Equally good under XP or is one preferable? Also, I read that Windows Defrag automatically arranges files in the background to improve load time. If this is so, then wouldn't running Speed Disk be counterproductive? Gary

Windows defrag just keeps record of the files you acces so when you use defrag it will know how to arrange the files. anyway it seems most people can install NORTON on the box unless it 2002 version. As per microsoft's specs, you need to run defrag then reboot and run it again to ensure proper file placement.

This is taken from an article (a very good one - recommended) at www.extremetch.com - "Unlike Windows 98/Me, Windows XP uses the more traditional defrag approach of making complete application files contiguous. One big difference between Windows XP and earlier versions is that the optimization is automatically done at idle times. When the machine is idle for 10 minutes or you run defrag c: -b, Windows XP will use that time to optimize the most used files. Through monitoring application load and boot up, Windows XP determines which application and code files are used, and moves them to a contiguous file space. Windows 98/Me's optimization required a number of runs to get the information it needed to optimize file layout on the disk. Windows XP will start optimizing after your first boot, so your second boot will be faster. While Windows XP is constantly tuning, Microsoft estimates that 90% of the optimization is already done immediately after the first boot or run, and is fine-tuned from there." So XP does SOME optimizing in the background, but you still have to defrag manually to optimize the drive completely. SpeedDisk uses XP's application logs to determine which files are most frequently used, same as XP's built-in defrag, so it won't 'undo' anything XP has already done, and will still optimize the rest of the drive quicker and better (SpeedDisk will optimize files that the built-in utility considers unmoveable) than XP's defrag, with more options available to the user. First thing I did after installing XP was to install Norton Systemworks...

Norton System Works is the best.... I agree! Is your Task Scheduler working with XP? Mine won't work at all.I think the two from Norton work to do it's regular virus scan and OBC but not the System one that is supposed to check PC Health and Tune Up Application Start and something called Uninstall Expiration Reminder...which I have no clue as to what that means.....I went to the help section in XP but what it said to do if the scheduled tasks did not work was to click on RUN to force it,that didn't work either....it is sort of greyed out, so I went to the log and it said No account informatio could be found in the Task Scheduler database, and I can't understand any of this....Help if you can please.....much appreciated thanks!

The only tasks I have scheduled are Norton SystemWorks One Button Checkup, Virus Scan, and SpeedDisk, all of which work fine. The tasks you're referring to sound like win9x tasks (the first two, anyway - the reminder one may have been put there by some application as a registration nag or something). Did you do an upgrade install? XP handles those functions automatically, so don't need to be included in the scheduler. Just delete them...

Hi! Well I found out why the others were included and that was because I overwrote WinMe and they were part of it. Yesterday, formatted C: and put in them 6 disks and did a freah clean install and just have them 2 Norton ones like you have all the rest is gone!!! There is also a Symantec NetDetect Multiple Schedule, but it didn't work either, nor did the others. This is so very frustrating....In the log it still keeps saying: Log on failure: Unknown Username or bad password..........how can that be??? Any answers or solutions would be greatly appreciated...Thank you........

Hate to be the spoiler here, but for Win95, 98, 98SE, and ME, NORTON SPEEDISK was the ONLY choice over the "defragmenter" that came with those OS. The old defragmenter was SLOW and "DUMB." HOWEVER, WinXP comes with Diskeeper (without some of the scheduling bells and whistles, etc) - a program that cost $69.00 last year has dropped to $49.94 with version 7.0 since putting it on XP just gives you bells and whistles. As far as defragging your main drive -- sorry -- but with XP you can't do better than what they have licensed from Diskeeper. From the Microsoft Support Page: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q227/4/63.ASP "The Disk Defragmenter tool is based on Executive Software's full retail version of Diskeeper. The version that is included with Windows 2000 and later provides limited functionality in maintaining disk performance by defragmenting volumes that use the FAT, FAT32, or NTFS file system." Again, there's NO WAY Norton's Speedisk is better than Diskeeper. Try the two - no comparison in speed and effectivness. Writerranger Dallas