defrag

A clean, tabbed layout makes Registry Booster easy to use, and its Registry-centric features keep it focused and in fighting trim. The trial version comes burdened by some tight restrictions that will make it hard for average users to evaluate, but the program does a surprisingly good job of showing you precisely what would be fixed.

Annoyingly, after the program installs, if you choose to launch it immediately it will go directly into a scan without asking for user approval. Depending on your system resources and what other programs you have open, this could lead to a temporary but dramatic … Read more

Advanced System Optimizer 3 gives people a comprehensive suite of utilities fronted by an interface that showcases an excellent use of color-coded icons, making banal system tasks easy to complete--if not exciting. However, its restrictive trial could prevent some people from fully exploring the program.

The program attempts to be all things to all people, and includes tools that can be split into three categories: maintenance, security, and backup. Advanced System Optimizer focuses on the maintenance side of things, and includes a Registry optimizer and cleaner, a disk defragmenter, a disk repair utility that claims to fix errors before drive … Read more

Quicksys RegDefrag might be the prettiest back-end utility we have ever come across. The Web 2.0-esque design almost makes us want to take back stars from other Registry defraggers.

An Options menu lets you manage several settings, including checking for updates automatically, adding RegDefrag actions to context menus, and managing system and Registry backups. You can also choose from one of 17 languages, including Magyar, Arabic, and two that wouldn't even show up on our screen. This program does two things: displays your Registry information and defrags. The program performed without a hitch for us, although it did … Read more

Ugly and hardworking, JkDefrag is a program that only a developer or expert user could love. The application performs its single function: to defragment and optimize any disk. The interface uses the same color language as standard defrag utilities to represent clusters, but any attempt at visual nicety ends there. Instead, the progress screen of JkDefrag most resembles an 8-bit 8086 display error.

The JkDefrag download is a ZIP file containing three methods of accessing the same function: the Windows version we used, a command-line .exe, and a screensaver .exe. You can set a few options for the screensaver tool, … Read more

This program analyzes and defragments you computer in a very short amount of time. It even goes further to let you manually place files in high performing areas of your hard drive. Unfortunately, it uses a very unattractive user interface to accomplish all of these tasks.

We were a little put off at first by UltimateDefrag 2008 because we had to run it as an Administrator to access it. Otherwise, it produced an error. The program opens with a garishly designed interface that is busy and hard on the eyes. The multiple colors used also make it difficult to navigate. … Read more

The Defraggler helps computer users who feel their system is running too slow. This simple program performs a complicated task that streamlines your PC's thought processes, but be prepared for a wait.

This free unlimited download attempts to bring order to your scattered RAM. When a file is created, portions of the item are spread into free spaces throughout the hard drive. As more files accumulate the computer has to work harder to piece together the puzzle that has become your specific file. This results in a slow computer. Defragmenting seeks out all these matching pieces and lines them … Read more

Instead of having to remember to defrag disks, Ashampoo Magical Defrag will keep up with the task with little intervention on your part. It may not be magical, but it is a practical approach to a job that needs to get done but often gets forgotten.

The user interface is pretty basic, but the straightforward design makes it easy to navigate. Settings options allow you select the hard disk(s) that you want to include in the defragmenting process. Once you click the Defragment Now button, setup is pretty much finished. Ashampoo Magical Defrag goes to work when your computer … Read more

IOBit's Smart Defrag is one of the best utilities out there, offering several levels of defragging, an auto-run option, and a scheduler in a freeware package. It doesn't hurt that it's fast and effective, either.

Small, light on its feet, and extremely good at what it does, Smart Defrag has become our go-to defragger. Watch this First Look video and see if it's the defragger you've been looking for, too.

Advanced Vista Optimizer consolidates into one dashboard numerous system-tweaking and configuration tools, from the basic to the advanced. The features cover the bases, including disk and Registry defragging, program prefetching and the proprietary Superfetching, start-up and shutdown tweaks, optimization adjustments for performance, memory, and hardware, an uninstaller, and a file splitter and joiner.

Designed to resemble Vista's Windows Explorer layout, the interface makes clever use of a breadcrumb trail at the top to make it easier to navigate back to any previously-visited level. Below the breadcrumb bar, the main window has been split into two levels. The top pane … Read more