Defragmentation tool gets central control

New version of Raxco's PerfectDisk defragmentation tool for Windows desktops and servers released

Raxco Software has introduced a new version of its PerfectDisk defragmentation tool for Windows desktops and servers. As well as optimising hard drives for performance, the tool puts network administrators in control of defrag settings and scheduling, and can report on problems developing on systems.

Available in the UK from this month, PerfectDisk 8 provides features not supported by Microsoft's Disk Defragmenter, according to Raxco, such as the ability to defrag NTFS metadata files and the Master File Table (MFT).

"Windows defrag doesn't move certain kinds of files and it doesn't optimise free space either. Consolidating free space is as important as de-fragging files, or else new files get splattered all over the place," said Raxco president and chief executive Robert Nolan.

Fragmentation is an inevitable side-effect of the way disk filing systems operate, but can lead to a drop in performance if action is not taken, because Windows has to look in numerous places on the disk surface to find blocks making up a single large file.

There is also no easy way to schedule or manage a Windows defrag session or get feedback on whether it failed, Nolan said. In contrast, Raxco's new Command Centre console enables IT departments to remotely deploy PerfectDisk, set the configuration and collect reports across tens of thousands of systems.

If a report highlights a problem, such as a PC hitting a certain level of fragmentation, an administrator can step in and remotely access the PerfectDisk client on that system, according to Nolan.

Administrators can create managed groups within PerfectDisk or set policies based on Active Directory groups. This allows different groups to have different schedules for defrag sessions.

Microsoft's defrag is also resource hungry and ties up the system when running, while PerfectDisk has processor and disk throttling controls that enable users to perform tasks while the defrag runs in the background.

The tool is also intelligent enough to refrain from running a defrag session on a laptop while it is running on battery power, Nolan said.

PerfectDisk 8 costs €39.99 (£27) per workstation or €249 (£170) per server licence, with discounts for volume purchases. The software supports Windows 2000, XP and Vista, with a 64bit version now being finalised.