ghayes

"The pagefile and registry hives are defragged by the Sysinternals utility, Pagedefrag. However it doesn't touch the MFT or metadata. O&O makes a decent defragger that performs a defragging operation of all of this stuff at boot time, and in very little more time than it takes for Pagedefrag to run. However, the versions that do boot time defragging are not freeware." Part of this statement is correct and part is incorrect. The correct part is that Sysinternals doesn't provide a mechanism to defragment the Master File Table ($MFT) or related metadata. The incorrect part is that O&O's defragger will defragment the MFT and metadata. O&O defragments the $MFT only - it doesn't defragment the $Logfil, $Bitmap, $Upcase, etc... There is only 1 defragger available that will defragment these metadata files - PerfectDisk - it is also the only defragger that tells you how badly fragmented these metadata files are. Defraggers like O&O Defrag only tell you how badly fragmented the $MFT is. - Greg/Raxco Software Disclaimer: I work for Raxco Software, the maker of PerfectDisk - a competitor to O&O Defrag, as a systems engineer in the support department.

The "scandisk" that is done through the GUI is the same CHKDSK that can be done from the command line. Running CHKDSK from the command gives you some options that the GUI interface doesn't allow. - Greg/Raxco Software

Actually, "Smart Placement" is what PerfectDisk 2000 does (Smart Placement is a registered mark of Raxco Software) and is based on file modification date. The Win9x defragger places files based on access dates - putting the most frequently accessed files at the top of the LOGICAL partition - which may or may not be the fastest part of the PHYSICAL drive. SpeedDisk 5.x tries to get close to what PerfectDisk does with placement of files - however it also does the "most frequently accessed" at the top of the LOGICAL partition - which may or may not be the fastest part of the PHYSICAL hard drive (yes, there is a difference between Logical Cluster Numbers - which is all defraggers know about and Physical Cluster Numbers - which is what the hard drive actually knows about). - Greg/Raxco Software Disclaimer: I work for Raxco Software, the maker of PerfectDisk 2000, as a systems engineer in the support department.

Couple of comments: - I don't believe that Diskeeper 7 is a released software product. It is in all likelyhood still in beta mode. - It is hard to compare defraggers for XP until all of the defrag vendors release versions of their defraggers that are OFFICIALLY compatible with XP. This includes PerfectDisk. While PerfectDisk will install and most of the features of PerfectDisk will work safely under Windows XP, PerfectDisk isn't offically compatible and there are some things that will not work - like boot time defragmentation on NTFS partitions. - Just because a defragger installs and appears to run under Windows XP doesn't mean that they are "compatible" with Windows XP. For example, Windows XP uses a "prefetch" method of loading the drivers necessary for the boot process - dramatically speeding up the boot process. The Windows XP OS will on it's own put all of these files together in one place. It is up to commercial defraggers to either "honor" this file placement (which I don't believe that any released commercial defragger - including PerfectDisk - is currently doing) or to take over the automatic job of grouping these leaving these files grouped together and up[censored] the layout.ini file used by the WinXP pre-fetch mechanism. I can't speak for other commercial defrag vendors, but a version of PerfectDisk that is officially compatible with Windows XP will be released around the time that Windows XP is officially released (end of October). - Greg/Raxco Software Disclaimer: I work for Raxco Software, the maker of PerfectDisk 2000, as a systems engineer in the support department.

There have been some changes made to NTFS and with the MS defrag APIs with WinXP. In terms of online defragmentation, some files that previously had to be done offline can now be done online. However, when you do a boot time defrag, no defragger is using the MS defrag APIs and needs to have a clear understanding of the file system. I'm not aware of ANY disk defragmenter (this includes my company's product - PerfectDisk, Diskeeper, Defrag Commander, SpeedDisk, O&O Defrag) that is officially compatible with WinXP. While defraggers that use the MS Defrag APIs (PerfectDisk, Diskeeper, Defrag Commander, O&O Defrag) should be able to run ONLINE safely without loss or corruption of data (SpeedDisk V5.x does NOT use the MS Defrag APIs), doing a boot time defrag should be considered a "risky" thing until the defrag vendor releases a version of their software that officially supports WinXP. - Greg/Raxco Software Disclaimer: I work for Raxco Software, the maker of PerfectDisk - a commercial defrag utility that competes with the defragmenters mentioned above, as a systems engineer in the support department.

The previous poster is not using the Win2k built-in defragger but a 3rd party commercial defragger. The built-in defragger is only designed to be run interactively and to only allow defragging of one partition at a time. If you are good with writing/maintaining scripts, check out http://www.morphasys.com/autodefrag/ for some scripts that you can use to schedule the Win2k built-in defragger (simulates a user clicking on the appropriate buttons in order to defrag). Some of the other limitations of the built-in defragger: - Cannot defragment directories on FATx partitions - Cannot defragment the pagefile - Cannot defragment the Master File Table ($MFT) and related metadata on NTFS partitions - Doesn't consolidate free space - Requires at least 20% free space in order to be able to defragment - Is a multi-pass defragger - my require many passes in order to defragment - Cannot be natively "network scheduled" - Requires admin privs in order to run In order to get native scheduling capabilities or to get around the limitations above, you need to go third party, of which there are several products to choose from: PerfectDisk 2000 - www.raxco.com - Schedulable, defragments pagefile, directories and MFT and is the only commercial defragger capable of defragmenting the rest of the NTFS metadata ($LogFile, $Bitmap, etc...). PD2k runs on Win9x, WinMe, WinNT 4.0 and is certified for Win2k. From a central point you can schedule defrag activity throughout. No difference in functionality between the workstation and server version (both the workstation version AND server version can schedule through the network). PD2k is a "one pass" defragger - designed to do the job in one pass. PD2k also works very well with minimal usable freespace - as low as 5% where others may require alot more. PerfectDisk also does a excellent job of consoli[censored] freespace - which means that the partition re-fragments slower. PerfectDisk uses the MS provided API's for defragging files. Diskeeper - www.execsoft.com - Schedulable, defragments pagefile, directories and MFT but is unable to defragment the rest of the NTFS metadata. DK runs on Win9x, WinNT 4.0 and is certified for Win2k. Requires their Server version if you want to schedule defrag activity through the network. May require multiple passes to completely defrag a partition. Diskeeper strongly suggests that you have at least 20% freespace in order to effectively defrag. Diskeeper uses the MS provided API's for defragging files. O&O Defrag - www.oo-defrag.com. Schedulable, defragments pagefile and MFT but doesn't defragment the rest of the NTFS metadata. You have to purchase their "Network Addition" which allows you to schedule through the network. O&O Defrag is a "one pass" defragger - designed to do the job in one pass. They have a separate Network Edition of their defragger that I believe does network scheduling but it slots into their own MMC type "framework". Works well in lower freespace conditions. O&O Defrag uses the MS provided API's for defragging files. Speedisk 5.x - www.symantec.com. Schedulable, defragments pagefile, directories and MFT but is unable to defragment the rest of the NTFS metadata. SD runs on WinNT 4.0 and Win2k. Requires purchase of their Norton System Center if you want to schedule defrag activity through the network. SD is a "one pass" defragger - designed to do the job in one pass. Works very well in low freespace conditions. SpeedDisk also does a excellent job of consoli[censored] freespace - which means that the partition re-fragments slower. SpeedDisk is the only defragger that does NOT use the MS provided API's for defragging files. OnTrack's Suite - www.ontrack.com. A suite of products. You can't just buy the defragger. Schedulable. Works on NT 4 and Win2k. Don't know too much more about this one. Ontrack's defragger uses the MS provided API's for defragging files. Defrag Commander and Defrag Commander NE - www.winternals.com. Remotely defrags NT and Win2K systems, also schedules the built-in defraggers on WinMe/9x and optionally Win2K. Works as an MMC snap-in. The NT/Win2K defrag engine is designed to do the job in "one pass" using the Microsoft defrag APIs but with no software installed on the systems being defragged. Defrag Commander also provides it's own defrag engine which does a far better job than using the Win2k built-in defragger. Provides no offline/boot time defragging of pagefiles, directories or NTFS metadata. Vopt - www.goldenbow.com. Works on NT4 and Win9x. Not sure if it works under Windows 2000. I don't know much about this defragger. Hope this helps! - Greg/Raxco Software Disclaimer: I work for Raxco Software, the maker of PerfectDisk 2000, as a systems engineer in the support department. I have tried to not be too biased in presenting information:-)

There are several commercial defraggers available for NT4 and of Windows 2000. Product names, web links and a brief description are provided below. All of the vendors listed below offer evaluation software. PerfectDisk 2000 - www.raxco.com - Schedulable, defragments pagefile directories and MFT and is the only commercial defragger capable of defragmenting the rest of the NTFS metadata ($LogFile, $Bitmap, etc...). PD2k runs on Win9x, WinMe, WinNT 4.0 and is certified for Win2k. From a central point you can schedule defrag activity throughout. No difference in functionality between the workstation and server version (both the workstation version AND server version can schedule through the network). PD2k is a "one pass" defragger - designed to do the job in one pass. PD2k also works very well with minimal usable freespace - as low as 5% where others may require alot more. PerfectDisk also does a excellent job of consoli[censored] freespace - which means that the partition re-fragments slower. PerfectDisk uses the MS provided API's for defragging files. Diskeeper - www.execsoft.com - Schedulable, defragments pagefile directories and MFT but is unable to defragment the rest of the NTFS metadata. DK runs on Win9x, WinNT 4.0 and is certified for Win2k. Requires their Server version if you want to schedule defrag activity through the network. May require multiple passes to completely defrag a partition. Diskeeper strongly suggests that you have at least 20% freespace in order to effectively defrag. Diskeeper uses the MS provided API's for defragging files. O&O Defrag - www.oo-defrag.com. Schedulable, defragments pagefile and MFT but doesn't defragment the rest of the NTFS metadata. You have to purchase their "Network Addition" which allows you to schedule through the network. O&O Defrag is a "one pass" defragger - designed to do the job in one pass. They have a separate Network Edition of their defragger that I believe does network scheduling but it slots into their own MMC type "framework". Works well in lower freespace conditions. O&O Defrag uses the MS provided API's for defragging files. Speedisk 5.x - www.symantec.com. Schedulable, defragments pagefile, directories and MFT but is unable to defragment the rest of the NTFS metadata. SD runs on WinNT 4.0 and Win2k. Requires purchase of their Norton System Center if you want to schedule defrag activity through the network. SD is a "one pass" defragger - designed to do the job in one pass. Works very well in low freespace conditions. SpeedDisk also does a excellent job of consoli[censored] freespace - which means that the partition re-fragments slower. SpeedDisk is the only defragger that does NOT use the MS provided API's for defragging files. OnTrack's Suite - www.ontrack.com. A suite of products. You can't just buy the defragger. Schedulable. Works on NT 4 and Win2k. Don't know too much more about this one. Ontrack's defragger uses the MS provided API's for defragging files. Defrag Commander and Defrag Commander NE - www.winternals.com. Remotely defrags NT and Win2K systems, also schedules the built-in defraggers on WinMe/9x and optionally Win2K. Works as an MMC snap-in. The NT/Win2K defrag engine is designed to do the job in "one pass" using the Microsoft defrag APIs but with no software installed on the systems being defragged. Defrag Commander also provides it's own defrag engine which does a far better job than using the Win2k built-in defragger. Provides no offline/ boot time defragging of system files, directories or NTFS metadata. Vopt - www.goldenbow.com. Works on NT4 and Win9x. Not sure if it works under Windows 2000. I don't know much about this defragger. Hope this helps! - Greg/Raxco Software Disclaimer: I work for Raxco Software, the maker of PerfectDisk 2000, as a systems engineer in the support department. I have tried to not be too biased in presenting information:-)