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> I remember how under Windows NT, the only method of defragmenting the filesystem was to reformat and start over, unless you bought Norton.

Did you miss Diskeeper? :-) (Because Windows NT 3.51 did't even have an API for moving data clusters.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_Defragmenter_(Windows)

Thankfully, there is the open source jkdefrag now ...
http://www.kessels.com/jkdefrag/ .. of course with SSDs defragging is slowlying becoming a moot point. ;-)

Maybe that says something about the platforms that you cite, rather than that the users need to be part of an elitist club. People use Mac because its fast, easy to use, the hardware is nice, and it doesn't get shitty over time unlike windows, AND I don't need to know how to sudo apt-get an old graphics driver because of all the regressions in my new one like ubuntu.

Let me correct that above statement for you.

1. Having discovered a few simple free tools like CCleaner and JKDefrag that I run on a regular basis, I have Windows XP machines that were built by me more than 18 months ago that I use daily, install and deinstall games and software on but have not suffered any noticeable slowdown. Yes, I prefer Linux but I must say that for an inherently flawed OS by design, XP has finally dispelled the "rebuild every 6 months" Windows myth for me.

2. I use "emerge" not "sudo apt-get" as a Gentoo, not Ubuntu, user. However, just like Apple designs its Macs with great care and attention, using only specific manufacturers of chipsets for graphics, network cards, etc., I too select my PC hardware for Linux machines with equal care. Ultimately, what that means is that every Linux box I build has kernel support for all of the hardware without any need to download or install external drivers - the only exception to that is if I'm building a Linux desktop machine, in which case I will "emerge nvidia-drivers" or "emerge ati-drivers" to support 3D acceleration on the appropriate graphics card inside the machine. Incidentally, the only reason I need to do that is because the graphics cards manufacturers refuse to publish their specifications openly meaning that an accelerated driver cannot be directly incorporated directly into the Linux kernel.

@1: I don't care what extra steps you have to take to keep whatever OS you use working properly. The fact is, I don't have to take them. It doesn't matter if they are free or easy or FOSS, its time I don't have to waste, period.

@2: I apologize if I have insulted your delicate sensibilities by implying you apt-get. But the point stands, as emerge is effectively the same as apt-get, which is effectively the same as rpm, which is effectively the same as yum, which is effectively the same as pacman, ad infinitum. A package manager by any other name is still a package manager. And frankly, time spent checking to make sure a potential GPU, CPU, mobo, monitor, printer, wifi chipset, or whatever works with my particular kernel/xorg configuration does not appeal to me. I would rather buy a computer that doesn't require any finagling just to make sure it works.

Also, since you don't seem to get the reference:

- http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=ubuntu_904_intel&num=1
- https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReinhardTartler/X/RevertingIntelDriverTo2.4

It just works. I know how to manage a windows computer without it getting all virus ridden and slow over time, and I know how to keep wifi/audio/video running on linux through updates and upgrades. I just don't want to. That's why I use a mac.

In that case, you have just confirmed my suspicions - namely that some Apple users are stupid enough to believe that they don't need to perform basic security & administration tasks on their machines, meaning that if and when Mac malware starts appearing in any great volume, they will almost certainly get it on their machines.

I actually laughed at this. Just as you really don't need to do any basic security and administration tasks on a Linux machine because there is no malware for the platform besides the ever so rare trojan, you really don't need to do any basic security and administration

Maybe that says something about the platforms that you cite, rather than that the users need to be part of an elitist club. People use Mac because its fast, easy to use, the hardware is nice, and it doesn't get shitty over time unlike windows, AND I don't need to know how to sudo apt-get an old graphics driver because of all the regressions in my new one like ubuntu.

Let me correct that above statement for you.

1. Having discovered a few simple free tools like CCleaner and JKDefrag that I run on a regular basis, I have Windows XP machines that were built by me more than 18 months ago that I use daily, install and deinstall games and software on but have not suffered any noticeable slowdown. Yes, I prefer Linux but I must say that for an inherently flawed OS by design, XP has finally dispelled the "rebuild every 6 months" Windows myth for me.

2. I use "emerge" not "sudo apt-get" as a Gentoo, not Ubuntu, user. However, just like Apple designs its Macs with great care and attention, using only specific manufacturers of chipsets for graphics, network cards, etc., I too select my PC hardware for Linux machines with equal care. Ultimately, what that means is that every Linux box I build has kernel support for all of the hardware without any need to download or install external drivers - the only exception to that is if I'm building a Linux desktop machine, in which case I will "emerge nvidia-drivers" or "emerge ati-drivers" to support 3D acceleration on the appropriate graphics card inside the machine. Incidentally, the only reason I need to do that is because the graphics cards manufacturers refuse to publish their specifications openly meaning that an accelerated driver cannot be directly incorporated directly into the Linux kernel.

It just works. I know how to manage a windows computer without it getting all virus ridden and slow over time, and I know how to keep wifi/audio/video running on linux through updates and upgrades. I just don't want to. That's why I use a mac.

In that case, you have just confirmed my suspicions - namely that some Apple users are stupid enough to believe that they don't need to perform basic security & administration tasks on their machines, meaning that if and when Mac malware starts appearing in any great volume, they will almost certainly get it on their machines.

I suppose you mean to imply that TrueCrypt makes your computer slower. I suppose that may be true, but I haven't noticed it. TrueCrypt seems to be very, very well designed.

Note that there are TrueCrypt versions for both Windows XP and Vista, Mac OS X, and Linux. All are free and open source.

Because my hotkey script contains a password, I've installed AutoHotkey in an encrypted TrueCrypt container. (A TrueCrypt container is either a file or an entire partition.) So, every time I use a hotkey, the system must get it from an encrypted file and be decrypted. I don't notice any difference in speed between that and when AutoHotkey was installed on an unencrypted OS partition.

I've used TrueCrypt for years and had no problems with it. Most software has numerous shortcomings. The biggest problem I can think of now with TrueCrypt is that the documentation doesn't explain the /q command line option very well. That's very minor, a problem not even in the program itself. (Yes, I suggested a re-write in the TrueCrypt forum, and yes, I offered to do the re-writing myself.)

I haven't yet experimented with encrypting the entire OS partition. I have experimented with encrypting an entire data partition; I didn't notice a speed difference. However, I found that it is better not to encrypt data partitions, it is easier to make an encrypted container on the data partition. That's especially true if the container can be the size of one DVD, 4.7 gigabytes, less the space necessary for the unencrypted TrueCrypt software. Then you can just dismount the container and burn a DVD backup of the container file and the TrueCrypt software.

TrueCrypt has been 100% reliable for me. There has never been a hint of a problem that might cause loss of data.

TrueCrypt developers: TrueCrypt is a wonderful gift to the world. Thanks!

My opinion is that it's necessary that encryption software be open source; I would never run proprietary encryption software because of the possibility that some rogue employee installed a back door. Also, the U.S. government believes it can force U.S. commercial companies to install surveillance functions in both hardware and software; executives and employees who disagree can be put in prison secretly. I suppose that isn't done very often, but like everything a government does in secret, there are unintended consequences. One of the consequences is that in some cases it may be considered unsafe to use U.S. products. It isn't only the U.S. banking system that is out of control.

Also, since I mentioned AutoHotkey, I will say that it is excellent, although the programming language is a bit quirky. My main AutoHotkey script is now 1563 lines; I use it a lot. It is Windows only.

AutoHotkey is great for Hotkeys and also open source and free. If you want to run scripts that interact with a Windows GUI as though someone is moving a mouse and typing at a keyboard, then AutoIt is better. AutoHotkey and AutoIt co-exist perfectly. The two had a common origin.

TrueCrypt encrypted containers can be formatted as NTFS or FAT file systems. I haven't tried other file systems. All the Windows file system utilities work perfectly inside TrueCrypt encrypted containers: Windows Explorer, ChkDsk.exe, FsUtil.exe, Format.com, and Defrag.exe. I've found the free open source JkDefrag to be a better defragmenter; it works perfectly inside TrueCrypt containers.

The built-in defragger is not started automatically.
Windows XP:

1. Download the free * Tweak UI utility from Micorosft.

2. Click on 'General' and untick the 'Optimise hard disk when idle' box.

Windows Vista:

1. Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter

2. Untick the "Run on a schedule (recommended)" box.

Agreed. My experience is that JkDefrag is FAR better than the very quirky and badly named Diskeeper. Quote from the first page:

"JkDefrag is a disk defragmenter and optimizer for Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista/2008/X64. Completely automatic and very easy to use, fast, low overhead, with several optimization strategies, and can handle floppies, USB disks, memory sticks, and anything else that looks like a disk to Windows. Included are a Windows version, a commandline version (for scheduling by the task scheduler or for use from administrator scripts), a screensaver version, a DLL library (for use from programming languages), versions for Windows X64, and the complete sources."

Diskeeper? Is that Dis keeper, a keeper of disrespect? Or Disk eeper, something that causes a fear of disks? Shouldn't there be another K?

If you want to be abused by a defragmentation program, you will have to pay dearly. Sorry, no abuse with the free and open source JkDefrag; remember the old saying, "You get what you pay for."

Otherwise I can recommend this one.

Note that JkDefrag uses the Windows defrag API, so it should be as safe to use as the original defrag. Also, Windows occasionally runs a boot optimizing defrag while your screen saver is on, which tends to mess up JkDefrag's logic. You might want to disable it, if you intend to run JkDefrag.

Otherwise I can recommend this one.

I would suggest you disable the built-in defragger and start using JkDefrag.

Way more functionality, and it's GPL/LGPL.

JkDefrag free simple defrag for Windows!
http://www.kessels.com/JkDefrag/

It also has the added bonus of it has no install just run it. If you deside you don't want it? Just delete is and your done!

Not if you are using a defragger that uses MS's defrag API on an NTFS volume.

On NTFS moving a cluster is an atomic operation. The data is duplicated to an unused space, then the metadata (file table) is updated, which is a journaled operation.

More info (including a free defragger) here: http://www.kessels.com/defrag/index.html. Scroll down to "How safe is it" and it even mentions that "heavy use of the harddisk may trigger a hardware fault", which is most likely what happened to the parent poster.

I did a whois on the handsoff.org site (the one that dontregulate.org points you to):

http://www.kessels.com/whois/whois.php?InputQuery= handsoff.org&InputServer=--automatic--

And came up with "The Mecury Group" as the owner:

http://www.mercgroup.com/

From the site:

"Proven practitioners of persuasive arts..."

Not that this should come as any surprise.