Defregger/optimizer

[walbar]

Does anyone know of a good shareware defragger or optimizer?
I am presently using Fix-it Utilities and it takes me over 8 hours to defrag my 8 gig drive. It doesn't even show me the percentage of fragmentation before it starts.
I was getting an error message when booting up to windows telling me I had a possible bad drive. It ran scan disk and then started surface scan automatically but it was slow so I aborted it.
I then ran Fix it utilities...did a scan disk and then a defrag.
After a complete defrag I rebooted and got the same error message.
This time scan disc and surface scan ran completely. One bad sector was found and locked out and now my computer seems to be booting up ok.
But I need a faster defragger. I hate to spend a lot of money, as I did for Fix It only to find I am not satisfied. That's why I decided to try shareware first.

Any suggestions?

[Laurey]

You could try norton utilties.. they have a download version that will function for 30 (?) days.

http://www.symantec.com/

Look for the Trialware (I think that's what it's called) :)

-L

[paulselhi]

note that defrag needs exclusive access to a drive and will continually resatrt if something else is accessing the drive. If you are using ms defrag the DISCONNECT from the internet (pull the plug) stop your anti virus program, firewall and any nonessentiial apps, all u need is systray, explorer running

Now run defrag should be fine

REMEMBER only shut down the firewall when u are disconnected from the net

[(jj)]

When you are running ANY type of disk utility, do NOT continue using your computer!

If you continue to use the computer while trying to run a disk utility such as Scan Disk or Defrag, your accessing of the hard drive will only slow down the process (a lot).

Turning off other Apps, as suggested by Paul will stop those programs from accessing the drive while the utility is running.


Just my "For What It's Worth"

[Ddr]

I use Fixit 4 and really like it for most of it's cleanup features. But it has the absolute slowest defrag I have seen since Win95. I am talking brutally slow, abusively slow, dead, dead, dead.
(get the idea I dont like their defrag?)

Norton's it the fastest I have used so far. It might not be shareware, but it gets the job done and does not cost too much more than shareware.


Dale

[(jj)]

Dale, are you trying to say that Fixit4's defrag is just a wee bit on the slow side? :D

I've been using Norton's Speed Disk since DOS days and have to say that it's always been one of the best I've used. Although as with all other programs for Windows, Norton's Utilities have become quite bloated.

But for the price, it is about the best choice and is much faster and more reliable than Windows Defrag system.