BleepingComputer.com: Best Free Defragmenter, File Cleaner, Tune up etc, etc.

Hi people,
My PC is an AMD Athlon 2400+ with 1GB of RAM using XP Home Edition updated to SP3. I am very PC security conscious and like to keep my machine up to date and in good order. Security wise I have Comodo CIS and BoClean with SpywareBlaster as real time protection and use SAS, MBAM, A2 as on demand scanners for malware detection. I also have Avira Antivir installed but disabled in real time and to be used only as a back up AV until I am 100% about the Comodo one istalled as part of CIS. I also use AutoRuns to keep check of my Start up programs and Secunia PSI to keep my PC programs up to date.

Until now I have regularly used the Windows Defrag utility in System Tools when it tells me my machine needs it. I also use the System Tools Disc Cleanup Utility on at least a monthly basis to empty my Temp Internet files etc and usually empty the cache in my default web browser Firefox at the same time. I have IE7 installed but only for MS Updates.

Recently I came across a link to what I perceive to be a decent PC technical site called http://www.techsupportalert.com/ where I came across some interesting stuff. My questions are about the Defragmentation and file clean up tools recommended by them. For example will the tools mentioned there as best give me a better more thorough defrag / file clean than the onboard Windows ones and are there any other programs you would recommend?.

I wouldn't use any of these "free" defraggers...in my limited experience with some of these utilities, I've found them no better than the default defragger, and some actually worse. Remember, the default defragger is safe, and backed by Microsoft. The only step up from the default defragger would be something actually more powerful, faster, safe and with useful features like boot-time, simultaneous drive defrag etc. E.g.Diskeeper 2009 is a great utility and it's what I use for vista and xp. But it's not free, so that's the only "downside".

Thanks for the reply Speedbird76, it confirms more or less what I thought already. I will just keep on using the onboard supplied utilities.

I wouldn't trust Comodo too much as a realtime antivirus. I have CIS installed and up and running, but have found 3 malware entries on my PC yesterday with Malwareytes.

It would depend on what type of malware found surely. An AV will not stop tracking cookies for example that is why we use programs like SAS, MBAM, A2 etc. Personally I cannot praise Comodo high enough I have used their products for around 4-5yrs now and never had a single serious problem with them and in the next week when the improved version of CIS comes out it will be even better.

Using the Windows utilities on a scheduled and regular basis will be more than sufficient under normal computer usage. You may configure Firefox to clear out temp files, etc., upon each exit. The clean up sequence should be something like this: remove unneeded files and and save to disk those you want to keep (this is a good time to backup important files anyway), use Disk Cleanup, run Checkdisk (scandisk), then defragment your hard drive (s).

In case you must have a defragger, here's my list of free defraggers .

By the way, any opinions on TuneUp Utilities ?

I have been using this software for a while as registry cleaner, defragger and overall system tweaks.

All i can say so far - it haven't damaged my computer, this is a good start i think =)

karbo1, on Jan 12 2009, 04:07 PM, said:

Okay, but which one is the best?

I have been using Auslogic's defrag utility that I saw referenced here a while back, it is one of the defrag links provided by karbo1. Compared to the XP home defrag utility it is lightening fast and I have been running it for months without problem. Since my system resources are limited the speed of Auslogics makes a big difference on my machine. I do make mirror images of my internal drive using Acronis TI to an external HD on a regular basis and can restore the entire internal drive in a couple of hours so I do not have to sweat system problems near as much now. I have found the investment in an external HD and Acronis TI to be a very worthwhile. A 500 Gb external and Acronis TI was just a over a hundred bucks through NewEgg. If anyone knows of specific problems with Auslogics they have personally experienced I would appreciate them sharing their knowledge.
Thanks!