Do Windows XP PC's require defrag?

[RRTRACKS via WindowsKB.com]

A few comments and questions related to this discussion follow.

My home computer network consists of three computers. Unless one of the
computers is being used it is turned off or put in sleep mode. However, every
Tuesday night before I retire all three computers if not running are started
for the purpose of running Windows Update, an internet security software
update and a full system virus scan.

Up until now I did not think about adding defrag to that process. Adding Disk
Clean Up to that process might be something to do as well.

My question here would be: Is running Windows Update and a full system virus
scan every week a bit too much for a home network? For me it is easier to do
it every Tuesday rather than remember what Tuesday. The remembering what
Tuesday usually results in a darn it, I forgot to do it the day after.

With an automated process, what would be the best sequence to put these tasks
in? Would adding Disk Clean up before running defrag to a task list for home
or other levels of use be a good idea?

Rich

 

[JS]

Well after 8 months a decided to bite the bullet and defrag the disk to see
if there was anything to be gained. The answer is no detectable difference
in boot or logon times, apps don't load noticeably faster.

JS

 

[Opinicus]

Well after 8 months a decided to bite the bullet and defrag the disk to
see if there was anything to be gained. The answer is no detectable
difference in boot or logon times, apps don't load noticeably faster.

That's been my experience too. I used to defrag the disk once a month or so
when the defrag utility said it was necessary but never saw any obvious
improvement in performance. Now I do it maybe twice a year at most, mainly
for the "cosmetic" benefits--such as they are.

 

[Lil' Dave]

Frodo did that in his subsequent post. That's the one I replied to, then,
you replied to me. Kinda difficult to follow when cuts are made, I know.
Dave

 

[Lil' Dave]

That's been my experience too. I used to defrag the disk once a month or
so when the defrag utility said it was necessary but never saw any obvious
improvement in performance. Now I do it maybe twice a year at most, mainly
for the "cosmetic" benefits--such as they are.

Do you have any appreciable idle time on the PC?

Do you ever turn your PC off?

How does doing a defragment of the windows partition cause a cosmetic
positive affect?
Dave

 

[Opinicus]

How does doing a defragment of the windows partition cause a cosmetic
positive affect?

All the bits of files scattered across the screen after the analysis get
packed into nice solid blocks. It looks neater that way.

Like I said: "cosmetic" benefits--such as they are.

 

[John]

All the bits of files scattered across the screen after the analysis get
packed into nice solid blocks. It looks neater that way.

Like I said: "cosmetic" benefits--such as they are.

It seems like Microsloth has "sabotaged" its own defrag programme.
Now even though the diplaay screen "looks neater", this may well
be a "White Lie" or even a "Black Lie". Other defrag programmes
show such a Microsloth Drefragged disk as being Heavily Fragmented !

Try such a program as "JK Defrag" (there are others)

http://www.kessels.com/JkDefrag/

No need to run this as a screen saver, or even every day as the
software manufacturer recommends, but it will benefit from
being run several ( 5 or 6 ) times, after you first install it.

I noticed a marked increase in speed, and a reduction in
Boot / Shutdown time. Particularly the infamously slow
"Add / Remove Programs" applet appears almost instantly,
in mine own case.

Have luck.

.......... John

 

[frodo]

From experience, the VERY FIRST defrag you ever do WILL make a difference,
usually a pretty big one. Once it's been done once it doesn't typically
get real bad ever again, so subsequent defrags don't make that much of a
performance diff. And w/ XP doing the boot-optimize defrag automatically
you get the benefits of periodic defrags w/o doing a thing.

I still like to do it tho, usually a few days after Black Tuesday, when
I'm sure the updates didn't break anything. Monthly defrags are more than
suffcient IMHO.

 

[John]

From experience, the VERY FIRST defrag you ever do WILL make a difference,
usually a pretty big one. Once it's been done once it doesn't typically
get real bad ever again, so subsequent defrags don't make that much of a
performance diff. And w/ XP doing the boot-optimize defrag automatically
you get the benefits of periodic defrags w/o doing a thing.

I still like to do it tho, usually a few days after Black Tuesday, when
I'm sure the updates didn't break anything. Monthly defrags are more than
suffcient IMHO.

Frodo, did you try the JK Defrag thaang ?
It does organise the files in a different
fashion to MS Defrag and IMHO much
more sensible.

............ John

 

[frodo]

Frodo, did you try the JK Defrag thaang ?
It does organise the files in a different
fashion to MS Defrag and IMHO much
more sensible.

So does PerfectDisk, I've used it for years, very happy with it.

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

Now even though the diplaay screen "looks neater", this may well
be a "White Lie" or even a "Black Lie". Other defrag programmes
show such a Microsloth Drefragged disk as being Heavily Fragmented !

The objective has changed from "defragmenting files" to "speeding
things up". The latter always was the implicit objective anyway; what
changed is an awareness that deragmenting files does not always result
in system speedup, even if these files are optimally placed.

The reason is that often only parts of large files are used, so it
makes more sense to move these parts to the front of the volume, even
if that fragments the large file. Moving the whole file means that
all files "after" it are further away, and thus slower.

This change in logic was applied in Win98, and with it goes the need
to monitor which parts of while files are used the most often. Win98+
built this data in %WinDir%\AppData I think it was, whereas XP has the
PreFetch (.PF) files to do the same thing.

Try such a program as "JK Defrag" (there are others)

http://www.kessels.com/JkDefrag/

It looks good, thanks! I'd use this especially on volumes other than
C: (or wherever your OS is), in case the OS's self-knowledge can make
it more effective as a defrag strategy planner.

I noticed a marked increase in speed, and a reduction in
Boot / Shutdown time. Particularly the infamously slow
"Add / Remove Programs" applet appears almost instantly,
in mine own case.

Neat, thanks!

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it to teach sand how to think."

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

From experience, the VERY FIRST defrag you ever do WILL make a difference,
usually a pretty big one. Once it's been done once it doesn't typically
get real bad ever again, so subsequent defrags don't make that much of a
performance diff.

I'd do a defrag after...
- uninstalling or deleting large material
- applying a service pack
- after a few days of use, so prefetch "knows" what to optimize
....and before...
- installing or copying in large material

A service pack may invalidate existing prefetch assumptions of what to
optimize, and defragging after a few days (so the new files become
"known" to be the ones to speed up) may pay off.

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