JkDefrag (original) (raw)

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Computer program

JkDefrag

JkDefrag Icon
JkDefrag ScreenshotImage of drive during defrag.
Original author(s) Jeroen Kessels
Final release 3.36.0.2 / August 31, 2008; 16 years ago (2008-08-31)
Written in Microsoft Visual C++ 2005
Operating system Windows 2000Windows Server 2003Windows XPWindows XP x64 EditionWindows Vista
Type Defragmentation program
License GNU GPL
Website www.kessels.com/JkDefrag/

JkDefrag is a free open-source disk defragmenting utility computer program for Windows. It was developed by Jeroen Kessels (initials "JK", hence the name) beginning in 2004[1] and was released under the GNU General Public License. Since version 4 of 2008, much changed from previous versions, JkDefrag was renamed MyDefrag by its developer; earlier JkDefrag versions continued to be available. MyDefrag, which was closed source freeware, was discontinued, with the last version being v4.3.1, file date 21 May 2010; for several years the MyDefrag website has been a redirect to the still-existing JkDefrag site, but links to downloadable JKdefrag files are dead. JkDefrag source code is still available from third-party websites [2]

JkDefrag has many options. If run without options it groups files into 3 zones with the intention of optimizing speed:

  1. Directories and system files
  2. Regular files
  3. Large files referred to as "space hogs" in the documentation

Files outside their zone are moved to their zone. Directories are perhaps the most accessed data on disk, so zone 1 is placed at the beginning of the drive. After the directories comes a free space area, then zone 2 with regular files, another free area, and then zone 3 with "space hogs", which are large files, archives, Recycle Bin contents, service pack files, and other infrequently accessed data.[3]

JkDefrag characteristics:

JkDefrag runs on the Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista operating systems, and defragments both FAT and NTFS filesystems. It uses the standard Windows defragmentation API. Because of that, it could technically even be used on operating systems up to Windows 11. However such use would be completely unsupported and might bear the risk of data loss or a corrupt OS or other severe problems. User support was provided through web-based forums.

There are several graphical user interface utilities designed to work with JkDefrag:

The only other Windows-based defrag program with a GNU GPL is UltraDefrag before version 8.

  1. ^ Information obtained from product release notes: history.txt file
  2. ^ "JkDefrag version 3.36 source code". sourceforge.net (in German). Retrieved 2016-07-13.
  3. ^ Kessels, Jeroen. "JkDefrag v3.36". Archived from the original on 2015-02-15.
  4. ^ "JkDefrag version 3.36 source code". sourceforge.net (in German). Retrieved 2016-07-13.
  5. ^ Kurdi, Samer (31 July 2007). "JkDefrag GUI". Software Genius. Archived from the original on 15 April 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  6. ^ Whitty, Bryce (7 August 2007). "Repair Tool of the Week: JkDefrag GUI". Technibble.