I decided to perform more extensive tests with PerfectDisk8 on two working workstations:
1) Windows XP SP2 -32bit, 1GB RAM, 120HG IDE Hard Disk, Athlon XP 2400GHz.
2) Windows XP SP1 -64bit (version 2003), 1GB RAM, 80GB and 160GB SATA Hard Drives, Intel Pentium D 3.20GHz
Uninstalled Diskeeper v10 and rebooted each box before installing PerfectDisk v8.
RESOLUTION OF ISSUES AFTER INSTALLATION.On workstation 1, I had the issue the drives list were gone on Perfect Disk manager. This issue was solved. I had to re-register COM. This is performed using command
Start Menu | Run and using the command
regsvr32 ole32.dll (you may also open a MS-DOS Command Prompt, then type the command above). You can also download
Re-registerCOM.zip and run a script to perform this task. You may enter
Raxco support for details.
Workstation 2 was more tricky. I faced another issue: the boot defragmentation didn't work (previously I Analyzed the disks, and PerfectDisk suggested an offline defragmentation). I got errors about "driver conflict" issue and boot process continues normally, without executing the defragmentation. At
Raxco support, found many possible causes, but the only thing that match is I use Daemon Tools. I updated the SPTD driver (
click here) and after reboot, tried to schedule an offline defrag. After reboot, I just didn't see any error or message, just the normal Windows boot process.
I tried another approach, as suggested by
Raxco Support, I downloaded a tool (
click here or look at
support page) that fix the order of PDBoot (from Perfect Disk) at boot process. The fixer executed with no errors. Another reboot and nothing works. I re-schedule an offline defrag, reboot, but nothing. On the support page about "driver conflict" exists a "
BlockedFileList.exe", that appends to Windows Registry a list of files that PerfectDisk will block during the boot time defrag pass (I was a little tired of this issue). Another reboot and still nothing. Well, I decided to test the improved PerfectDisk defragmentation method. I selected the
C drive and hit
Analyze, now another problem I was unable to found at Raxco website: "
PerfectDisk could not start the analysis of drive c\: the system cannot find the file specified".
After this new problem, I decided to use the
Repair installation feature.
Control Panel | Add/Remove programs | Perfect Disk | Change.
As usual, the
Repair option was available.
After repaired, the
Analyze option was back to normal. I re-schedule an offline defragmentation at boot, and after reboot, finally :), it worked!
I was impressed with Metadata defragmentation. Diskeeper was unable to move a lot of fragments considered as "System Files", so I always looked a lot of this pieces of green lines on disk's map.
That was a problem I accepted. I started to get those extra "unmovable files" when using more NTFS Compression and Encryption.
The PerfectDisk map before, shows almost the same, a lot of fragmented metadata (I didn't pay attention to exact color, was black or dark gray, looking at legend, black are excluded, gray is metadata, but fragmented blocks are darker... I think this could be more clear). That was represented by a lot of dispersed "black" blocks on disk map, even after regular "Smart Placement" defragmentation.
After offline defragmentation, the disk's map was magically changed, no more dispersed blocks:
WHAT I LIKED FROM PERFECTDISK 8* The metadata defragmentation is impressive, that is one thing I wanted from Diskeeper.
* The
View file name from
NTFS's ID/number.
* Clean interface.
* The SmartPlacement method, seems more logical now.
WHAT I MISS FROM DISKEEPER* FragShield. This is useful to adjust the
MFT size to avoid defragmentation of MFT on
NTFS volumes.
* The I/O Sensor, useful when scheduled defragmentation, but if computer is in use, the sensor stop defragmentation. The I/O Sensor was replaced by a new technology after Diskeeper v10.
WHAT I'LL NOT MISS FROM DISKEEPER 2007Initially, the new "sensor" technology on Diskeeper 2007 looked ideal. A sensor detects when computer is IDLE and start a defragmentation in background, using almost no resources.
After few days, this new sensor makes me paranoic... "is this really working?" I mean, there is no notice of this new background method is working, not even an icon on
System Tray like previous versions. I have to start Diskeeper 2007 and look at the dashboard when this new technology is actually working.
After many days, I was not calm with this method, and with the fact of not being notified with an icon that in fact is working, and when.
I liked the SmartSchedule method, worked for me a lot. But now I think this new sensor is not the perfect solution, because I don't want my hard drives to be permanently working.
FINALLYWell, I'll continue testing more the PerfectDisk defragmentation on workstations. The server part will continue using Diskeeper v10 (not 2007) until I have zero issues with PerfectDisk. I can't stop production servers to solve extra issues.