The PERFECT Defrag

[schitzn]

The truth is out there, but heres my theory to optimum PC Disk performance:

[STAGE A]
1. CHKDSK /F your disk, set yes at next boot
2. NTRegOpt.exe your Windows Registry
3. Reboot

[STAGE B]
1. Offline Scan (Boot Scan)
2. Reboot

[STAGE C]
1. Online Scan (Windows Scan)




I haven't discovered any software that aligns perfectly yet, each have their own flaws. But this is my concept of perfect alignment, from Front to rear of disk.

1. Prefetch Files
Shove this sucker at the fastest part of the disk, the front. When I hit power on, I dont want to wait to be asked where do I want to go today.

2. Regular Files (up to 2/3)
These files are deemed regularly read/written, put these in the next fastest part of the disk. JKDefrag's strategy works well here. PerfectDisk aligns by Modified date, meaning less accessed files are put in the faster zone, JKDefrag operates vice versa, which I feel is better. Notice only 2/3 of the regular files are placed here.

3. Directories
At 2/3 of Regular files, put the directories, align it to the backend of the Metadata (which can't be moved online). This gives shorter diskhead movement to read a file in front/rear of this sector after recursing a directory name.

4. MetaData
This is never moved, only during a offline defrag (boot). This stores the NTFS filesystem crap such as USN Journals and other one minute wonder MS ideas. Again, these are regularly accessed by the File access API and should be positioned in a manner similar to directories.

5. MFT
Same as MetaData idea.

6. PageFile
Diskdrive RAM, and a large chunk of it at that. Positioning this here gives it relatively good speed of the disk without sacrificing the entire fastest part of the drive.

7. Regular Files (last 1/3)
Same as #2, put only 1/3 of the files here, this allows it room to grow or shrink and not have impact on the positioning of the offline files at #3-6.

8. Freespace Gap
This should be set to say 5% of the diskspace. If 5% is not available, then put all freespace here.

9. Space Hogs
Just as Jeroen knows, these less accessed and chunkier files can benefit from the less speedier part of the disk.

10. Freespace
Chuck any freespace left over from #8 here.

11. Hibernation File
Align this to the rear of the drive. This file does not change in size unless you increase/decrease your RAM. Its only used to write when shutting down and read when booting up.


What's out there now:

PerfectDisk:
Does good job, a bit slower than JKDefrag, does complete Offline Scan, but Online scan aligns by putting less accessed files at fastest part of disk, and most modified files at rear slow part of the disk.

JKDefrag:
Super Fast, Super Cool, but lacks Offline scans and Prefetch sort.


Fortunately JKDefrag and PerfectDisk combined provide for a partial fix, Offline scanning with PerfectDisk, then JKDefrag to Online Scan without prefetch alignment.

Anyone else out there want to share their views?

[nsalta]

Don't forget the people that use Hibernation a lot want this process to be as fast as possible so it may be a good ideia to put the hiber file in a fast area of the disk rather than the rear area.

[GippleDocks]

Jeroen has said in other threads that he plans a scripting option in v4 that would give control of file placement to each of us.  I think that is his way to satisfy the many and varied requests for specific file placement strategies.  On the other hand boot-time defraging in JKDefrag may be beyond the limits of even Jeroen's considerable generosity.

[jeroen]

heres my theory to optimum PC Disk performance:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I appreciate it! A few remarks.

- Your scheme involves 2 reboots. That is fine for involved users that run the defragger by hand at a moment of their choosing, but the vast majority of computerusers want a fully automatic defragger running quietly in the background without bothering them in their work. Also think of servers. I'm sorry, but rebooting is a no-no.

- Placement of files depends on the usage of the computer. An extreme example is a database server. The database files are the most important and most used and must be placed at the beginning of the disk, while the "prefetch" files are totally unimportant and can be treated like spacehogs. What I am trying to say is that there is no "one size fits all" sorting scheme. It depends on how the computer is used.

- In 'stage a" you might want to include a step to delete junk with one of the many cleanup programs that are available.

- I think "stage b" and "stage c" should be swapped. The online scan can then make room for particular system files (for example the MFT), and the offline scan will take less time.