Welcome to the new look of the PerfectDisk Blog. I'm Joe Abusamra, and in this space I'll continue to provide the latest updates and information on PerfectDisk. I'll also provide my views on related topics, from general defragmentation utilities to Windows 7 defrag to free space consoldation and more. From time to time, I'll continue to highlight how some of our consumer and business users are using PerfectDisk and our disk defrag software family of products.
I welcome any and all comments. Comments are all displayed immediately, to be removed only if they contain inappropriate language or spam. Thanks for visiting.
When it comes to determining the best defrag software, there can be a lot of back and forth discussion. Kinda like some of the big debates on the big issues of the day that take place just a few miles from our headquarters, in Washington DC. Proponents on each side.
One of the reasons we feel PerfectDisk is the best defrag tool available is that we've invested in R&D while delivering innovation over the years to address the changing landscape. And, all the while maintaining an open dialog with our customers to ensure we keep up with their demands.
We may be biased, but we put the best defragmentation test to some of our biggest critics -- those who love PerfectDisk but want it to be better, and those who have never been that crazy about it, and used something else. The support has been coming in from all sides.
Will it remain the best defrag tool?
- "Truly an improvement over an already awesome product."
- "The best there is, without a doubt."
- "It has no real competition."
- "The 2010 standard for Disk Management. It Simply ROCKs!
- "Improving on an already fine product."
- "Still best on the market."
- "My laptop loves it."
- "State-of-the-art defragmentation for people who like perfection."
- "A prettier interface."
- "World class."
- "Still the best - and now you can customize it too!"
- "The best defrag tool on Earth just got better."
- "The most customizable and comprehensive product on the shelf."
- "It is the best defrag software on the market. It has features for every level of computer user, from the person that just wants to defrag their hard drive to the person that wants to not just defrag hard disk, but wants more about space usage on the hard drive, the ability to defrag while still using Windows."
The best defragmentation around.
On a scale of 1 to 10, it's an 11. March 2010.
Here in the Washington, DC/Baltimore area, pre-blizzard frenzy combined with early Super Bowl preparation frenzy to create mass chaos at local grocery stores, hardware stores, and just about any business that happened to be open last night. Just a few hours remain before the snow starts falling, 18" - 24" - which given this area's propensity to panic with just a couple inches of snow, should shut down the metropolitan area for a few days.
I say it's a good time for a PC tuneup. After the shoveling, sledding, snowmen and snowball fights, find and remove duplicate files, clean your PC of unnecessary temp files, clean up that registry, then sit back and soak in your fast and clean PC. Actually, automate it all, then come in and watch the Super Bowl.
PC tuneup -- blizzard fun.
While reasonable people can argue the merits of using freeware to defrag a computer or to defrag a file, if that capability exists in the particular defragmentation software, no such arguments exist when it comes to enterprise defragmentation. The choice becomes greatly limited. The freeware utilities, the built-in Windows defragmenter, and even most of the chargeable ones are simply not designed for enterprise defragmentation.
Putting aside for a moment the actual quality, flexibility and customization capabilities of the defrag program to improve PC performance, a large enterprise or even relatively small business has a lot more to worry about to ensure successful enterprise defragmentation. Installation and deployment across the organization to the required PCs and servers. Configuration and management. And reporting. Any good administrator requires full reporting capabilities to have a handle on the status of his or her enterprise. And better yet, be able to be proactive. Which is why PerfectDisk provides an elaborate alerting and warning system for administrators within the PerfectDisk Enterprise Console.
And now comes Remote Free Space Management, a shot in the arm to IT administrators responsible for enterprise defrag. It allows IT administrators to generate detailed reports on disk use, including graphical representations of storage usage. This new functionality provides significant improvements over Windows Storage Server Reports, providing not just data, but actionable reports. For instance, you can run a Duplicate File Report in Storage Server, but it does not allow you to remotely identify and execute duplicate file removals across the enterprise. PerfectDisk does.
Enterprise defragmentation evolved. March 2010.
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As alluded to in a previous post, PerfectDisk's patented SMARTPlacement optimization strategy is about to get a whole lot smarter. Users will be able to let PerfectDisk do its thing as always, but if they prefer, they can make their own settings, their own custom strategy. Files, applications and directory data can be automatically placed on the drive according to each users' unique requirements or preferences. Flexibility and customization, not tyranny, to better maximize drive and file performance, and better speed up PC performance.
Here's a little peek:
As beta tester Allen Flores stated, "I love the ability to specify the placement order and additional space between categories - terrific feature addition!" Wes Barter noted that "using the 'performance' strategy seems to improve overall system speed; placing frequently used files in areas of faster access improves the 'snappiness' of my machine."
What's a smarter way to speed up PC performance, as well as server and virtual machine performance?
A smarter SMARTPlacement. March 2010.
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As more and more PCs come to market with x64 architecture, users need to be assured that the applications and software they use on their computers handle the 64-bit architecture corectly. That includes a top defrag utility. There are certain features of the x64 platform that need to be taken into account when designing and building a program for this environment. Microsoft provides a guide for the development, migration and porting to the 64-bit platform, and our development team has had the opportunity to meet directly with Microsoft on this issue. The result is that PerfectDisk’s operation in a 64-bit environement is completely transparent to the user and it runs flawlessly.
Here are some of the issues we’ve dealt with for PerfectDisk on x64 defrag:
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The pointer size on 64 bit is 8 bytes; therefore all the code that contains pointer math needed to be reviewed and modified as necessary to avoid possible truncation.
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Changes needed to be made with regards to registry reflection and redirection for WOW64 (Windows-on-Windows 64-bit).
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There are very strict rules on digital signatures for kernel modules for Vista and Windows 7 x64 editions which had to be adhered to.
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When compiling code under x32 platforms, compilers issue warnings for compatibility issues with x64. All this code and all of the warnings needed to be reviewed in order to ensure compelte transparency under x64.
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Finally, our development team needed to clearly understand the differences between 64 bit and 32 bit in order to confirm that any other applications they worked with handled the differences properly. And since sometimes they did not, they would then need to work with other vendors to make sure things worked just right.
The result? As PerfectDisk user Brian Dohery told us: “I just switched to a new machine with the Vista 64-bit operating system on it. (Product name removed) was extremely buggy on the 64-bit architecture and PerfectDisk was not…ran like a dream and so I switched.” What the top defrag software should do.
For most people, switching to x64 is inevitable. That new computer you get is likely going to be 64 bit. It is very common now to have 4 BG of RAM or more, even on consumer desktop computers. Theoretically, the 32-bit architecture has a limit on the memory size it can address - and that limit is 4 GB. Given the fact that about 1 GB is reserved address space to be used by the motherboard, the maximum amount of RAM that a 32-bit XP or Vista system can use is even less, more like 3 GB.
No need to pinch yourself, it’s not a dream. We did the work, so PerfectDisk just works on x64.
Users sometimes ask us why PerfectDisk does not change the size of the Master File Table (MFT). Other defragmenters do it and, hey, changing something seems pretty cool. Well, this is another area where we think PerfectDisk is a little smarter.
When an NTFS drive is formatted, it creates the $MFT, which contains a fixed number of records which can used. As files are created, these records are used. Eventually, the pre-allocated number of records is filled up and the $MFT needs to grow, adding another chunk of file records. Immediately adjacent to the $MFT, the MFT Reserved Zone is created. By default, the MFT Reserved Zone is 12.5% of the drive and goes from the first record of the MFT to the first non-free cluster after the last MFT record. If you have a 100GB drive, then the Reserved Zone is going to be 12.5GB - quite large! If you look in the Windows Explorer/Properties on a drive, the free space shown is the total of both INSIDE and OUTSIDE the Reserved Zone.
The MFT Reserved Zone is created specifically to allow the $MFT to grow in a contiguous fashion. When the $MFT fills up, it allocates the next chunk from the free space located in the MFT Reserved Zone. NTFS will avoid putting files inside the Reserved Zone unless you get into a low free space condition. It is not necessary to artificially pre-allocate additional space for the $MFT in order to keep it from growing fragmented. Remember this the next time you ask yourself how to make your PC run faster.
A smarter MFT means a smarter defrag.
Whether it's Windows 7, Vista or XP, or a server OS such as Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2003, many users are quick to jump to the conclusion that Microsoft has caused a problem when an application runs into an issue. But there are rules to follow when writing applications that interact with Microsoft's Windows operating systems. And unfortunately, not all software providers follow the rules.
But some users are more observant and savvy than others. Take Lee Archer of Manchester, United Kingdom. Lee is a Technical Analyst who spends a lot if his time digging into and deploying IT solutions; that is, when he's not tinkering with all kinds of gadgets and technology, which he does in his spare time. Lee, whose Twitter handle is @Leod_UK, was recently commenting on Twitter that "people are very quick to criticise Windows because it's Windows and Microsoft, when it's not actually the OS at fault." He's right - it's a common misconception.
Many people recognize the value of Microsoft certified application; others think it's superfluous. Well, whether it's a Windows 7 defrag that PerfectDisk is performing, or managing duplicate files, there are certain rules that need to be followed. We know it, because we often see misbehaving applications causing havoc to users' machines. If there's havoc to be played on someone's PC or server, we want to ensure it's not because of PerfectDisk. That's why we go through the time and expense of certifying PerfectDisk with Microsoft. As Lee points out, "PerfectDisk is a (excuse the pun) Perfect Example of a Windows application done properly." If you're going to defrag Windows 7 - or any other Windows OS - do it with confidence.
And you won't have to worry about blame because you'll be problem free.
While the adoption rate for Exchange 2010 will likely be slow, as organizations go very cautiously with such a mission critical application, we know there are still many that are working with Exchange 2010 now. PerfectDisk 10 today runs on Exchange 2010 servers and can perform full defragmentation on those servers' drives.
But unique to PerfectDisk is the PerfectDisk Exchange component that automates the process of offline defragmentation and compaction of Exchange data stores. This eliminates white space, allowing Exchange administrators to recapture valuable space, while at the same time improving Exchange performance. Changes did need to be made to incorporate Exchange 2010 and allow the automation and compaction of the Exchange data stores within PerfectDisk Exchange, and these are being made.
Exchange 2010 brings many enhancements to Exchange, and Microsoft will be doing its best to entice companies to migrate to the 2010 version. We've been incorporating the many changes throughout PerfectDisk 11 into the Exchange component, including support for Exchange 2010.
On a scale of 1 to 10, it's an 11. Coming March 2010.
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PerfectSpeed PC Optimizer Build 116 is now available. This build includes an update for compatibility with the upcoming PerfectDisk 11 and the correction of defrag runs when PerfectSpeed is running on battery.
Get news like this faster -- follow
PerfectDisk and PerfectSpeed on Twitter.
This paper that outlines some of the key differences between PerfectDisk and the Windows 7 defragmenter was published a few months ago. It continues to be one of our most popular, so I'm reposting. You can download the PerfectDisk - Windows 7 defrag paper here.
Learn.
Want to speed up your boot time? We're often asked how to make people's PCs boot quicker. There are a couple of options within PerfectDisk to do so:
Let PerfectDisk Manage:
This option is the recommended option and is selected by default . If selected, PerfectDisk optimizes the location of the files needed to start your computer. This decreases the time necessary to reboot your computer, so you boot quicker. If not managed by the Operating System or PerfectDisk, your computer could become unbootable if a file needed to boot the system is moved beyond the BIOS limit of your computer. This is a subset of the files listed in the layout.ini file (i.e. only those needed to boot the operating system).
Let PerfectDisk Manage all layout.ini files:
The file stores every file that is accessed from the moment you power up your computer to one minute after the desktop appears. By placing files on the disk in the exact order recorded in the layout.ini file, your machine boots faster. With all Windows versions starting with Windows XP through Windows 7, Microsoft includes a prefetch routine, which reads this file and loads the files in memory prior to them being needed. In this way, the operating system can access the files faster during boot up. If selected, PerfectDisk defragments and places all the files listed in the layout.ini file in order, starting at the beginning of your disk. This list contains all files loaded by Windows from the second you turn on your computer until about 1 minute after the desktop appears. This list not only contains the files needed to boot, but also the applications you routinely start after the system has booted.
Boot quicker and get to work...or play.
Many PerfectDisk users install the program, set up an automated schedule or auto defrag to run in the background, and almost never think about defrag again. They've made their slow PC fix and achieved faster PC speed, effortlessly.
And then there are those, of which there are many, that like to watch the map viewer, with all it's color and information about file location and drive layout. And then there's another set of users - those who want to dig deeper into the map -- to get an understanding of what files are where on their drives.
But there's also another reason to look into the colorful blocks, even beyond fixing slow PC problems. For Vista and Windows 7 users, Windows ability to shrink drives can be very powerful. But it doesn't always work according to plan, according to the Microsoft text book.
In order to shrink a drive, it's very likely that you'll need to clean your PC, either through duplicate file removal or the removal of other unnecessary files. And then, with PerfectDisk's free space consolidation, you're in good shape to shrink the drive.
But you can't easily remove those files to shrink your drive if you don't know where they are. The perfect solution would be to click on a block to gain a better understanding of the files and their usage. Then again, you may want to click on the bit map to see what's where.
A new block viewer to dig deeper....and beyond the colors.
On a scale of 1 to 10, it's an 11. Coming March 2010.
Related Posts:
Every month we receive hundreds of emails from gamers telling us how PerfectDisk has helped improve their PC game performance. Some of the most interesting are from those gamers that have never defragmented their computer - the boost to their games is usually huge. There are many guides and forums on the web that recommend to gamers that they defragment their drives. Shockingly, I concur with that advice -- defrag as one of the top slow PC solutions....:)
We recently had a Half Life 2 user with very large GCFs (Game Cache Files) that were so big the Windows defragmenter was struggling severely. Now, as you may know, space for GCFs is reserved and content subsequently downloaded to fill it. This process is intended to minimize fragmentation, which it may do initially. But they do fragment, and since they can be big, Half Life 2 players don’t like that. Many start off with the built-in Windows disk defragmenter; many then come to PerfectDisk, because it can better handle large files and better clear up free space.
You’ll also find that it’s important to defrag after you’ve installed Half Life 2 and updated all the files from Steam. The files are large, and by defragging with PerfectDisk you’ll reduce stuttering and load times. Just as WoW players do to improve WoW performance.
Complete disk defragmentation, including free space consolidation with PerfectDisk’s Space Restoration Technology, gives Half Lifers a better PC game performance.
A couple of weeks ago I looked at part of Computerworld's
Forecast 2010 Special Report. Today I'll look at another part of the report --
Supersized Servers and the message that "virtualization will hit a hot streak in 2010, and enterprises will order more systems fully loaded with maximum processing power, memory and I/O capabilities." In question after question in Computerworld's study, virtualization, and particularly server virtualization, came up big:
- #1 of Top 5 technologies most likely to be the target of spending increases in 2010: Servers
- #1 of Top 5 project priorities for 2010: Server upgrades, virtualization
- #1 of Top 5 most promising new technologies for respondents' industries or organizations: virtualization
- #1 of Top 5 technology areas for beta testing: virtualization.
While 2009 saw cutbacks or budgets on hold, 2010 is forecast to see an increase. Almost 65% of IT professionals polled indicated their organizations are likely to virtualize more servers this year. And the servers are going to be beefy, bigger and more powerful to handle more virtualization servers.
As organizations look to virtualizatoin to handle more, they also need to look at virtualization performance. And one key aspect of virtualization performance is defragmentation, including Hyper-V defrag and vSphere defrag. As important as we feel defrag has always been and continues to be for physical servers, it's as least as much with virtualization, as organization look to improve vSphere performance and Hyper-V performance. If all that power in those new servers is not allocated properly, much of it will be wasted. Only with a technology such as PerfectDisk's Virtual Awareness can the power of a busy virtual server be fully harnessed. Without virtual awareness, even the biggest and most powerful servers can waste a lot of resources, spinning its wheels, so to speak. Virtual awareness ensures perfect communication between the host and all its guests.
Maximize virtualization performance with enterprise defragmentation -- with virtualization smarts.
The entire Computerworld article, by Robert L. Mitchell, is
here.
The Greengate School is located in Huntsville, Alabama, educating and supporting bright children who have specific learning differences in reading, spelling or writing so that they may realize their full potential. With a dedicated teaching staff of 22, the school prides itself on superior attention to the needs of its student. You might think such a place is far from the PerfectDisk and disk defragmentation software worlds.
But the school has found that auto defrag is a boost to its desktops and server, which is used to manage user acccess to administrative, staff and student systems. Prior to using PerfectDisk on its server and PCs, defragmentation was performed using the Windows built-in defragger on an ad-hoc, as-necessary basis. The Greengate teachers use standard Office applications, as well as testing and assessment software, and shared applications that use proprietary databases.
Besides PerfectDisk’s optimization and free space consolidation, Greengate was drawn to PerfectDisk due to PerfectDisk’s central management and scheduling capabilities, all made easy through the PerfectDisk Enterprise Console. As John Allen, IT Volunteer at Greengate noted, “PerfectDisk’s central management and automation saves me an enormous amount of time every month. Defragmentation is now done much more thoroughly, but it’s also done completely automatically, meaning I barely have to think about it anymore.”
Auto defrag…and management….made easy.
With every new release of PerfectDisk, we're always working on performance improvements for a fast defrag, regardless of whatever other features we add. As files and drives get larger and larger, it's always a challenge. But we've always been able to point to some performance gains between versions. Some of these improvements have been more noticeable in particular environments (e.g. large drives, drives with limited free space) than othersbut they're always there to help with fast defragmentation.
This go around, we've made some fundamental changes to the analysis operation in PerfectDisk - it goes beyond a tweak here and a tweak there. I can throw out numbers of several hundred percent, but the truth is, when you defrag a computer, data like this always varies depending on the environment -- number of files, drive size, file size, etc. But I am very confident that just about everyone, if not everyone, will notice a significant change for the good in analyze time of PerfectDisk. Whether you'd doing a Windows 7 defrag or any other Windows environment.
In test after test, it's faster....no doubt.
On a scale of 1 to 10, it's an 11. Coming March 2010.
Related Posts:
Matt Genereux, IT Specialist for Freedom Reporting in Birmingham, Alabama, is not atypical when it comes to Microsoft Exchange and what is required to defrag Exchange database. In many cases, when the time comes, it's a lost weekend, fighting with the Eseutil utility to manually defragment and compact his company's Exchange data stores.
No more. Matt picked up a copy of PerfectDisk 10 Exchange and where before "I spent all weekend defragging Exchange, PerfectDisk Exchange has saved him several days already."
Now, to defrag Exchange is a "no brainer" for Matt....weekends reclaimed.
Sometimes we get so far down in the weeds of our disk defrag utility that it's easy to lose sight of what can be gained from a top disk defragment program. Today I wanted to touch on the success achieved via PerfectDisk's auto defrag and console management system by Vigilante Security, a Michigan-based alarm system company serving the residential and large industrial markets that uses PerfectDisk for its disk defragmentation and storage optimization needs. Vigilante services over 60,000 subscribers in 43 states.
Vigilante Security maintains 17 servers, 15 laptops and over 50 workstations, with employees working on a range of applications from Microsoft Office to Vigilante Security’s own proprietary alarm monitoring system. There are also dedicated CAD workstations and several PCs dedicated to remote access of Alarm control systems. The company also provides central station monitoring to other alarm dealers throughout the industry. Vigilante performs server defrag as well as desktop and laptop defrags with PerfectDisk.
Ron Ross, president of Vigilante Security, had this to say: “The ROI for PerfectDisk was quickly established, as we’ve saved a huge amount of time using the PerfectDisk Enterprise Console to administer the entire disk management operation from one location. Manual defragmentation with the Windows built-in defragmenter took too much time and also resulted in lost employee productivity while employees waited for defrag completion. PerfectDisk Server and PerfectDisk Professional have eliminated all those wasted resources, and the Enterprise Console allows us to manage the entire process effortlessly.”
Behind all the noise, real benefits.
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