DiskTune

DiskTune
Screenshot of DiskTune
Developer(s)	DIY DataRecovery.nl
Stable release	1.1.31 (April 6, 2009 (2009-04-06)) [±]
Operating system	Windows
Type	Defragmentation
License	Freeware
Website	Official website

DiskTune was a freeware defragmentation program for Windows XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008, and 7 (both 32-bit and 64-bit). It supports FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS file systems.^[1]

As common with other defragmentation programs, DiskTune uses the Windows defrag API.^[2] DiskTune is capable of moving the Master File Table (MFT) while the file system is mounted. DiskTune provides boot and application launch optimization utilizing the Windows layout.ini (see Prefetcher). DiskTune counters interaction between the Shadow Copy service and defragmentation I/O by offering a VSS safe-mode option. DiskTune monitors the hard disk's temperature using S.M.A.R.T., and can warn the user if it overheats.^[3]

Features

DiskTune offers normal defragmentation as well as an optimization mode. The goal of optimization is to improve boot-time and faster application as well as frequently used files loading times. To accomplish the latter DiskTune moves those frequently used files and directories and the MFT in what it calls the 'system area' at the start of the volume.

DiskTune can be run with command-line parameters (shortcuts created by DiskTune itself employ this capability).

Compatibility

Although DiskTune is a 32-bit application it is capable of moving files in the system folder on 64-bit Windows versions: DiskTune will detect if it is running in a WoW64 environment and will disable the File System Redirector for its own process for the duration of the process.
VSS safe-mode emulates a 16 KB cluster size to ensure all disk I/O is 16 KB aligned. As a result, in VSS safe-mode it will not move files smaller than 16 KB nor will it move larger files if they can't be moved to a location where the move-delta between original location and new location is not an increment of 16 KB.^[4]

Limitations

DiskTune cannot move files which an administrator does not have access to. These are files that can typically only be accessed by the system account.
DiskTune cannot access files for which Windows bypasses normal file-system access (raw access) such as the pagefile and the hibernation file.
DiskTune may be unable to access files that are in use (it can most of the time however). These can include logfiles constantly being written to.
An open bug causes DiskTune to skip directories for which the name starts with "." (e.g. "\.cache\").

References

↑ "DiskTune - Download.com". CNET. CBS Interactive. April 9, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
↑ 4goTTen21 (April 17, 2008). "Best Free Disk De-fragmenter". TechSupportAlert.com. Gizmo's Freeware. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
↑ "DiskTune 1.1.27". Softpedia. SoftNews NET SRL. April 7, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
↑ "Defragmenting Files". MSDN. Microsoft. March 10, 2011. Retrieved July 16, 2011.

External links