Can Defrag Make Disk Drives Last Longer?

Regardless of the economic climate, IT managers are counted on to pull-off miracles in keeping sites productive. That they achieve this even with scarce resources is a testimony to their ingenuity and ability to select the right tools to help them get the job done, like in using modern defrag solutions to extend the life of their disks.

In a site where numerous users simultaneously access network disks, saving files contiguously is nearly impossible. Disks fragment rapidly, reducing system performance as new files are broken into pieces to fit the randomly scattered bits of free space left from previously deleted files, all of which generates disk wear.

When fragmentation occurs, the system has already wasted precious I/O resources and caused unnecessary disk wear. One can defrag, but it's preferable to prevent the problem from happening in the first place.

Diskeeper^® 2011 data performance software reduces disk wear by leveraging IntelliWrite^® fragmentation prevention technology, enabling systems to write files contiguously thus effectively preventing the majority fragmentation before it happens.

“Since installing Diskeeper across the network our workstations perform better, last longer and we have considerably fewer disk failures and data loss” observed Jeff Orton, IT Supervisor, Sysco San Diego, CA. “We have seen a drop in failed hard drives since installing Diskeeper.”

With files written contiguously in the first place, there is much less disk activity and if disks do not have to work as hard, they're spinning less, consuming less power, and generating less heat. And because they can achieve greater productivity with less effort, drives last longer, providing better ROI and reducing overall hardware costs as indicated by Michael Moffatt, Desktop Engineering & Operations Manager at CenterBeam:

“We use Diskeeper for our Managed Server and PC service suites. By continuously keeping the drives defragged, they don't have to work as hard, and therefore don't absorb the same level of wear and tear which equates to longer life. Typically when machines leave warranty, the HDD is one of the first components to die but with Diskeeper, they stay healthy and operational much, much longer so I can extend my hardware refresh cycle from 3 to 4 ½ years.”

Diskeeper 2011 is the best “secret weapon” in the arsenal of today's IT manager as it elevates defrag to the next level by providing innovations that increase site efficiency while maximizing disk life.