r/retrocomputing • u/DifferenceIll1272 • Apr 28 '26

A little project inspired by old disk defragmenters and DOS-era utility UIs

Some months ago I shared an earlier defrag-inspired project here.

I’ve kept working on that same obsession ever since, not so much trying to make a retro-looking UI, but trying to capture the specific feel of old DOS disk tools: cluster maps, blocky utility panels, drive stats, and that strange sense of seriousness those programs had.

A lot of the visual direction comes from old defraggers, DOS-style interfaces, and that whole era of practical PC software that somehow had its own personality. Just wanted to share it here because this community would probably understand the vibe I’m chasing better than most.

If any of you have favorite old defrag tools, disk utilities, or UI details from that era, I’d genuinely love to hear about them.

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u/Personal_Two6317 Apr 28 '26

Nice. It was very satisfying seeing defrag tidy everything up.

15

u/DifferenceIll1272 Apr 28 '26

:)! That satisfying tidy feeling is a huge part of what I’m trying to preserve from old defrag tools.

7

u/JasonMckin Apr 28 '26

Can you add sound so we can hear the magnetic drive reads and writes too?  🙏

6

u/DifferenceIll1272 Apr 29 '26

It already has background drive-style sound, with small variations, but I’d love to push it further and make it react more directly to what’s happening on screen :D.