Download O&O Defrag 12.0.197

O&O Software released version 12 of its defragmenter O&O Defrag earlier this month. With this program hard disks can be defragmented: repositioning the files on the hard disk so that they are no longer scattered over the disk in separate pieces. The software can handle any drive configuration under Windows, including RAID drives and USB memory sticks. If there are multiple disks in the computer, they can be defragmented at the same time to save time. Below are the release notes for version 12:

New and overhauled functions:

Zone Filing: Certain data, like system files, are accessed very regularly by users. In order to improve the access time, O&O Defrag 12 analyzes the data during the first defragmentation, and then “files” them according to purpose and access regularity in three different “Zones”. System files, for example, are filed in the first Zone, user data and settings, are filed in the second Zone, enabling them to be accessed much quicker. Windows can also start much quicker. O&O Defrag 12 files very large files, or ones rarely used, in the third Zone. They then fragment less, reducing time required for future jobs. The user can then sort further files into the Zones and select an optimal method for each drive.

New defragmentation methods: It is specifically for Zone Filing that O&O has developed three new defrag methods in Version 12 (OPTIMIZE, OPTIMIZE/QUICK and OPTIMIZE/COMPLETE), that not only organize files but – in combination with the existing methods – massively reduce the level of fragmentation: OPTIMIZE uses a SPACE defrag method to organize files in the three zones so that remaining free disk space sits together as one.

OPTIMIZE/QUICK defragments at great speed using the bare minimum of memory. All files are also sorted into the correct Zones.

OPTIMIZE/COMPLETE is recommended, like the existing COMPLETE method, when all files need to be reorganized on the hard disk.

In addition to the existing five methods, the new methods serve to hugely speed up defragmentation jobs and ensure users files are correctly placed for optimal access. By deactivating Zone Filing, the user can then simply select one of the old methods for optimized future defrag success.

Advanced Background Monitoring: Up until now, the background monitoring was used to monitor the whole system. With O&O Defrag 12, the user can now also select individual drives in order to monitor and optimize their level of fragmentation.

Netbooks and Notebooks: O&O Defrag was also the first such tool worldwide to incorporate functions aimed specifically at Netbook and Notebook users. As soon as such machines are no longer connected to the mains, the defragmentation is interrupted in order to conserve battery life and duration.