Michael said:
I would recommend getting JKDefrag. It has a command line version
which is ideal for running as a scheduled task.
The Windows XP built-in defragmenter defragments just the files; you
end up with defragmented files (they are individually contiguous on
disk) but they are spattered all over your disk.
JKDefrag (which is free, and nothing to do with me) defragments the
files, but also moves them as close as possible to location 0, which
is the fastest part of the disk.
After I'd run JKDefrag I though my applications were hanging when I
launched them, until I realised that the disk accesses involved were
almost silent because the files were all clustered together (no pun
intended).
But I would recommend using XP's Task Scheduler to simply schedule it to
run with the appropriate flags.
As for "because the files were all clustered together", that simply
creates more need for more defrags than is neccessary. Fragmentation
begins to happen within the first few writes to the disk, where as when
there are spaces between the file sets, the OS can more quickly find a
place to dop a file. Remember, the registry is being read and written
to constantly, so even if you don't create files, fragmentation is going
to start happening.
I never heard of JKDefrag but if it's any good it will have options for
putting things on the beginning, first, mid, last, and the end of the
sector lists. Else it's not much good if it only does what you
describe. In general, IMO, using a 3rd part app to do what XP can do
well natively is just adding more opportunity for problems and
corruption to occur both on disk and in memory and in the registry.
Perhaps you should research the registry and its use a little?
HTH
