Software that rellocates files and makes HDD a lot faster.

[Rafael Mestdag]

I've discovered among all those "make Windows faster" Youtube videos, a software called "O&O Defrag" that has the ability to not only defrag your HDD but also to rellocate/move your files to determined places on the HDD where it makes it a lot faster.

Loading times have become at least 25% faster for me after using this program. If you have an HDD then you should definately try this one out.

If you do, let me know the results. Or if you know of some other program that does the same, let me know as well, please.

 

[13thmonkey]

For anyone else considering this, please take a full system backup first.

 

[rgd1101]

problem with that is every time you do a windows update. OS files is everywhere on the HDD again, so you will need to rerun this. I think the old norton speed disk? does that too.

 

[Rafael Mestdag]

problem with that is every time you do a windows update. OS files is everywhere on the HDD again, so you will need to rerun this. I think the old norton speed disk? does that too.

Actually you need this every time you download or copy and paste or cut and paste any file. Every time you move a file or download one, you need this. And in this case, it works. I've been doing it every 6 hours on my PC with Windows 7 Ultimate 64bits and so far, so good.

 

[rgd1101]

problem with that is every time you do a windows update. OS files is everywhere on the HDD again, so you will need to rerun this. I think the old norton speed disk? does that too.

Actually you need this every time you download or copy and paste or cut and paste any file. Every time you move a file or download one, you need this. And in this case, it works. I've been doing it every 6 hours on my PC with Windows 7 Ultimate 64bits and so far, so good.

Basically 6 hours every time you use your pc?
I think I will pass. spend some money and get a ssd.

 

[Rafael Mestdag]

problem with that is every time you do a windows update. OS files is everywhere on the HDD again, so you will need to rerun this. I think the old norton speed disk? does that too.

Actually you need this every time you download or copy and paste or cut and paste any file. Every time you move a file or download one, you need this. And in this case, it works. I've been doing it every 6 hours on my PC with Windows 7 Ultimate 64bits and so far, so good.

Basically 6 hours every time you use your pc?
I think I will pass. spend some money and get a ssd.

Actually I must be doing it about every 8-12 hours. And it's automatic, you can program it to do it.

 

[13thmonkey]

This was the whole point of short stroking HDDs, I.e. tiny OS partition at the start of the drive. That then forces all regularly used files to the fastest part of the drive. Then just defrag as normal.

 

[Rafael Mestdag]

This was the whole point of short stroking HDDs, I.e. tiny OS partition at the start of the drive. That then forces all regularly used files to the fastest part of the drive. Then just defrag as normal.

I've read about short stroking and I've tried it a couple of times, never succeeded though.
What's the simplest way of short stroking an HDD(with a few simple instructions please)?

 

[13thmonkey]

This was the whole point of short stroking HDDs, I.e. tiny OS partition at the start of the drive. That then forces all regularly used files to the fastest part of the drive. Then just defrag as normal.

I've read about short stroking and I've tried it a couple of times, never succeeded though.
What's the simplest way of short stroking an HDD(with a few simple instructions please)?

Create a tiny partition at the start of the drive, but normally you'd then leave the rest of the drive empty. Obviously you have to wipe the drive. Now a days not worth it.

 

[13thmonkey]

But running a program to reorganise your drive every 6 to 12 hours will probably impact overall performance more than you gain. Get a small ssd.

 

[Rafael Mestdag]

This was the whole point of short stroking HDDs, I.e. tiny OS partition at the start of the drive. That then forces all regularly used files to the fastest part of the drive. Then just defrag as normal.

I've read about short stroking and I've tried it a couple of times, never succeeded though.
What's the simplest way of short stroking an HDD(with a few simple instructions please)?

Create a tiny partition at the start of the drive, but normally you'd then leave the rest of the drive empty. Obviously you have to wipe the drive. Now a days not worth it.

Just to clarify a point: when you say 'create a partition at the start of the drive', does that mean I simply wipe out an HDD and then simply create a small partition on it? That's it?

Also, in this case, would I only get the extra performance benefit if I only used this little partition and left the rest of the HDD empty??

 

[13thmonkey]

yes that is what would happen, as if you access data on the rest of the drive you'll pull the heads away from that quick section.