BleepingComputer.com: Defrag won't defrag

Hello everyone.
It seems my defrag won't defrag and I fear it will soon become a big problem if I can't get it done. I have tried running it in both safe and regular modes with no difference. Below is the defrag report in the hope it may be of some use to someone who may be able to help me.
Thanks for having a look.

Volume (C:)
Volume size = 37.27 GB
Cluster size = 4 KB
Used space = 21.93 GB
Free space = 15.33 GB
Percent free space = 41 %

Volume fragmentation
Total fragmentation = 13 %
File fragmentation = 26 %
Free space fragmentation = 0 %

File fragmentation
Total files = 64,969
Average file size = 660 KB
Total fragmented files = 1
Total excess fragments = 4,162
Average fragments per file = 1.06

Pagefile fragmentation
Pagefile size = 2.93 GB
Total fragments = 8

Folder fragmentation
Total folders = 6,084
Fragmented folders = 1
Excess folder fragments = 0

Master File Table (MFT) fragmentation
Total MFT size = 88 MB
MFT record count = 71,275
Percent MFT in use = 78 %
Total MFT fragments = 3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fragments File Size Files that cannot be defragmented
4,142 2.93 GB \WINDOWS\FILE.SYS

You could try using this command line defrag which might help:

defrag c: -b

Also, you could try resetting your pagefile. Go to Start...Run...and type in "sysdm.cpl" (without the quotes) and press Enter.

• Click on the Advanced tab
  
• Click on the Performance Settings button
  
• Click on the Advanced tab
  
• Click on the Virtual Memory Change button
  
• Write down all of the settings so that you can restore them later.
  
• Click on each volume (drive) and then click "No paging file" for each one.
  
• Then click on OK to exit the dialogs
  
• Then reboot - it'll be gone then.

To restore it - go back in and re-enter the settings that you removed.

This post has been edited by Budapest: 10 March 2010 - 05:57 PM

Is it just that the included Windows Defrag software will not run for you? What about an alternative?

I have been using Defraggler instead of the one included in Windows and have been quite happy with it. Will that work for you?

I started using it last year after reading the Lifehacker High Five review. There's other options in that article as well; but, I preferred to stay with free.

Wow thanks for the suggestions everyone I'll start on those and get back asap.

The actual windows defragmenter does run. ;-)

Oh and how do I use a command line ?, do I just "cmd" in the run box ?

<<Fragments File Size Files that cannot be defragmented, 4,142 2.93 GB \WINDOWS\FILE.SYS>>

Excuse my ignorance...but I don't use the XP defrag utility...but I don't see why you assert that your system is not being defragged. I look at that report and (from what I read)...it's supposed to reflect the status of the partition which has been defragged.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documen...g.mspx?mfr=true

IMO, your report does exactly that.

The Windows/XP defrag utility has never/will never defrag all system files, such as the pagefile.

Louis

This post has been edited by hamluis: 10 March 2010 - 06:49 PM

hello hamluis, all I can say is that I'm a novice user which has noticed that the huge "red" chunk which represents fragmented files was not there and now it is ( see attached file with the screenshot ) and I'm told that the volume needs defragmenting straight after defragging it
Still have yet to try other suggestions, Thanks everyone.

Worth reading, IMO:

The Importance of Disk Defragmentation - http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/the-importance-of-disk-defragmentation/

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp...;fp=1&cad=b

Louis

This post has been edited by hamluis: 10 March 2010 - 09:29 PM

Thanks everyone for the help

The Google List, Defrag The Pagefile link led me to my Google search page ? However I will be reading "The Importance of Disk Defragmentation" article as no doubt I will beneft from any info there.

I tried Budapests resetting of the pagefile and it has worked quite well. My pc is already more responsive and the pic below speaks for itself. So far I have not come across any problems from apps that may rely on the pagefile to work.

Thanks again for the awesome help

This post has been edited by shred1970: 10 March 2010 - 08:40 PM

I'm pretty sure that if you remove the pagefile Windows will create a new one automatically after you reboot anyway.

Thats good to know. Although I used the custom settings ( which I have done in the past ) and set it just a tad above the recommended - for some reason I think this is a good idea since my pc is close to 8 years old.
Thanks again for the help.

This post has been edited by shred1970: 10 March 2010 - 09:05 PM

the name of the paging file is pagefile.sys not file.sys imho the file.sys file should be considered suspicious.

Dan, I thought that also...but there isn't a single hit on Google for such filename (at least, none that I found).

Louis

Hi guys,
I noticed in the defrag report that the pagefile is named pagefile and is (was ) Pagefile size = 2.93 GB and the
WINDOWS\FILE.SYS is also 2.93 Gb ... I guess you would be both right... to me ( just a novice ) they would be one in the same ? maybe thats why there isn't a hit on Google for such filename ?
Thanks again guys I'm learning heaps.

This post has been edited by shred1970: 12 March 2010 - 10:52 AM

Any report...can use its own way of doing things, including language used in the report.

I looked at the size, thought that it was about the size that your system pagefile might be...and went from that.

Louis

Would it be possible - going from the way you have described "report" that "WINDOWS\FILE.SYS" could be a shortened version of something like WINDOWS\FILE.SYS\"PAGEFILE" ?

Maybe the creators of the defrag program thought it might be easier for them lol.