Server platforms Toolkit

Network defrags a snap with Winternal

Brien M Posey Tech Republic

Published: 10 Oct 2002 16:06 BST

Defragmenting a Windows system is an essential part of keeping a system running smoothly and efficiently. However, defragmentation is sometimes easy to forget about, especially if you rely on end users to do it. But you can make sure your systems are defragged regularly with Defrag Manager from Winternals Software. Defrag Manager is a schedule-based utility that allows you to defragment servers and workstations across your enterprise with very little effort.

Installing the software
Like most other applications, the installation process begins by running the Setup.exe file included on the installation CD. The installation program asks you a couple of basic questions, such as where you want the software installed. When you complete the installation process (which took me less than a minute), you can run the Defrag Manager by going to Start | Programs | Defrag Manager.

When you run it for the first time, the software assumes that you are running a 30-day trial edition unless you paste in a license key that Winternals Software e-mails to you when you purchase the full version.

Running Defrag Manager
You must initially set up a defragmentation schedule. You can create multiple schedules based on your organisation's individual needs and then link the appropriate computers to each schedule. For example, if your production staff has a two-hour meeting at 9:00 every Monday morning, you might set up a schedule that defragments those PCs at 9:00 A.M.

To set up a schedule, right-click on the Schedules container in the Defrag Manager console and select New Schedules from the resulting menu. The New Schedule Wizard will then appear. The first screen allows you to specify a schedule name and description. You must then click Modify to open the task scheduler and establish the dates and times. This initial screen also contains a check box that allows you to enable or disable the schedule. You must also provide a username and password for the account that will be used to perform the defragmentation. You can see an example of the completed screen, shown in Figure A.

Figure A

The New Schedule Wizard allows you to create a defragmentation schedule.

The next screen that you'll see allows you to control things like the defragmentation process' priority and the administrative share point. Normally, you won't have to address with anything on this screen. The one exception though is the Stop Defrag After check box, which allows you to abort a defragmentation after a specific amount of time. For example, I mentioned a regular Monday morning staff meeting that lasted for two hours. In such a case, it might be wise to ensure that the defragmentation wasn't running when people returned from the meeting. So you might set up Defrag Manager to run at 9:00 A.M., but to abort two hours later if it wasn't complete.