In matter of computer cleaning and optimization, disk defragmentation remains probably the most effective solution. IObit takes a stand with the brand new Smart Defrag 3.
Smart Defrag gets new features and several updates in the latest version, such as a redesigned interface, a new and more powerful defragmentation method (defrag and prioritize files), support for defragmenting Windows Metro apps (evidently for Windows 8 and 8.1 users), along with deep analysis mode (cleans junk files).
The freebie's setup is carried out very quickly. What's worth mentioning is that Smart Defrag offers to replace the default Windows disk defragmenter toward the end of installation.
It also integrates an Explorer shell extension for defragging selected drives. A brief tutorial that concludes with selecting a preferred UI skin and language is shown at the initial run.
The main app frame has a clear-cut look and well-structured layout. All volumes, Metro apps and plugged-in removable drives are displayed in a list on the top part of the screen, together with their status (e.g. analyzed, idle), free and total size, file system, auto defrag and boot time defrag status (turned on or off).
Right-clicking a selected disk brings up the option to recognize it as SSD. However, since solid-state drives use flash memory to store data, defragmentation is not actually relevant.
A minor issue described in our previous review persists: the list of volumes cannot be expanded (whether the window is maximized or not), forcing the user to scroll through the list if it contains more than four volumes. It is still possible to point out a custom file or folder to monitor for changes and defragmentation, though.
There are four defrag methods that take into account the fragmentation difficulty level (also acknowledged by IObit when recommending a solution after analysis). “Defrag only” is the fastest mode, while “Defrag and Fast Optimize,” “Defrag and Fully Optimize” and “Defrag and Prioritize Files” attempt to eliminate blank space to improve disk performance and ensure data contiguity for a longer period of time. The last one is slower but more thorough.
Instead of diving into defragmentation directly, it is possible to perform an analysis on one or multiple selected drives, in order to make an assessment on the total files, directories and fragments, in addition to the fragmentation percentage rate. This is also the part where IObit makes a recommendation.
The default analysis method is executed quickly. The secondary one scans the PC for junk files and offers to delete them, in order to free up space and improve defragmentation. It targets Windows and Internet Explorer temporary files, system log files, the Explorer thumbnail cache, and other parts of the hard drive.
All files are shown on the bottom part of the screen, together with the total fragments, size and full path for each item. Similar to most disk defragmentation utilities, Smart Defrag displays a graphical representation of the evaluation, which contains clusters with free space, MFT (Master File Table), directories and fragments, in addition to frequently, rarely, unmovable and moving clusters.
By default, automatic defragmentation is enabled for the system drive, and it can be activated for any other volume as long as it does not address Metro apps, custom files or folders. As noticeable in the configuration panel, this task is triggered when the system idle exceeds 5 minutes or resource usage surpasses 60%. These values are adjustable (from 1 to 10 minutes, and from 10% to 100%, respectively) and can be overseen in the main window, together with automatic defragmented files statistics.
Having a suggestive name, boot time defrag performs defragmentation on selected drives at every system startup to ensure round-the-clock performance boost (e.g. only next boot, everyday next boot). It can be set to defrag the page file, hibernation file, MFT, and system files. All activity is recorded to history viewable in the main frame, along with the last boot time defrag, total size, and defragmented size.
The final tab accessible in the primary panel is dedicated to viewing reports. IObit automatically generates HTML files with data pertaining to each defrag task, and contains useful details such as free and total size, defragmentation method applied, start and end time, total files and directories, defragmented files and directories, initial and output fragmentation rate, in addition to all processed files.
The application offers support for scheduled tasks. Any type of the four defragmentation jobs can be applied on one or multiple volumes on a recurring basis (daily, weekly, monthly) at specified time. The job may be automatically skipped if the computer starts running or already runs on battery power.
As far as general settings are concerned, Smart Defrag automatically minimizes to the system tray area when closed and loads at Windows startup until further notice. Tooltips in the tray may be activated, while the program may be set to replace the Windows Disk Defragmenter if this option was disabled during installation.
By default, defragging is recommended by the program when fragmentation exceeds 1%; it can be changed to 3%, 5%, or to always defrag. Files larger than a size ranging from 100MB to 10GB can be skipped, while removable drives can hidden from the list. Selected files and folders (including subfolders) can be excluded from analysis and defragmentation.
It is also possible to handpick the objects targeted by the disk cleanup tool, delete Windows temporary files older than one week, as well as to enable secure file deletion via the DoD 5220.22-M algorithm to prevent specialized programs from recovering data. Furthermore, the UI's transparency level is adjustable. Settings can be reverted to their factory parameters.
Smart Defrag was put to the test on a 195.3GB drive with 45.57% free space and a fragmentation level of 27.39%. The machine was an Intel Core i7 2600K, CPU 3.40GHz with 8GB RAM and 250GB Seagate Barracuda ST3250310AS 7200RPM, on Windows 7 Home Premium x64.
Following IObit's recommendation, the "Defrag and Prioritize Files" method was applied. The task was carried out in 49 minutes and 38 seconds, resulting in a 23.66% fragmentation rate, so IObit merely reduced fragmentation by 3.37%. We ran a secondary pass which, 1 hour, 15 minutes and 37 seconds later delivered a staggering fragmentation rate of 0.01%. Needless to say, the program passed the test with flying colors.
The Good
Smart Defrag's OS compatibility starts with Windows 2000 and ends with Windows 8 and 8.1 (32 bit and 64 bit). It is free and multilingual, includes user documentation, and takes up low space on the disk. The interface is attractive and intuitive, disk map colors are customizable, and automatic update checkups can be enabled.
The computer can automatically turn off when defragmentation finishes, custom files and folders may be included in the dragging list, while “Deep Analyze” handles junk data to declutter the disk. Reports register all types of analysis and defragmentation jobs.
After two passes using the most advanced defragging mode, Smart Defrag showed excellent results.
The Bad
IObit seems to have missed one important aspect. All reports are generated with the same name, so a new report automatically overwrites the previous one. Perhaps it will fix this issue in the next build.
The help file is not clear on all settings provided by Smart Defrag. For example, the functionality of “Smart Silent Mode Technology” is unclear (technically, it allocates suffice resources for other apps to run normally).
We accidentally deleted a folder that was previously added to the defrag list. The utility was not able to remove its entry. On top of that, it remained stuck in an analysis loophole that eventually forced us to reinstall Smart Defrag.
The Truth
IObit Smart Defrag 3 brings powerful new features and a redesigned interface that make the otherwise dull task of defragmenting drives a smooth experience. Improvements are noticeable in defragging efficiency in comparison with version 2, making Smart Defrag a top-notch defragmentation utility for all users, whether they are novices or experienced.
14 DAY TRIAL // 
