Just a freindly reminder to everybody that you should be defragging your harddrive a minimum of once a month but perferrably once a week. Especially if you are like most of us and constantly downloading, installing, and removing programs. Here's a few tips.

1.Run error checking software prior to ensure everything is ok with your drive.(Might be a good time to run a full virus scan as well)

2. Get rid of the crap, run disk cleanup ( start-programs-accessories-system tools), as well as erase old e-mails, .txt files, .tmp files,you don't need anymore. Don't forget about any .bin's/iso's you've already burned too.

3.If you run win XP and are sure you system is stable in its current condition run system restore (start-programs-accessories-system tools) and create a restore point for today. Then run disk cleanup again and under the more options tab- clean up old system restore points.(this will erase all points except the most current)

4. You now want to diable as much software as possible before starting to ensure a complete defrag. This could include booting to safe Mode but most importantly you want to close all un-needed programs running in background. Disconnect/turn off your modem (if its cable/dsl always on type) then turn off firewall,real time virus scan and all programs in the systray. Turn off screen savers, and power management also.

5.Run your Defrag program (I personlly use Diskkeeper7) and don't touch until it's done .

[color=red:2b4e2a1cf2]Just like an oil change for your car- its simple but keeps your system running at its peak.[/color:2b4e2a1cf2]

Hope this is useful.

Yeah, I try and defrag mine at least once a week ;)


But I never knew about that number three thing about cleaning old restore points - thanks :)

Once a week

Once a week if I remember. I download a few things to add to my collection :) but I don't install too often.

[quote:b1a3706f81][i:b1a3706f81]Originally posted by popeye [/i:b1a3706f81]
[b]Once a week [/quote:b1a3706f81]

Yeah, I'm like Menace. I defrag about once a week. Ido alot of D/Ling but not alot of installing.

I defrag twice a week ;)

I download and install so many programs and after I uninstall.........:p

Twice a week is good for me

With Diskeeper

I have never done a defrag on either XP system , been running one as an upgrade from build 2526 RC2 right thru to devilsown Corporate with plenty of programs tried in between, I have not noticed much difference between this and a clean install.

Depends on how much installing, uninstalling, and downloading you do. At least once a week is a good idea.

Once a week, more if I do lots of installs/uninstalls etc.
However.....I was always under the impression that NTFS
never got fragmented.
From what I have seen in the last 6 months of running XP with NTFS partitions.....this is not true and I get just as much as win 98
on Fat 32.

Once, maybe twice a week.

When making and deleting images on my pc the hardrive gets fragged up to hell, runs like treacle!

smelly