Updates 3/29/12 - Auslogics Disk Defrag

While not a "security" program per se, we have mentioned this useful program here previously.   Seems to be a good/useful defrag program... and it's been updated twice recently:

Auslogics Disk Defrag Free 3.4.1.0 (3/29/2012)

improved stability
improved defragmentation speed
corrected a bug-catching subsystem
fixed all known bugs

http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/disk-defrag/download/

BE SURE TO UNCHECK ANY OFFERS FOR UNWANTED TOOLBARS and/or CHANGES TO YOUR HOMEPAGE!!!  (ASK :emotion-6: )

My suggestion is that you open to SETTINGS, PROGRAM SETTINGS, ALGORITHMS, and check the boxes for Delete Temporary Files Before Defragmenting, and Move System Files to the Beginning of the Disk [and click on OK].

By simply hitting the DEFRAG button, it will defrag the files [on the drives you've specified via an X next to them].   Files that are fragmented (pieces scattered all over the drive) will be defragged (copied over into an "open" area, so that each is written as one contiguous piece).   I like to run this option after each session on my computer.   By doing so frequently/regularly, the time involved (after the first defrag) is only a matter of seconds.

By clicking on the "down arrow" next to DEFRAG, you'll reveal an option to "Defrag and Optimize (slower, use once a week)".   The "Optimize" part tries to relocate all the files toward the "beginning" of the disk, where disk access is allegedly faster than at the "middle" [or "end"] of the disk.   That's the reason I suggested above that you check the box to Move System Files to the Beginning -- to get the Operating System to load as quickly as possible when you boot-up.   Again, the first time you run this, it may take a while.   But if done weekly (as suggested), each subsequent weekly run should only take a matter of minutes.

Granted, today's disks are so fast, one might question whether there's any noticeable difference in performance.   And unless a system is really badly fragmented (e.g., tons of programs loaded over years of use, having NEVER been defragged over that time), the difference indeed may be negligible.   Nonetheless, I enjoy the "psychological pleasure" of believing that having a file in one piece is preferable to it being scattered all over the place in hundreds of pieces .

Please note:   If you're using Windows 7 --- or any other system that may automatically turn-on its own built-in ("background") defragmenter --- you really don't want to run both, as each may use a different "optimization strategy".   In other words, each may UNdo the work the other one already did, "thinking" its approach is better.   This will result in longer runtimes for "competing" optimizations.