Defragging Problem

[donka]

When I'm defragging, it goes so far then says Drives Contents changed and
restarts. This goes on and on and it doesn't get to the end. This happened
once before and I did a full reinstall and it was fine however, I have done
another full reinstall and it's happening again. Any ideas? I don't have any
new software on my machine.

[jglaysher]

Have you tried closing down all applications and then running it?

[Wilan Wong]

Make sure your hard disk isn't doing anything else, or having any activity, this only causes the defragmentor to restart again.

[gyoung]

How much memory do you have? If you are letting Windows manage the virtual memory, it might be resizing the swap file during the defrag. This will not allow the defrag to continue.

Right click on My Computer and go to Performance. Then go to virtual memory. If you haven't fixed the size of this you should.

[donka]

I resized the swap file last night, with min and max the same, after the defrag so I'll try defragging again tonight although if I remember correctly, I had done this the last time the problem occurred. I had no applications running and I cleaned out the system tray but still to no avail.

[NDC]

and.....make sure that you aren't running any programs in the backgrond such as Anti-Virus programs. Also, you may want to try defragging your disk in SAFE-MODE.

[jman01pa]

Yea run it in safe mode. It works every time. Unless Windows has a problem. If it works then you can be sure its something in the background running.

J

[jmatt]

Don't know if you have W95 or98 , have sent you both .

W95 , Defag prob's .

Below is information that also applicable to using Defrag .

Conflict-free installation:

The most successful procedure to have a conflict-free
installation of any program running in Windows is to
disable all memory resident programs prior to
installation. Please follow these easy steps,or you can
use,Startup Cop ( freeware ) from, http://205.181.112.65/pcmag/pctech/c...t1808.001.html
or EndItAll ( freeware ) which does it for you,from http://www.pcnineoneone.com/pokpok/system.html

1) Delete the contents of the C:\Windows\Temp folder,
also copy & put all on 1 line in Find .
*.bak; *.old; *.chk; *.000; *.fts; *.gid; *.grp;
Highlight all the files it finds , right click & delete .
Reboot the computer.
2) Disable everything running in the background by
pressing the CTRL+ALT keys on your keyboard and
pressing your DEL key once.
3) This will bring up the Close Program box.
4) Select a program and click End Task.
5) Repeat this procedure for every item in the Close
Program box except for "Explorer" and "Systray."
6) Click Cancel.
Now you can run the setup program for the product you
are installing or start scandisk \ defrag .

When you are having problems with Defrag , Don't
Scandisk and Defrag all your misplaced files and
error's, do your Deleting first , then run Scandisk
Thorough . Now try Defrag .

If Defrag still gives problems after closing everything
but Explorer & Systray , reboot & when the message
Starting Windows appears , press F8 , choose Safe Mode
& try Defrag again .

If you hav'nt run defrag before , or for a long while ,
some people report it takes hours .

If Defrag still hangs, the problem may be due to a
corrupt file in your Windows\Temporary Internet folder(s),
or the Windows\Applog folder may be corrupt.

1. Click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart In MS-DOS
Mode, and then click OK.

2. At the command prompt, type the following commands,
pressing ENTER after each command, and pressing Y if you
are prompted to confirm folder deletion:

cd\windows
smartdrv
deltree /Y cookies
deltree /Y applog
deltree /Y history
deltree /Y tempor~1
exit

NOTE: If you have a cookie that stores a password for
a particular Web site,copy the contents of the Cookies
folder to a new folder before deleting the Cookies
folder. To do so, type the following commands at the
command prompt, pressing ENTER after each command

md <folder>
copy c:\windows\cookies\*.* c:\windows\<new folder>

where <folder> is the folder to which you want to copy
the contents of the Cookies folder.

3. Restart your computer.

4. While your computer restarts, press down and hold the
CTRL key until the Windows 98 Startup menu appears.

NOTE: Depending on your version of Windows you might have
to substitute the F8 key for the CTRL key.

5. Choose Command Prompt from the Startup menu, and then
press ENTER.

6. From C:\> (type) scandisk | when prompted select yes
(Y) for the option to run a surface scan.

7. Restart your computer.

8. While your computer restarts, press down and hold the
CTRL key until the Windows 98 Startup menu appears.

9. Choose Safe Mode from the Startup menu, and then press
ENTER.

10.Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter.

11.Restart your computer.

Finally , if the above fails , go to , http://www.procode.com.au/winsolo/ and purchase WINSOLO
a great program , very easy to use , fantastic for burning
CD's. The trial version gives you five free goes. Give it
a try, one of the default settings is defrag .

Microsoft have this article , http://support.microsoft.com/support.../q160/0/43.asp
Another link , http://www.windows-help.net/windows98/troub-29.shtml

Why DEFRAG ?
DEFRAG can optimize your disk drive's efficiency. It will
defragment the files on your hard disk quickly and easily
to get your hard disk operating at peak performance.

If your hard disk seems to be taking longer and longer to
retrieve the files you work on each day, it's not a sign
that your aging drive is slowing down. The culprit could
be file fragmentation, which causes the drive head to go
through a series of jumps from one track to another across
the disk so that it can retrieve the separated parts of the
file.Fortunately, unlike aging, file fragmentation is
reversible, and that's the job of this issue's utility,
DEFRAG.EXE.

File fragmentation is an almost inevitable consequence of
normal disk usage, in which you create, delete, and modify
files. If every file occupied only one cluster (the smallest
amount of disk space DOS can allocate to a file--sometimes
called an allocation unit), no file would ever become
fragmented. But most files occupy many clusters, and if the
clusters that contain a file are not contiguous, the file
is fragmented.

How Does It Work:
Defragmemter speeds up your system because it reorganizes
the files back together again, result--SPEED and more free
space. Of course after running more open files and then
saving them, we have to defrag again---it's as simple as that.

Normally when you use Windows95's Disk Defragger, this
will not defrag the swap file.

To defrag the swap file:

Open the System Properties dialog box (right click on My
Computer and select Properties)
Click on the Performance tab
Click on the Virtual Memory button
Check Let me specify my own virtual memory settings
Check Disable virtual memory (Note: This will cause the
system not to use a swap file)
Click on the OK button
Answer Yes to the warning
Click on the Close button
Reboot when prompted
You system will reboot.
Check to see that there is no swap file. If one still
remains (WIN386.SWP), you can safely delete it.
Defrag your system as you usually do
Now reset the swap file to your previous setting and reboot.
(Note: Do not leave your system running without a swap file)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





W98 , Defag prob's .

Below is information that also applicable to using Defrag .

Conflict-free installation:

The most successful procedure to have a conflict-free
installation of any program running in Windows is to
disable all memory resident programs prior to
installation. Please follow these easy steps, or you can
use EndItAll ( freeware ) which does it for you , from http://www.pcnineoneone.com/pokpok/system.html

1) Delete the contents of the C:\Windows\Temp folder,
also copy & put all on 1 line in Find this ,
*.bak; *.old; *.chk; *.000; *.fts; *.gid; *.grp;
Highlight all the files it finds , right click & delete .
Reboot the computer.
2) Disable everything running in the background by
pressing the CTRL+ALT keys on your keyboard and
pressing your DEL key once.
3) This will bring up the Close Program box.
4) Select a program and click End Task.
5) Repeat this procedure for every item in the Close
Program boxexcept for "Explorer" and "Systray."
6) Click Cancel.
Now you can run the setup program for the product you
are installing or start scandisk \ defrag .

When you are having problems with Defrag , Don't
Scandisk and Defrag all your misplaced files and
error's, do your Deleting first , then run Scandisk
Thorough . Now try Defrag .

If Defrag still gives problems after closing everything
but Explorer & Systray , reboot & when the message
Starting Windows appears , press F8 , choose Safe Mode
& try Defrag again .

If you hav'nt run defrag before , or for a long while ,
some people report it takes hours .

If Defrag still hangs, the problem may be due to a
corrupt file in your Windows\Temporary Internet folder(s),
or the Windows\Applog folder may be corrupt.

1. Click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart In MS-DOS
Mode, and then click OK.

2. At the command prompt, type the following commands,
pressing ENTER after each command, and pressing Y if you
are prompted to confirm folder deletion:

cd\windows
smartdrv
deltree /Y cookies
deltree /Y applog
deltree /Y history
deltree /Y tempor~1
exit

NOTE: If you have a cookie that stores a password for
a particular Web site,copy the contents of the Cookies
folder to a new folder before deleting the Cookies
folder. To do so, type the following commands at the
command prompt, pressing ENTER after each command

md <folder>
copy c:\windows\cookies\*.* c:\windows\<new folder>

where <folder> is the folder to which you want to copy
the contents of the Cookies folder.

3. Restart your computer.

4. While your computer restarts, press down and hold the
CTRL key until the Windows 98 Startup menu appears.

NOTE: Depending on your version of Windows you might have
to substitute the F8 key for the CTRL key.

5. Choose Command Prompt from the Startup menu, and then
press ENTER.

6. From C:\> (type) scandisk | when prompted select yes
(Y) for the option to run a surface scan.

7. Restart your computer.

8. While your computer restarts, press down and hold the
CTRL key until the Windows 98 Startup menu appears.

9. Choose Safe Mode from the Startup menu, and then press
ENTER.

10.Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter.

11.Restart your computer.

Still not working , try the MSCONFIG solution . Go to
Start / Run and type msconfig , click OK button . Switch
off config.sys and autoexec.bat , it is intelligent
enough to keep only what is absolutely necessary in
config.sys and autoexec.bat then go to selective startup
( or ctrl / alt / delete ) and disable everything except
explorer and systray , then try defrag.
If you get through a defrag without problem switch the
other programs back in one at a time maintaining careful
and fully worded notes. when you find the conflict switch
off that program, and continue with the others. The
solution is time comsuming and annoying. Hopefully you will
only have two programs conflicting , if it is two or more
you have real problems. Have you thought of using vcmui.exe
a windows utility that is installed on your system, the
utility is called version conflict manager user interface,
it will identify an older version of a DLL that has over
written your newer file.

FIX DEFRAG

This is an excellent Win98/98 SE fix .
Use Regedit to see/modify the keys/values below.
Many PC users have a hard time defragging their drives. Microsoft
recommends deleting C:\Windows\Applog. However this rarely enables
the optimization portion of the Defrag to be rebuilt properly, if
at all. I suggest to follow these steps:
1. Rename and extract Defrag.exe and Cvtaplog.txt to C:\Windows with
SFC.
2. Empty the C:\Windows\Applog folder.
3. Make sure Taskmon.exe runs from Msconfig, Startup or in:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run
4. Most importantly of all, remove the "ExcludeApps" value under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\TaskMon
"ExcludeApps"="START\DEFRAG\CVTAPLOG\SETUP\INSTALL \TASKMON\SCANDSKW\SFC"
5. You must make sure there is a "UseProfile"=dword:00000001 under this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Applets\Defrag\AppStartParams
Mine looks like this (as REG file):
( Copy the text into Notepad, save it in Windows with the .REG
extension, then right-click on it in Explorer and select Merge )

-----Begin cut & paste here-------

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Applets\Defrag]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Applets\Defrag\AppStartParams]
"ExcludeFiles"="SYSTEM.DAT\\USER.DAT\\SYSTEM.INI\\ WIN.INI"
"UseProfile"=dword:00000001
"MaxNoUseDays"=dword:0000005a
"MaxApps"=dword:00000046
"MinLogSize"=dword:000002b

------End cut & paste here------

6. Reboot and start Defrag. Subsequent use of applications and reboots
will rebuild the Applog file.
As you can imagine the first time you defrag will be the slowest time.
But it will make steady progress and be appreciably faster than before.

OR

Download PowerDefrag [1.4 MB, freeware] to optimize the Defrag tool
on your Win98/98 SE system:
http://www.e-technik.com/CustomSoftware.html

Finally , if all above fails , go to , http://www.procode.com.au/winsolo/ and purchase WINSOLO a
great program , very easy to use , fantastic for burning
CD's. The trial version gives you five free goes. Give it
a try, one of the default settings is defrag .

Microsoft have this article , http://support.microsoft.com/support.../q160/0/43.asp
Another link , http://www.windows-help.net/windows98/troub-29.shtml

To run defrag automatically at startup , read this .
Defrag with no programs:
GOTO your CD, for \tools\mtsutils, is a defrag.inf.
Rightclick/install will set a "RunOnce" entry for the next
time you boot, to run Defrag before the login prompt. This
way NO other programs are running.

------------

Why DEFRAG ?
DEFRAG can optimize your disk drive's efficiency. It will
defragment the files on your hard disk quickly and easily
to get your hard disk operating at peak performance.

If your hard disk seems to be taking longer and longer to
retrieve the files you work on each day, it's not a sign
that your aging drive is slowing down. The culprit could
be file fragmentation, which causes the drive head to go
through a series of jumps from one track to another across
the disk so that it can retrieve the separated parts of the
file.Fortunately, unlike aging, file fragmentation is
reversible, and that's the job of this issue's utility,
DEFRAG.EXE.

File fragmentation is an almost inevitable consequence of
normal disk usage, in which you create, delete, and modify
files. If every file occupied only one cluster (the smallest
amount of disk space DOS can allocate to a file--sometimes
called an allocation unit), no file would ever become
fragmented. But most files occupy many clusters, and if the
clusters that contain a file are not contiguous, the file
is fragmented.

How Does It Work:
Defragmemter speeds up your system because it reorganizes
the files back together again, result--SPEED and more free
space. Of course after running more open files and then
saving them, we have to defrag again---it's as simple as that.

To defrag the swap file:

Open the System Properties dialog box (right click on My
Computer and select Properties)
Click on the Performance tab
Click on the Virtual Memory button
Check Let me specify my own virtual memory settings
Check Disable virtual memory (Note: This will cause the
system not to use a swap file)
Click on the OK button
Answer Yes to the warning
Click on the Close button
Reboot when prompted
You system will reboot.
Check to see that there is no swap file. If one still
remains (WIN386.SWP), you can safely delete it.
Defrag your system as you usually do
Now reset the swap file to your previous setting and reboot.
(Note: Do not leave your system running without a swap file)

PS , I have noticed all the defrag posts & have researched to
compile the above .

[donka]

[sarcasm]You really should make an effort and post more information than that! [/sarcasm]
hehe, thanks for all the help man.
I'll hopefully be able to defrag the puppy properly now.

[Southern Belle]

There right about the SAFE MODE option another alternative is if you have a dos mode defrag though if i'm not mistaken can have draw backs from the way windows works and the way dos works anyway, there is a program I d/l and is called : Disk Keeper by Executive Software.

Defrags without you having to quit all opperations. It worked out well. Easy install and run it.

Hope that helps you.

Southern Belle