There are many serious misconceptions about fragmentation which, if believed, can lead to significant computer damage. Debunking these myths could save your system or network.
Fragmentation is one of the most serious problems that plague computers around the globe. It accounts for billions in lost revenue and production. It is also one of the leading causes of a wide range of common computer problems, system failures, and early hardware replacement. Why don’t users and IT departments take more action to protect themselves against fragmentation? The following defrag myths may explain why.
Myth: My system or network doesn’t have fragmentation. Wrong. It is estimated that there are over 700 million PCs actively-in-use in the world today, and every single one of them has fragmentation issues to one degree or another. The reason? Fragmentation is an unavoidable by-product of all Window’s-based operating systems. Thus your system or network is basically “born” with this defect from the beginning – a situation basically unknown to many users.
Myth: I already have defrag software already preinstalled in my operating system. This myth is, perhaps, more responsible than any other for the many misconceptions about defragmentation software. There IS a kind of defragmentation software that comes pre-installed with many operating systems - but it is a technological dinosaur. Don’t be misled: There is no comparison between the modern versions of this technology and what comes pre-installed. The best advice is to download a copy of a modern defrag software and see the differences for yourself (see below).
Myth: Defragmenting my network during work hours will causes disruptions in performance. This is a major and legitimate concern among IT professionals. Administrators cannot afford to take chances during the workday, and are often forced to work nights and weekends in order to do systems maintenance (like defragmentation). But choosing a high performance defragmenter that is specifically designed for networks will allow a systems administrator to defrag the system without affecting productivity. Companies such as Diskeeper (www.diskeeper.com) make highly advanced network defragmentation software which is completely transparent when running in the background.
Myth: I have to replace my computer due to slow performance. Not necessarily. Fragmentation is the scattering of data and files across the hard drive. As fragmentation builds up, pieces of data become increasingly scattered, and the read/write head takes longer and longer to write and retrieve data. This shows up as sluggish, slow performance, and eventually freeze-ups and systems failure. It is very possible, however, that a defrag of the system with a high quality defragmenter will restore your ailing system or network to maximum performance.
Myth: Using defrag software is a hassle. Another misconception stemming directly from the use of the pre-installed version. Unfortunately, it’s a lot like comparing a horse-and-buggy to a race car. The bundled version makes defragmentation a hassle because it is indeed S-L-O-W. It takes forever to do a not-very-good-job of defragmenting your drive or server. Modern defragmentation software is lightening fast by comparison and the best ones are so completely automatic that you can basically forget about them and not worry about fragmentation issues any longer once they’re installed.
Myth: Defrag software is expensive. The best companies have a full line-up of defragmentation products that one can choose from online. Whether you’re a home user, small business, government agency, or huge company with hundreds of servers and thousands of workstations, you can find a download to suit your needs and give the software a trial run. The cost savings could potentially be enormous. Research shows that the resultant increase in productivity, the reduction of down-time, and the increased longevity of hardware make the relatively low cost of defragmentation software insignificant by comparison.
Don’t let a myth prevent you from finding out whether your system is running at peak performance or not. The best recommendation is to talk with one of our technicians at Tech Experts - we'll help you understand your options for effective disk defragmentation.