Disk Defragmentation and File Archiving

• Lecture 3 covers disk defragmentation, its necessity and tools, along with file archives and archivators, specifically WinRAR

Disk Defragmentation

• Computers often store parts of files in different locations on a physical disk, called fragmentation
• Fragmentation slows down system performance as the system needs to access multiple locations to read a single file.
• Disk defragmentation involves unifying fragmented files by writing them contiguously on the physical disk.
• The process includes defragmenting free space, consolidating small free spaces between files to increase available contiguous space.
• Defragmentation enhances the speed of the operating system and improves data recovery efficiency, resulting in better overall computer performance.

Benefits of Defragmentation

• Improves slow speeds and freezing issues.
• Reduces computer startup time.

Fragmentation Over Time

• Files can become fragmented over time, so disk defragmentation addresses that.
• Fragmentation occurs due to adding, deleting, increasing and decreasing files.
• Regular defragmentation is needed to maintain the computer's optimal performance.

Defragmentation tools

• Many defragmentation programs are available like- Smart Defrag, O&O Defrag Free Edition, Defraggler, Wise Care 365, UltraDefrag and Windows Built-In Disk Defragmenter.

Smart Defrag

• Smart Defrag is designed to improve computer operation and hard drive optimization.
• Improves program loading speed.
• Faster computer startup through boot file defragmentation.
• Optimization of multithreaded programs for speed and stability.
• Real-time physical disk monitoring: temperature, read/write speed, etc.
• Allows defragmentation of large files.

O&O Defrag Free Edition

• The O&O Defrag Free Edition is for optimizing SSD and HDD hard drives.
• Supported on the Windows platform.
• Accelerates computer operation at boot time and in general use.
• Finds and removes unnecessary files.
• Features a fragmentation filter that identifies the most fragmented file on the drive.
• Easy to use.
• Shows the optimization results of defragmentation activities.

Defraggler

• Defraggler accelerates computers through defragmentation.
• Disk space organization is possible.
• It cleans the computer of unnecessary files and folders.
• It is possible to schedule defragmentation.
• Compact and easy to use.
• The user can see both empty and used disk blocks that need defragmentation.
• Supports 43+ languages.

Wise Care 365

• Wise Care 365 is a system optimization tool, capable of cleaning unnecessary and Registry files.
• Allows the creation of Registry backups.
• Able to prevent the automatic addition of new apps on Windows startup.
• Enables drive scanning to free them.
• Removes corrupted files.

UltraDefrag

• Software for optimizing hard drives to improve application performance.
• A top defragmentation program for Windows 10 that uses a graphical interface.
• It does defragmentation of files and disk space.
• It has the ability to merge one folder in files.
• It provides the ability to enable the computer faster.
• Intuitive user interface.

Windows Defragment and Optimize Drive

• Built-in disk defragmentation program in Windows.
• Increases data access speed.
• Reduces the time of reading data from disk.
• It can reduce operating system boot time.
• An easy to use interface.
• It is possible to defragment USB-drives, SD-cards for both HDD and SSD hard drives.

Smart Defrag 9.1

• Example of a defragmentation program.
• Web site link.
• Five tab layout: Speed up, Driver Updater, Antivirus, Must-have Tools, Store.

Smart Defrag - Must-Have Tools

• In must-have tools in the lower left, activate smart defrag and specify the version.
• The free version only defragments and monitors the HDD, while other options are paid.

Disk Defrag Tab

• After installing the program the main window has four tabs.
• Disk Defrag tab allows to defrag drives and apps.

Disk Health

• Each disc has a button on the top right to open Disc Health.
• Which displays disc data.

Bottom Disc Area

• In the bottom of each drive, activation of the appropriate function.
• Auto defrag performs defrag procedures automatically according to set parameters.
• Boot Time Defrag: Improves system performance.

Disk Cleanup

• Removes unnecessary files like log.
• Below HDD there is a menu to select "Smart defrag" etc.

HDD Options

• "Analyze" will find the appropriate defragmentation procedure.
• "Speed defrag."
• A "defrag and optimize option", this option not only defragments, but also optimizes the structure
• "Large file defrag" to defrag large files that usually do not get defragmented.

SSD Options

• The "trim" option.
• Used for the purpose for acceleration.
• Menu Options: analysis, perform additional optimizing.

Last Tab

• Windows apps may be selected for defrag.
• User can also load "files and folders".

Boot Time Defrag options

• Boot Time Defrag runs when the computer is booting to maximize the performance of their system.

Defragment specified files

• Defragment page files and hibernation files.
• Defragment MFT.
• Defragment registry files.

Boot Time Defrag Note

• The PRO version can clean registers.
• Disk defragmentation is not needed for SSDs.
• SSDs will not be supported in the Boot Time Defrag.

Game Optimize Tab

• Game Optimize allows the user to optimize their computers for increased performance during gaming.

Smart Defrag scans and lists the games

• A user selects the game and hits "optimize" which optimizes their computer.
• A "+" icon allows for adding games not automatically detected.

Action Center Tab

• Lays out software from the company IObit which is good for computers.
• Often provides exclusive special offers for the software.

Settings Menu

• There is a "settings" menu on the top left.

Basic Options

• Here are some of the basic options in the settings menu: the language, the "Log report", the "Disk health", and turning on updates, etc.

General Settings Options

• There is "minimise to systray", and "enable notifications from" systray.

Defrag Options

• Enable smart defrag, replace older drives, stop VSS on NTFS volumes etc.

Auto Analyze Options

• User can make analysis start at system Idle and after long times of waiting.

Auto Defrag settings

• Make auto defrag begin with a delay after the system is started.

Scheduled Defrag Options

• User can turn it on, select the day of the week, and the starting time.

Boot time Defrag Specific Options

• Which files and options have to defragment on boot.

Disk Cleanup Options

• User can select which files that have to be removed, and there exist settings for security.

Exclude List Options

• All of the files and folders on this list won't be defragmented.

Auto Update settings

• Auto Update or to be informed after upgrade.

User Interface settings

• For example, how transparent the tool has to be.

File Archives & Archivators

• Files are called "files", archives are similar to a "file folder".
• Archiving compresses the space that files take up on a computer.
• The processes are important if the user wants to send the file to storage.
• Some archives have error control, documentation, etc.

WinRAR

• WinRAR is a powerful tool for managing file archives, including compression and decompression.
• Compresses files then makes them significantly smaller and grouped many files into one.
• It frees space on hard drives.
• It has key commands on the top of the tool.

Top Bar Menu item "File"

• Top of window, first option - "file."

Important Tasks

• Some important tasks are: to inspect a drive, to back up the drive etc.

Defragger Note

• Also allows user to set passcodes on drive.