. I was getting sluggish to the point that all my insides locked up. A new lease on life is really a cool thing, especially when you sense you're headed for the trash heap. Or out the window.

All my files are now contiguous. Sorta like the 48 ...

You?

CCPC

regular disc clean crap clean and defrag amonst other things

I recently used a freeware program to get rid of EVERYTHING I didn't absolutely need on that particular XP computer, then defragged twice.

Lightening startups and shutdowns.  Amazing.

I don't defrag my system anymore. It doesn't need it and it's always zippy. I use the ext3 file system.

If you run Vista or Win7, they defrag automatically so there isn't really a need to manually defrag.

If you have an SSD type hard drive, you shouldn't defrag.  (Fragmentation does not slow down those types of drives, and defragging can cause unnecessary "wear.")

Defragging usually doesn't make a HUGE difference in performance, unless the drive is horribly fragmented.  That being said, I have an XP desktop with a combination of SSD and regular hard drive storage.  I run Diskeeper software and it keeps my regular hard drives defragged on a regular basis.

Yes, but only on the servers, especially the ones hosting SQL databases and Exchange. Makes a big difference on the older ones that page a lot because they go over the 4Gb physical memory from time to time. The newer ones are 64bit and SAS on an iSCSI SAN, which kicks AS.

Just had to throw a little jargon out there for the other IT guys.

BTS

Nos, not true about ext3.  It fragments just like any file system.  File systems can try to resist it, but they cannot be immune to fragmentation.

Just ran a fragmentation check on one of my Linux systems:

/dev/sda3: 291221/30558384 files (9.8% non-contiguous), 24922565/121963471 blocks

almost 10% fragmentation here.  What's worse is ext3 offers no real online defrag tool.  Ext4 made improvements in this regard and supports online defragmentation.

Just had to throw a little jargon out there for the other IT guys.

You just excited me a little bit. lol

Seriously though, servers definitely need defragging more regularly, especially file servers.  I typically did not defrag database servers.

Fellow PCers and, er, MACers [? - I gather Apple is a different animal. Yes?]:

I appreciate your lively and jargon-filled replies, though I don't get the lingo.

My notebook is a COMPAQ that I bought used and is probably 7 or 8 years old. It uses Windows XP. When I looked at the analysis of my C drive or disk - whatever it's called - it was the most fragmented I had ever seen it. Now, as Black Sheep commented, it's like lightning.

Anyway, thanks much. I may may PC illiterate, but if I can stay in touch with you guys, well ...

CoCo

I use this free product to defrag.

http://www.auslogics.com/disk-defrag

My Vista computer is setup to auto-defrag about once a week in the middle of the night. (Vista and Windows 7 are automatically setup to do this when you buy them, so you don't have to worry about setting it up.)

Defrag most certainly improves the performance of a home computer.

Hi CoCo...

I drive myself nuts, trying to keep my pc clean and tidy.   I defrag on a regular basis, clean out old files and run virus scan often.

For some reason I am very obsessive about not putting too much on my hard drive, I try and keep it at the very least, 1/2 empty.

Drives my kids crazy,  since I refuse to download things they are positive that I need... like the newest video and such. 

Enjoy your new found "Speed"...

Cas

Good Morning Coco..

                                   I clean the system every day..

                                   It has an auto,but auto always leaves a few Dust Bunnies..

                                  To keep a really fast system:

                                                                                ..Defrag Hard Drive and Registry..

                                                                                ..Clean registry..

                                                                                ..Clean junk files..

                                                                              Your computer will work like it came out of the box..

                                                                                                                                                ....................... ...OUTLAW

Thanks, guys and gals, for all the really helpful info. I couldn't believe the difference!

Much appreciation. Off to work - 6 mile walk.

Love,

CoCo

What are you trying to cover-up when you defrag your hard drive?

Hey now!  This is a family forum! 

Goshawk:

My understanding is that the files simply become organized; coverup has never been an issue, as CoCo is aka Pollyanna. Huh?!?!?

JD:

You are so right. Family values! Respect for your fellow poster [do you make any exceptions to that?]. Butter wouldn't melt in our mouths. In this case, our typin' fingers ...

CoCo is no longer a fragment of your imagination.

I rarely defrag my windows computers, not because they don't need it occasionally but because I rarely think about it. I've had my Mac for 11 months now and I never thought to defrag it. Reading this thread got me curious, so I downloaded a demo of idefrag. It says my disk is 0.2% fragmented, so I don't think I'll bother with it today.

W

Thanks, FF, for that bit of info. I was wondering how MAC works. I barely comprehend my COMPAQ ...

CoCo

I don't bother to defrag. It seems that my computer doesn't slow down at all. I keep most of my stuff on a flash so it doesn't crowd space. Not sure if it would crowd much on a dual core, though.