Configuring PerfectDisk Policies at the Computer and User Levels

PerfectDisk supports complete integration with Active Directory Group Policy. Its installation folder contains a PerfectDisk Administrative Template file named PerfectDisk.adm. You need to import this Administrative Template file into Active Directory. Refer to topic Manage PerfectDisk using Active Directory Users and Computers for performing this operation.

Once you have created the GPO and have imported the PerfectDisk's administrative template, you can start managing the PerfectDisk settings by changing template policies. To manage the PerfectDisk policies, you need to access the Group Policy Object Editor.

Follow the steps below to open the Group Policy Object Editor:

In the Active Directory Users and Computers window, right click the desired OU, and then click Properties in the resulting pop-up menu. This opens the Properties window for that OU.
Click the Group Policy tab.
Right-click the GPO you created that’s linked beneath the current OU, then select the Edit option. The Group Policy Object Editor launches.
The Group Policy Object Editor window shows the Computer Configuration and User Configuration containers that store per-computer and per-user information.
If you want to configure policies at the Computer level, expand the Computer Configuration node, and then expand the Administrative Template node. Select the PerfectDisk Group Policy template installed beneath that node. A list of policies appears in the right-hand pane
To configure policies at the User level, expand the User Configuration node and follow the same steps as above.
Double-click a policy to configure or right-click a policy and select Properties option.
Set the properties of the selected policy. You can enable or disable it. You can also view the explanation of the selected policy by clicking the Explain tab.
Click the OK button when you have altered the configuration.

The following Computer and User settings can be controlled using PerfectDisk's Administrative Template.

Computer Settings:

Boot File Optimization Settings - Raxco recommends letting PerfectDisk Manage Boot files only (option 1 in the General Settings tab of the PerfectDisk Settings window). See the PerfectDisk Settings window for additional details.

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, the setting defined here will be followed. If either XP only option is selected for a Win2000 computer, PerfectDisk will manage the boot files (option 1).

§ If DISABLED, neither PerfectDisk nor the system will defragment the files needed to boot your computer.

Defragmentation Threshold

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or DISABLED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, the value set will apply to all drives. Defragmentation will only occur if the threshold is exceeded.

Update the drives default algorithm dynamically after each analysis

Aggressively Consolidate Free Space

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, PerfectDisk will aggressively pack free space.

§ If DISABLED, PerfectDisk will use more relaxed free space packing algorithm.

Ignore file fragments greater than ? MB

Log to PerfectDisk's Log

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, PerfectDisk will log to its own log file.

§ If DISABLED, PerfectDisk will not log to its own log file.

Log to Application Event Log

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, PerfectDisk will log to the Application Event Log.

§ If DISABLED, PerfectDisk will not log to the Application Event Log.

Configure AutoUpdate

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, the setting configured here will be followed.

§ If DISABLED, Auto Update will never run.

Run Missed Schedules when computer restarts - A computer may be turned off when a schedule was supposed to run. This rule allows you to set how PerfectDisk should handle missed schedules.

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, missed schedules will be run when the computer is restarted.

§ If DISABLED, missed schedules will be re-scheduled when the computer restarts. The new start time will be calculated using the start time and periodicity on the schedule. One time schedules will not be rescheduled.

Automatically adjust StealthPatrol thresholds

StealthPatrol thresholds for a physical (non-virtual) computer

StealthPatrol thresholds for a virtual computer, running

Wake computer from standby/hibernation - A computer may be in standby or hibernation when a schedule was supposed to run. This rule allows you to set how PerfectDisk should handle this condition. Some computers can be woken up from this state - this is hardware dependent.

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, PerfectDisk will attempt to wake the computer to run a schedule.

§ If DISABLED, PerfectDisk will not attempt to wake the computer for a scheduled defragmentation pass.

Stop Defragmentation schedules if computer switches to battery power

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, PerfectDisk will stop running defragmentation schedules if computer switches to battery power.

§ If DISABLED, PerfectDisk will allow defragmentation schedules to continue running if computer switches to battery power.

Do not start defragmentation pass when on battery power

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, PerfectDisk will not start defragmentation schedules if computer is on battery power.

§ If DISABLED, PerfectDisk will allow defragmentation schedules to start if computer is on battery power.

Allow PerfectDisk to defragment removable drives

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, PerfectDisk will allow defragmenting removable media (USB, Firewire drives).

§ If DISABLED, PerfectDisk will not allow defragmenting removable media (USB, Firewire drives).

Allow PerfectDisk to defragment flash drives

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, PerfectDisk will follow whatever is set on the local computer.

§ If ENABLED, PerfectDisk will allow defragmenting Flash drives.

§ If DISABLED, PerfectDisk will not allow defragmenting Flash drives.

Allow PerfectDisk to defragment SSD drives

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, PerfectDisk will follow whatever is set on the local computer.

§ If ENABLED, PerfectDisk will allow defragmenting SSD drives.

§ If DISABLED, PerfectDisk will not allow defragmenting SSD drives.

What priority should the defragmenter have on the local computer

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or DISABLED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, PerfectDisk will adjust the defragmentation engine CPU priority to your selection:

· Normal - PerfectDisk runs at a normal CPU priority

· Idle - PerfectDisk runs below normal CPU priority

· Turbo - PerfectDisk runs above a normal CPU priority

Throttle defragmentation I/O

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or DISABLED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, PerfectDisk's defrag engine will slow down its disk I/O to allow other processes to access the disk.

Exclude Files from the defragmentation pass (comma delimited)

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, or DISABLED, PerfectDisk will follow whatever is set on the local computer.

§ If ENABLED, PerfectDisk's defrag engine will exclude specified files from the defragmentation pass.

Setup Management from PerfectDisk Enterprise Console via TCP/IP

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or DISABLED, the setting established locally will be followed.

§ If ENABLED, the TCP/IP via specified port may be used in addition to DCOM for management from PerfectDisk Enterprise Console.

Group Policy Schedules - Group Policy schedules allow you to select all drives or a comma delimited string indicating which drives to include. Mount points are not supported from the Group Policy schedules.

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or DISABLED, no Group Policy schedules will be generated.

§ If ENABLED, the schedule defined here will apply to all computers. There are 4 default group policy schedules, 2 default One Time schedules and 1 default Screen Saver schedule.

Group StealthPatrol Schedule

§ If NOT CONFIGURED, or DISABLED no Group Policy schedules will be generated.

§ If ENABLED, the schedule defined here will apply to all computers.

Group Analyze Schedule

PerfectDisk 12 License Key

Show PerfectDisk 12 Welcome Wizard

User Settings:

Allow Access to PerfectDisk

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or ENABLED, any user can open PerfectDisk's user interface. This does not mean they can run PerfectDisk. Standalone computers allow Non-Administrative users access to PerfectDisk for use on their local computer only. In Network Mode you must be a member of the Local Administrators Group to use PerfectDisk.

§ If DISABLED, the user cannot launch PerfectDisk. This policy applies to all means of access to PerfectDisk: User Interface, MMC Snap-in, PerfectDisk Command line interface.

Allow to see PerfectDisk tray icon

§ If ENABLED or NOT CONFIGURED any user can see PerfectDisk's tray icon.

§ If DISABLED, the PerfectDisk's tray icon will not be shown in the system tray.

Allow PerfectDisk Settings

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or ENABLED, the user can access the PerfectDisk Settings window. Members of the Administrators Group will see all settings. Non-administrators will only see the User Interface options.

§ If DISABLED, access will be blocked. The PerfectDisk Settings window allows changing PerfectDisk's network access, boot file management strategy, log setting, and Auto Update settings.

Allow Analyzing drives

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or ENABLED, the user can use PerfectDisk's analyze feature.

§ If DISABLED, the Analyze function will be blocked.

Allow starting an online defragmentation pass

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or ENABLED, the user can start a defragmentation pass.

§ If DISABLED, the user cannot start a defragmentation pass.

Allow starting a System File (offline) defragmentation pass

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or ENABLED, the user can start a System File (offline) defragmentation pass.

§ If DISABLED, the user cannot start a System File (offline) defragmentation pass.

Allow modification of Drive Properties

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or ENABLED, the user can access the Drive Properties Notebook and configure the online and offline settings.

§ If DISABLED, the user will not have access to the Drive Properties Notebook.

Allow creating or changing schedules

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or ENABLED, the user will be allowed to create or change local schedules.

§ If DISABLED, the user cannot create or change any schedules.

Allow starting a scheduled defragmentation pass

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or ENABLED, the user can start a schedule defragmentation pass using the Run Schedule.

§ If DISABLED, the user cannot manually start a defragmentation Schedule.

Allow the user to check for updates

§ If NOT CONFIGURED or ENABLED, the user can check for updates from the Raxco web site.

§ If DISABLED, the user cannot manually check for updates.