Smart Defrag Pro - what distinguishes it. . .

[LaurenceJ]

To whom it may (or may not) concern. . .

 

Although I personally do not see any of the extra features in Smart Defrag Pro as an inducement to encourage a user to purchase a license for it, I nonetheless went ahead and did just that. (Shaking and scratching head.) Go figure. :shock:

 

The "extras" which are included in the Pro version (as listed in a thread under "News & Offers") are these three: Fast Smart Defrag, Registry Files Defrag, and Size remembering for the columns.

 

However I don't find the Fast Smart Defrag much (if any ?) faster, and so perhaps it is not smarter either. ;-) Seriously though, if Fast Smart Defrag is only slightly, marginally faster, than it still does not provide a compelling incentive to upgrade from free to pro.

 

As to the Registry Files Defrag, I do like the inclusion of this setting, but I cannot really say whether it works well or not, because presently my registry is in relatively good order it would appear; having applied that setting in Smart Defrag, once completed it reported "0" for fragmentation. If I think of it I will run it again at a later date, after I have installed and uninstalled programs, etc.; and using another program I will first check the size of my registry before and after initiating a Defragment Registry Files via Smart Defrag, and see if the size has been reduced. However I am assuming that Smart Defrag defrags the registry and compresses it, removing any unnecessary free space and reducing size?

 

The "Size remembering for the columns". . . really. Anyway, it appears that the free version of Smart Defrag 3 also remembers the size of columns (as it should). So you see it is not really an "extra" for Smart Defrag 3 Pro after all. :-)

 

For more "extras" in the Pro (paid for) version how about. . .

- provide an option for the user to save additional Reports.

- also how about either providing an option to completely remove the Action Center tab (I know it can be hidden, mostly). Or remove the advertisements to get and install more products (I can see how Malware Fighter and Driver Booster may fit in somewhat with a Defragger, but Advanced Mobile Care, Start Menu 8, and Advanced SystemCare, a full utility package, I don't). A link could be added for the IObit website under More Settings, then anyone who is curious or interested in browsing through, downloading, or purchasing more IObit products can easily enough do so; albeit one is already located in the upper left hand corner.

 

And although this is not an extra (I hope), in a timely manner be sure to update the Pro to the latest code so as to keep in stride at least with the Free. At present I think the Free version holds more appeal.

 

If you are going to install both the Free and Pro version of Smart Defrag 3 you need to do a custom installation on one of them, because, if not, the last one you install will overwrite the first one that had been installed. I installed the Free version into C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Smart Defrag 3 Free\ directory, and installed Smart Defrag 3 Pro into its default directory (C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Smart Defrag 3), thus the Free version was not overwritten.

 

However installing both, even with each of them in their own directories, still has its problems:

- the manual directory change required to have both installed, so as not to overwrite the other.

- and whichever version was installed last overwrites the uninstall information to be found in Programs and Features, so that only the last installed version can be uninstalled via the typical Uninstall method.

- and whichever version was installed last overwrites the Smart Defrag 3 menu and submenu shortcuts found under All Programs (and leaves the other, the first Smart Defrag version that is also installed, abandoned in its directory without any shortcuts to it remaining on the desktop or in the All Programs menu).

- you cannot have both the Free and Pro version of Smart Defrag 3 running at the same time. It is one or the other, but not both; and whichever one is presently running that is the one that remains running: e.g. if Pro is already running, Free will not show its face. :-)

 

Both the free and paid version of Smart Defrag 3 use the same directories during installation which no doubt causes the above problems (C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Smart Defrag 3; and C:\Users\Laurence\AppData\Roaming\IObit\Smart Defrag 3; and C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs). And as to where each places information in the registry, I don't know.

 

Perhaps the above issues could be addressed, resolving these shortfalls.

 

Thanks for reading. . .

 

regards,

Laurence