Defrag Software

[frankla 44]

Certain system files can't be defragged while the system is in use, the swap file (pagefile.sys) being one of them, and the master file table (MFT) being another. To change their structure while the operating system is running -- which is what happens when they are defragged -- would wreck the operating system.Therefore to defrag them a free-standing utility program must be used. Many defraggers will let you say "The next time I reboot I want you to defrag those system files. By the way, I want you to reboot right now." The offline utility would get control at boot time, do its thing, and then boot the operating system.If I've not explained things well enough, kindly say so and I'll take another run at it.

Thanks..clear enough. Speaking of Back up; What folders of FSX do you back up if you have installed UTX, GEX and REX? What do people back up anyway? Also would a descent size flash drive be enough for FSX related back up?

[SpiritFlyer 987]

I have O&O 12 and defrag weekly with the Complete/Name option but I don't think it moves FSX to the beginning like Ultimate Defrag did. I had to switch because of installing Windows 7. Is there another setting I should use to accomplish that?Stephen

[Guest zzmikezz]

Thanks..clear enough. Speaking of Back up; What folders of FSX do you back up if you have installed UTX, GEX and REX? What do people back up anyway? Also would a descent size flash drive be enough for FSX related back up?

I don't do things that way on my flight computer. Instead I backup only the addon download files and registration keys. Then, if something bad happens I simply rebuild the FS installation on my flight computer. However, on my development system I do the following ...There is a very nice payware utility called Acronis Home that will image a drive for you and restore it to the identical bit patterns it had when you did the backup. The image file can be compressed to some extent but really the image file should be sent to a backup device that's of comparable size. In the case of my development computer I backup the C drive to the D drive, which is a physically separate drive and not just a D partition on the same drive. This allows for quick restoration regardless of the reasons for the restore, which are usually either operator error or viruses/spyware. However, on general principles I also send the C drive backup image across my LAN to another computer, in case the D drive dies for some reason.A couple of weeks ago I bought Acronis 2010 Home, which is an enhanced version of the previous product, this one including a feature to allow restores to drives that are dissimilar to the drives on which the image files are made. However, I can't give an opinion about this version because I haven't run it yet.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAs we used to say in the 60s, different strokes for different folks. I personally go to great lengths to avoid losing photography files, development project files, data files, and payware/freeware files. As part of that overall picture I spend more money on infrastructure hardware and system utilities than I do on newer/faster computers. You may well have a different set of priorities, but you should at least think about your game plan and review it periodically. (And if you don't have a game plan, you should make one. Remember, it's not "if something happens", it's "when".)What do I mean by hardware infrastructure? Well, things like series-connected heavy duty surge-suppressing power strips, heavy duty uninterruptible power supplies, spending for the electricity/fans/AC required to keep the home office room cool, blah blah blah. These are all the result of bitter experience with dirty power, lightning strikes, overtemping graphics cards, you name it.But that's just me. I can't say what's right for you, only what's right for me.

[Guest zzmikezz]

I have O&O 12 and defrag weekly with the Complete/Name option but I don't think it moves FSX to the beginning like Ultimate Defrag did. I had to switch because of installing Windows 7. Is there another setting I should use to accomplish that?Stephen

O&O will not move FSX to the outer tracks. Neither will PerfectDisk, and offhand I don't know of any other defragger that will except possibly the freeware one that Jim Skorna mentioned. However ...Experiments from three years ago showed me that moving FS to the outer tracks had no measurable effect on performance. Having a maximum size swap file that's been defragged is probably more important though I didn't measure for this.