Windows Defrag Alternative
If your PC is slow, one of the reasons can be a fragmented hard disk. Basically this means that the layout of the files on the hard disk is not optimal. Installation and uninstall of applications is a factor that contributes to fragmentation, as is file creation and deletion.
Even if you do not install a lot of applications and hardly create or remove documents, your disk will get fragmented. The reason is that even the operating system and many applications create and delete files. Think of temporary files, caching files, cookies, internet temp files, etc.
To speed up a PC with this problem, you can use the Windows defrag application. A defrag application rearranges the files and folders on a disk to optimize the use of the disk space as well as faster file reading. Sometimes it even helps if you run the Windows defrag application several times, especially if you have not run it for a long time.
But there are alternates to this Windows application. One of those is UltraDefrag. Select the download link on the UltraDefrag website to get the application.
After selecting the CPU type of your PC, you can download and install the appropriate version. This software is open source, which means it is free for non-commercial use.
Follow the Setup wizard to install the application and then execute the program. The Graphical User Interface makes the program very easy to use. Simply select the drive and click Analyze or Defrag to start. The program also has a boot time optimization, where you can specify the startup drive and even indicate the startup files to optimize.
Whichever defrag application you prefer, make sure to run a defragmentation program regularly to optimize your PC. The frequency depends on the type of use, but run it at least once a month to prevent your computer from becoming slow as a result of fragmentation.
Also check out the Auslogic Disk Defrag application if you are looking for a free alternative to the Windows defrag function. It has some very nice options, like cleaning the temp files before the defragmentation starts. You can also chose to move system file to the beginning of the disk, which will help improve the computer speed.
Rabbit – Diskeeper is indeed probably the best commercial defragmentation utility around. We also have good experiences with it, but it is not free.
If you don’t mind spending on a good tool, Diskeeper is a good investment.
Perfectdisk is another good one, maybe I’ll put up a review or a comparison of some defrag tools.
I had trouble running the Windows defragger over and over again. My MFT was also badly fragged. Downloaded the trial version of the latest Diskeeper, worked like a charm, upgraded to the full version now. The automatic feature wont hurt, it works nicely without me having to intervene.