DISKEEPER 8.0
Followup Review

Executive Software, producers of Diskeeper, asked our Software Review Panel to take a look at Diskeeper 8 and their comments are below. Only Panel Members who took part in the original review of Version 7 and who are still serving on our Panel were asked to comment. The earlier version 7 review in depth can be found at the opening page for Software Reviews.
 

Reviewer 1.

I had trouble installing it. First, I attempted to install it with Diskeeper 7.0 still loaded. The new shortcut would not work and I couldn't access the GUI. I uninstalled v7.0 and ran 8.0 again and it didn't work. I cleaned up the registry keys, deleted the Executive Software folder, and it worked on the third try. If you don't have prior versions, it should not be an issue.

The Web site clearly states "If you are upgrading from version 6 or 7, you do not need to uninstall your older version of Diskeeper before upgrading to Diskeeper 8.0. If you currently run Diskeeper 5 or earlier, you will need to uninstall your old version before installing Diskeeper 8.0" Yet, I had to uninstall v7.0 to make it work.

Executive Software responds:

The only times I have seen this before, it appeared to be an error in Windows Installer 1.0. Click this link to download a new installer version from Microsoft; it would handle the problem:

For Windows NT/2000 (NOT XP)

For Windows 95.98/ME

Immediately, I could see the benefits of the new version. It has step-by-step instructions for the tasks the program can do. Whenever you select a tab, there are instructions for that tab.

The Set It and Forget It has "Set Smart Schedule" in which you don't have to do a thing after selecting it. It'll run Diskeeper based on its own schedule. The only drawback is that I had to search the Help file a bit to find out about Smart Scheduling's functionality. Other than that, a great feature.

If you have v7.0 and have no problems using it, you may not need to upgrade, BUT, check the new features list to make sure. Als, check the system requirements which have changed.


Reviewer 2. This version was not easy to install. There were five selections without explanation. Even the Website only mentioned two of them, the Home and Professional Editions. I haved not found out what the Administrator, Standard, nor Enterprise Editions do or whom they are for.

Diskeeper works in the background with the "Set It and Forget It" options to keep the disks running efficiently by keeping the files unfragmented. The scheduling options are, as far as I see, the best part of the utility.

This defragger also works while the system is being used, so unlike other defraggers, you needn't do a "boot-time" run or shut down all programs before using it. It is quick, so in spite of how much CPU power it uses, it is finished before it becomes too annoying.

The Page-File now appears to be placed at the beginning of the partition, ensuring maximum performance.

It doesn't allow for selecting which files go where on the disk. It would maintain a more efficient file system were it to do that. Keeping executables in the front on operating system partitions, for example, would make the system run faster by reducing disk seek time. Other partitions might benefit by putting other file types at the beginning and others at the end to improve access time there.

It's hard to really know, but it doesn't seem as though this packs data to the "front" of the disk either. When it is done, the map shows blocks of data with large holes of space in-between, near where the FAT/FAT32/NTFS tables are, thereby keeping seek times to a minimum. When I go over the disk with Norton's Speed Disk, then look at it with Diskeeper, the data is then nicely packed into one area with the free space "below".

Although there is an icon I the task bar indicating that Diskeeper is active, it doesn't allow for calling the program nor stopping it.

Version 8 seems to be more sluggish than the earlier version, making it somewhat bothersome when trying to work while it is defragging.

Whether Diskeeper or another defragmentation tool is used, it is imperative to keep disks as defragmented as possible to maintain efficiency and smooth system operation. Diskeeper is as good as another for that purpose and, all else being equal, it will do the job adequately. At one time, this tool was the only one available to work on an NTFS partition, as far as I could find; so, it has seniority in that arena.

I will continue to use it from time to time, perhaps. I have several options for defragmenting, but I find Norton's to be the best for my purposes.


Reviewer 3. Diskeeper does its job spectacularly well, one of the best utilities I've ever come across. It has outstanding design, is completely safe to use, improves disk performance & thus overall Windows system performance, processes live disks without interfering with user access to files, runs without operator intervention, and defrags all possible files and consolidates free space into smallest possible segments.

It was a simple, straightforward program installation on WinXP Home, very fast & without a hitch. - Successfully installed over and removed Diskeeper v7.x, but left the program list entry; also put "Executive Software" in program list name without my permission, to me a discourteous annoyance.

Version 8.0 has a much-improved User-Interface: comprehensive, easy to navigate, with expanded set of user preferences, and tab sections displaying graphical reports and advice, reachable from main screen display with only 1-click. It adds a function, boot-time optimization of directories, Master File Table, and Paging File. It concurrently optimizes up to four disks simultaneously. User documentation is excellent, but only via help-screens and interactive display. The price is great, for Professional upgrade of v 7 on CD, $35, and standalone V8 Professional, $50.

I would consider as weak points Diskeeper's complexity and number of products: 7seven versions of Diskeeper spread over 19 flavors of Windows! It has wimpy technical support coverage: available only 7:00 (Website says 9:00) to 5:30PT Monday through Friday; however, support is free for 90days, as are any upgrades for 90days after purchase.

I would rate this program the highest of any I have evaluated on the Panel. It has great design, completely transparent operation, and inexpensive price, what more could you ask for? I wouldn't consider being without it. I have enjoyed using V7.x over the past year, and anticipated they'd have a hard time delivering enough incremental value to justify upgrading, but they did: the new user interface is definitely worth it.

I'd strongly recommend that the initial scan for baseline performance comparison be set "on" not "off" by default. In the Boot-Time Defrag Overview, Paging File Defrag section, in the second bullet after "Important" there's a typo: "Enable the Run the system 'CHKDSK' utility...." should probably be "Enable and run the system...." Documentation says "...Diskeeper 'backs off' for any process running at higher priority (even screen savers).." I'd recommend it NOT back off for screen savers, if feasible to detect and adjust. Surely anyone would want it to take priority over a screen saver or at least make it a user-option.. I recommend Check-for-Update be done automatically, but installed only with permission.
 

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