Defragment your system regularly!
Only defragmentation on a regular basis can ensure that you always get the best out of your system! For this, O&O Defrag offers you automated optimization and several options for scheduling a defragmentation
Recommended use defragmentation plan
| Recommendation for: | Manual defragmentation | Automatic optimization | Screen Saver jobs | Scheduled jobs |
| Game computer operating for hours | + + | + | ||
| Private Desktop PC | + | + + | + | |
| Workstation Desktop | + | + + | + | + |
| Workstation | + | + | + + | + |
| Notebook running on battery | + | |||
| Video cut, Harddisk Recording | + + | + | ||
| Server with large files (> 4 GB) | + | + + | ||
| Server with many files (> 1 Mio) |
+ | + + |
| + | Very Applicable |
| + + | Extremely applicable |
For constantly running gaming computers we recommend manual defragmentation. Only the gamer himself can decide when he can afford to lose system performance as a result of defragmentation. Alternatively, we recommend configuring the O&O ActivityMonitor so that an automatic optimization will not start while a game is running.
For a regular desktop PC, where mainly Internet or office applications are used, or even some games are played, we recommend keeping the default setup of O&O Defrag. Automatic optimization makes sure that your system is always running at its optimal performance level – without any effort on your part.
For office computers requiring average performance, the rule for for private desktop PCs should apply: We recommend keeping the default setup of O&O Defrag as it is.
With video editing or hard disk recording systems the data throughput of the disk subsystem plays a decisive role. In particular with hard disk recording systems, some unwanted failures might occur which can render an entire recording session useless. We recommend manual defragmentation of drives before and after a session. Please do not use automatic optimization. It could start analyzing your drives while you are working!
For Servers used heavily during the week or in daytime, we recommend a nightly job which runs an Optimize/Quick as well as a complete Optimize on the weekend.
Don’t wait too long before you defragment!
As soon as you’ve installed your operating system, the file system will begin to fragment. Avoid reduced performance right from the beginning and install O&O Defrag as quickly as possible! Only then can you be sure that your hard disks will access your files quickly. You will also avoid unnecessary wear and tear on your hardware due to increased movement of the read/write head.
Avoid moving large numbers of files during defragmentation
O&O Defrag will calculate the best position for your files before and during the defragmentation. If you copy, move or delete files, these calculations will have to be carried out again. This will take time and lengthen the defragmentation time.
Automatic defragmentation with the threshold tool
Besides the default automated optimization in the background, O&O Defrag offers you the possibility to run job based defragmentation at fixed times. You can shorten the duration of a defragmentation by specifying a border value for its execution. This means that defragmentation will only take place when a particular degree of fragmentation is reached. You can thereby avoid unnecessary defragmentation runs. In the job dialogue under Drives, just enter a degree of fragmentation, e.g., 5%, upon which the job should be run.
O&O Defrag on notebooks
The Power Management enables you to prevent defragmentation if your notebook is running on battery power. The length of your battery’s life will therefore not be affected and you won’t have to stop the defragmentation manually. O&O Defrag recognizes the switch between main and battery power and will run the defragmentation according to your own configuration. You can read more about this in the section Settings.
Which defragmentation method for which type of system?
Below, you will find several pieces of advice concerning which method is best for your system. Search for the relevant tip and use this to determine the best defragmentation method for you!
| Methods, which include zones | Methods without zones | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optimize | Optimize/Quick | Optimize/Complete | Space | Stealth | Complete/-Methods | |
| Defragmentation of files | + + | + + | + + | + + | + | + + |
| Defragmenting the free space | + + | + + | + + | + + | ||
| Prevention of further fragmentation | + + | + | + + | + | + | |
| Results of high-level fragmentation* | + + | + | + + | + | ||
| Suitability for very large files (> 4 GB) |
+ | + | + | + | ||
| Suitability for many files (> 1 M) |
+ | + + | + | + + | ||
| Run time of first defragmentation** | + | + | + + | |||
| Run time of repeated defragmentation | + + | + + | + | + + | ||
| Required RAM | + | + + | + | + + | ||
| CPU Load | + | + + | + | + + | ||
| + | Very Applicable (with runtime: quick) |
| + + | Extremely Applicable (with runtime: very quick) |
Continue working undisturbed while defragmenting
Particularly in the case of workstations or servers that are under pressure all the time, it is important that defragmentation take place in the background without negatively affecting the day-to-day running of the system. In such situations, we recommend you use O&O ActivityMonitor for keeping an eye on the resource usage and automatically adjusting the burden placed on your system by O&O Defrag.
O&O Defrag and Firewalls
At the start of O&O Defrag, my firewall notifies me of an attempted access. I receive the error "10061". Why does this happen and and how can I solve the problem?
The communication of the individual O&O Defrag program components (O&O Defrag Agent and user interface) is based on TCP/IP. This communication only runs inside your computer - without any access to the Internet or the network. Most firewalls, however, are programmed to recognize internal IP communication, so you receive a warning message.
You don't have to turn off your firewall! Simply open up port 50300. Since O&O Defrag automatically checks access permissions, there can be no external access over this port even if you are connected to the internet.
In most cases, it is enough to authorize O&O Defrag for exclusively internal communication when the software is started for the first time.
If this did not happen, however, including the files OODAG.EXE and OODCNT.EXE on your firewall’s list of trusted programs has also proven successful with all of the firewalls we have tested.
Please consult your firewall’s documentation for precise configuration procedures.
Note: If you have configured your firewall accordingly and are still receiving Error Message “10061”, please verify that the services "O&O Defrag" and "Event Viewing" are enabled. If this is not the case, please enable these services.
Does optimization of SSD drives function in a RAID array?
No. RAID controllers are presented as a virtual drive to the operating system. The actual drives are hidden and cannot be approached technically.