defrag

A well-organized and easily implemented set of tweaking tools for XP offset XTweak's somewhat unappealing interface. The simple tab menu system ensures users will quickly find tweaks when needed.

Particularly helpful is the program's reminder corner that lists Registry and System backup needs. The corner adds a quick link to implement the needed function, though testers found the Registry backup slower than usual. Some testers were forced to end the XTweak process to regain control of their systems.

That problem aside, XTweak's tools are ripe for exploration. The tabs speak to the multitude of accessible and helpful … Read more

There were a lot of high-profile updates in 2008, and the line between traditional software downloads and Web applications blurred significantly. The browser especially has become, for some people, the only program they need.

There were several stand out new applications, though, and here are six of what I think are the best ones. They range from traditional Web browsers and browser hybrids to communication tools and utilities that should help you work faster and help maintain your system.

Google Chrome : The one application that probably going to be on everybody's Nice list this year, Google Chrome unexpectedly redefined … Read more

This utility offers a one-stop-shop for cleaning and maintaining your computer for better overall system performance. The interface is very simple, featuring only a few buttons, which makes it easy to get down to cleaning immediately (in fact, it automatically runs on start-up) and doesn't confuse you with multiple steps.

The Maintain Windows section focuses on four areas of maintenance: spyware removal, Registry cleaning, a privacy sweep, and deletion of junk files. The Diagnose System button provides system optimization tools, detects spyware, defragments your disk, and scans for hijacked Windows settings. In our tests the scan and clean for … Read more

Join your hard drive fragments together into a tight bunch with this freeware. Auslogics Disk Defrag's interface couldn't be any cleaner or easier to use.

Choose a hard drive from an easy-to-read pull-down menu, and Disk Defrag instantly displays the drive's size, and used and free space. The program even displays a pie graph for visual learners. One click starts the defragmentation process. The program's defrag process screen displays another handy visual. A sector map makes it easy to see how much of the drive is fragmented, allocated, or free. As the program churns away, the … Read more

It's hard to stand out in the crowded field of defraggers, but Smart Defrag is able to do so with an unexpected twist.

Along with quick analysis and scans, Smart Defrag boasts an automated defragger that continually defrags the files that you use the most, and does it without becoming a persistent drag on your system resources. When running in the background, the program only eats up 14MB of RAM, so it's possible to run it smoothly on older machines.

Other solid features include a scheduler you can set up to defrag whenever you want and some customization … Read more

Dara O'Rourke from Good Guide chats with Brian Cooley about how to determine what products are good and good for you.

Watch the show on CNET TV.

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YouTube Downloader will download and convert YouTube videos for you. Particularly for the Zune, is an IE plugin called Zunemytube.

Maximize DVD ripping by making a bit-for-bit copy of the DVD.

One of the remedies I often recommend for a sluggish system is to defrag the hard drive. For those unfamiliar with the term, defragging involves reorganizing your hard disk by placing files closer together so your operating system can find them more quickly. Your Windows operating system comes with a disk defrag utility of its own, but anyone who has ever used it knows it takes an unbearably long time to do the job. Fortunately there are excellent free defrag utilities you can download to make your system run better immediately.

One of my most recommended free defrag apps is … Read more

If you're already familiar with the excellent Auslogics Disk Defrag, a freeware application that logically rearranges file data and free space, you might be intrigued by Auslogics BoostSpeed. The all-in-one optimizing suite groups together an uninstaller, startup manager, file shredder, and more than 10 other tools to coax your operating system to top performance. Get a tour of BoostSpeed's easy quick-launching interface in the First Look video above and find out why it's an editor favorite.

>>See all First Look videos

An article from earlier today at Download.com about defragging the Windows paging file (Quick Fix: Put your paging file to work) needs some tweaking.

The article suggests that setting the page file Initial Size and Maximum Size to the same number will "avoid serious defragmentation". While this does avoid the paging file growing in size, the file can still be fragmented when it's initially allocated. So, if you're going to do this, you should defrag the hard disk first.

But, not allowing the page file to grow, is a questionable decision. If you make the … Read more