Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

New Products

The Sneaky Symptoms of the Fragmentation Disease

For some diseases, the symptoms are obvious. A kid has red spots and a fever: that would be the measles. Or is sneezing and sniffing like mad: that would be a cold. But for others, the symptoms might not be so obvious and it will take a specialist–or more likely an old experienced country doctor–to figure it out and prescribe the correct treatment.

Moving over into the field of computers, file fragmentation can be like that. Performance slows down–that’s a very clear indication that files on a drive have become fragmented and it’s taking the computer longer to access them. Simple. But there are other symptoms that might cause a system administrator or other IT personnel to implement all kinds of solutions that don’t solve the problem, because the real problem isn’t clearly indicated.

One not-so-obvious symptom is that workstations are slow after installing Windows Updates. While the immediate reaction might be to curse the update, possibly uninstall it and call Microsoft, you should have a look at the fragmentation level first–especially if it consistently happens. Much of the time such updates–as well as many third-party applications and updates–are severely fragmented after installation. Making sure a competent defragmentation solution is in place and running prior to installing updates will ensure that performance will not be affected by the installation itself.

Another symptom that might not point directly to file fragmentation is slow backups. The first instinct in such a case might be to suspect the backup solution, causing frantic calls to the solution’s tech support or other tweaking that never gets a result. Backing up a fragmented disk can take tremendously longer than one on which files are not fragmented, simply due to the extra I/O traffic required to access each and every fragment of every file–and files in hundreds or even thousands of fragments are not at all uncommon. So again, it’s a good idea to check fragmentation levels before chasing up other paths which may lead nowhere.

While defragmentation is the answer to such problems, it’s also a matter of the correct defragmentation technology. A good doctor stays current on the latest effective medicines and won’t prescribe last decade’s remedy when a better one is now available. Scheduled defragmentation is last decade’s remedy. Times at which defragmentation can be scheduled are quickly disappearing due to 24X7 operation, and due to today’s fragmentation rates, fragmentation is continuing to build and impact performance in between scheduled runs.

The totally modern remedy is a completely automatic solution, one that requires no scheduling and one which consistently, invisibly keeps fragmentation at bay. Since the only resources used are those which would otherwise be idle, there is never a negative performance impact from defragmentation. With a constant dose of the right medicine, computer systems are always healthy and symptom-free.

It’s just what the doctor ordered.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Latest Products

Burmester x Robbe & Berking Limited Edition BC150 Loudspeaker

Floorstanding Speakers

This handcrafted, limited special edition high-end sound system includes silver-plating and the fine woods of the luxurious oak Bar Trolley.

Arendal Sound 1528 Loudspeaker Series in Polar White Arendal Sound 1528 Loudspeaker Series in Polar White

Floorstanding Speakers

The best speakers from Arendal Sound have arrived, but their new flagship towers will set you back $9,500/pair USD.

Acoustic Energy AE Subwoofer in White and Black Acoustic Energy AE Subwoofer in White and Black

New Products

At $699, the Acoustic Energy AE Sub is 12-inch subwoofer packing 250-watts of power with low bass extension down to 26Hz.

Chord Company Clearway HDMI AOC Cable Chord Company Clearway HDMI AOC Cable

Audio Cables

At $160 to $500, this hybrid HDMI cable uses copper and optical to deliver 48 gbps of performance in long lengths up to 20...

Roksan Caspian 4G Integrated / Streaming Amplifiers Roksan Caspian 4G Integrated / Streaming Amplifiers

Integrated Amps & Stereo Receivers

The new Roksan Caspian 4G Integrated Amplifier arrives at $3,750, while the Caspian 4G Streaming Amplifier will set you back $5,000.

Cambridge Audio EXN100 Network Streamer and EXA100 Integrated Amplifier Front Angle Cambridge Audio EXN100 Network Streamer and EXA100 Integrated Amplifier Front Angle

Amplifiers

Cambridge Audio introduces the EXA100 stereo integrated amplifier for $2,199 and the EXN100 Network Music Streamer for $1,799.

Gift Ideas?

Amazon Prime Day Gift Guide 2024

Gift Guides

If you missed Amazon Prime Day there are still some of great deals on SVS 16-Ultra subwoofers, Roku Pro TVs and more.

You May Also Like

Advertisement

ecoustics is a hi-fi and music magazine offering product reviews, podcasts, news and advice for aspiring audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and headphone hipsters. Read more

Copyright © 1999-2024 ecoustics | Disclaimer: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.



SVS Bluesound PSB Speakers NAD Cambridge Audio Q Acoustics Denon Marantz Focal Naim Audio RSL Speakers