Raxco PerfectDisk 8

The Bottom Line

Raxco PerfectDisk 8 is a must buy. The defragmentation software included with Windows XP and Windows Vista can not solve fragmentation issues nowhere nearly as well as PerfectDisk 8 can. PerfectDisk 8 is fast, thorough, easy to use and extremely effective.

If you suspect that your slow system is due to fragmentation issues (which is almost always at least partly the case) or if repeated use of other defragmentation programs aren't effective, give Raxco PerectDisk 8 a try. It's an inexpensive investment in your computer and it works.

UPDATE: See my review of Raxco's newest PerfectDisk version, PerfectDisk 10.
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Pros

* Extremely thorough defragmentation engine
* Complete defragmentation in a single run instead of multiple passes
* Defragments the page file and other system files
* Fast defragmenting all while using a minimum of system resources
* Easy scheduling of automatic system defrags

Cons

* Number of features might intimidate first time defragmenters

Description

* PerfectDisk 8 is Microsoft certified meaning that the defragmentation process is safe for your files and folders.
* "Command Center" application gives enterprise users a central point of management for defragmentation.
* PerfectDisk 8 uses Resource Saver technology to speed up defragmentation while using fewer resources than other programs.
* Complete file defragmentation in PerfectDisk 8 is performed in a single pass unlike other defragmentation programs.
* If it's time for a defrag, PerfectDisk 8 can be programmed to perform it while idle when the screen saver is running.
* While some defragmentation software requires 20% free disk space to run, PerfectDisk 8 only requires 5%.
* Get detailed statistics on the fragmentation status of all of your files on all of your hard drives.
* Unlike many competing programs, PerfectDisk 8 defragments directories, the page file and the hibernate file.
* PerfectDisk 8 runs on both Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Guide Review - Raxco PerfectDisk 8

Almost every single review of PerfectDisk 8 (and previous versions) you might find on the Internet is overwhelmingly positive. Users find that it's fast, easy to use and extremely effective. My experience has been no different.

PerfectDisk 8 has an intuitive, uncluttered interface that even novices should pick up on fast. Three vertical panes open as the default view. The left-hand pane contains a simple graphical menu enabling you to quickly analyze a drive, defragment an entire drive or a single file, or schedule an offline defragmentation of system files. The center pane contains a listing of your hard drives along with a graphical representation of the fragmentation status for the chosen drive. The right-hand pane contains easy, plain English help for every option available.

I have to say, defragmentation with PerfectDisk 8 is fast. It's much faster than many other defragmentation software packages I've tried. It doesn't hold my system hostage using nearly 100% of my CPU and all of my available RAM like other programs sometimes do. This, in and of itself, is a comparatively amazing feat in my opinion.

So does PerfectDisk 8 actually work? While I didn't use a benchmarking tool to test my PC's performance before and after defragmentation, I didn't really need to because the results were more than apparent. The PC I tested PerfectDisk 8 on booted nearly as fast as the last time I installed a fresh copy of Windows XP on the system! I would estimate that my start up time was cut in half. I also noticed that applications I used opened faster but the improvement was not as noticeable as it was with start up time.

While your particular system may not benefit as much as mine did, PerfectDisk 8 will certainly help. I highly recommend Raxco PerfectDisk 8!