PC Pitstop’s Disk MD performs a quick check to ensure your hard drive is running up to its potential. A drive that is in poor health will perform poorly and put you at risk of losing data. Disk MD can improve system boot time; minimize freeze ups and system crashes; prevent data loss and file corruption. Here are answers to common questions about the application.
For customer service issues related to Disk MD (lost license keys, re-download, refunds) please go to our customer service page.
Disk MD FAQs:
- What are the system requirements?
- What disk volumes are supported?
- What is fragmentation?
- Windows Vista & XP include defragmenters. Why would I need Disk MD?
- Can I use my system while the defrag is running?
- Will running processes like your firewall, anti-virus utility interrupt the defrag process?
- Could I lose access to some files while Disk MD is performing a defrag?
- What if I have a technical question?
Key Disk MD related terms:
- Percent of Data Fragmented.
- Percent of Files Fragmented
- Total Fragmented Files
- Total Excess Fragments
- Average Fragments per File
- Most Fragmented Files
- System Restore Data
What are the system requirements?
| Operating System: | Microsoft Windows Vista, XP & 2000 |
|---|---|
| Processor: | 100MHz or greater |
| Memory: | 64 MB or greater |
| Hard Disk: | Need 10 MB or more of free space |
| Video: | Super VGA, 15-inch monitor, 800×600 resolution |
What disk volumes are supported?
Disk MD supports FAT32 and NTFS (New Technology File System).
Windows Vista & XP include defragmenters. Why would I need Disk MD?
Disk MD is an easy to use, customizable defrag tool that provides you with a detailed view of the defragmentation process. In addition, Disk MD is the first defragment product on the market to defrag system restore point, which are arguably the most fragmented files on a drive and usually locked and un accessible to applications.
What is fragmentation?
When Windows writes a file to the hard disk, quite often it has to break the file into multiple pieces. As this happens over days, months, and years, the drive becomes fragmented. The impact to performance is huge. It is not uncommon for a very fragmented file to take 60 times as long as an unfragmented file.
Can I use my system while the defrag is running?
Yes you can. However, it is not recommended because the system is constantly changing files. The impact on overall performance varies with the configuration of your system.
Will running processes like your firewall, anti-virus utility interrupt the defrag process?
The processes will not not interrupt the defrag process. However, it is always recommended that everything be closed down during defragmentation. Applications sometimes create and delete files, including temporary files which can hinder the effectiveness of defragmentation.
Could I lose access to some files while Disk MD is performing a defrag?
Yes, defragmentation creates an exclusive lock on files while it is moving them.
What if I have a technical question?
For any technical questions–before or after you purchase the product–please use our Disk MD forum. That way, you can get quick answers and share your questions with other users. If you have a computer issue unrelated to Disk MD, please use our support forums.
Percent of Data Fragmented
Of the total amount of data on the disk, the percentage of data that resides in fragmented files. Generally, the lower the number, the better the system performance. If the percent of data fragmented is very high, but the number of files fragmented is low, this indicates large files holding a majority of the total data on the disk. Note: These results may differ slightly from the numbers shown by the analyzers in defragmenting utilities due to differences in the way used and available disk space is counted.
Percent of Files Fragmented
Of the total files and directories on the disk, this is the percentage of files and directories that are broken into two or more fragments. Lower numbers indicate better system performance potential. Note: These results may differ slightly from the numbers shown by the analyzers in defragmenting utilities due to the way files are counted.
Total Fragmented Files
The actual number of files on the disk that are fragmented. Even a freshly defragmented drive may have some fragmented files, particularly if you use the defragmenters that are bundled with Windows. Those versions often cannot swap files or system files, which means they cannot totally the drive.
Total Excess Fragments
Total number of extra file fragments on the drive. Ideally this number should be close to zero.
Average Fragments per File
Average number of fragments in each file. Ideally this number should be close to one.
Most Fragmented Files
The files on the system that are shown to be the most fragmented. If the fragment count is over 100 then your system performance is impacted.
System Restore Data
The data that supports the System Restore feature of Windows XP. System Restore enables administrators to restore their computers to a previous state without losing personal data files (e.g. Word documents, graphic files, e-mail).