PC PRIMER # 643
By R.L. Creighton
Copyright 2005
Most of us
using computers have developed an inexhaustible list of excuses that we use
regarding our ignoring the need to perform backups. Many of us have been able to get away with it
so far but I am issuing a friendly reminder… Do your backup
soon and often or you will pay the price. Trust me on this point.
There is
another matter that requires your immediate and frequent attention. How often
do you defragment your hard drive? There
is a fairly adequate defragging utility built into The Microsoft operating
systems, but there is a standalone third party utility that is far and away
superior. More about Executive Software’s “Diskeeper 9”shortly.
Fragmentation
happens to a series of files on a hard drive as a naturally occurring event in
the recording of data as we use the computer. When you move from one program to
another, the files are stored in a continual strip of available disk space.
Files therefore become fragmented as we flit around our program list. A few
bits here, a few bits there, and pretty soon a file is scattered all over the
place. This does not present a problem until you try to compile a document from
the fragmented storage of all its parts. This is a major contributor to what is
slowing down your computer.
Your data
is fragmented, and for speed and efficiency it needs to be de-fragmented.
Defragmentation places all elements of individual files in a contiguous storage
making it easier and faster to assemble. Now that we have larger and larger drives on
all our computers, it becomes more important to defragment more frequently. It
is not out of the question, and actually recommended that this
cleaning/organizing process be done on a daily basis.
Executive
Software www.executive.com has recently
released version 9 of its “Diskeeper” software.
I have been using each version they have released for the last five
years, and let me tell you this. “There
is no better disk defragmenting program on the market today”. I have given away
more than a hundred copies on my weekly radio show, and in person. I have never repeat, never had an individual
call and complain about the product. No
complaints in five years and most contacts have reported “Diskeeper did the
defrag that Microsoft could not complete. Thanks” I hear that almost every
week, and this new product is better than any of the previous versions.
If
Executive Software did not send me this version to test, I would have gone out and
purchased it. It is that good, I
promise. See for yourself, go to www.executive.com and download a trial
version. However I warn you. When the trial version expires, you are going to
want to buy this one. Trust me. You will not regret getting “Diskeeper 9” from
Executive software.
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