gus32,
I'm assuming that the defrag program you are using is either the
standard windows defrag program or Norton's speed disk.
As the articles that I provide for you point out - it sometimes isn't
just a case of removing all programs from memory - the actual process
of running the defragmentation program might cause windows to do a
disk write, which will then stop the defrag process, creating a never
ending string of errors.
Let me start off by showing you what the manufacturers say, then tell
you how I interpret it and what I do to ensure a safe and
straightforward defrag.
Symantec Speed Disk knowledgebase support article :
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nunt.nsf/docid/2000111314063609
Here's an excerpt of what Symantec has to say on the issue for
speeddisk:
"The most common causes for Speed Disk restarting are:
1) Other programs running in the background
2) Automatic LiveUpdate launches while Speed Disk is running (A
permanent solution to this problem is pending)
3) Corrupted files in the Applog folder
4) Improperly configured swap file"
(Numbering mine)
The solution given to problem one is to ctrl-alt-del out of everything
except explorer and systray. They also suggest disabling the
screensaver and the task scheduler.
What I would add to this (and they mention it at the bottom) is that a
cleen boot is vital for this to work. There are a lot of other items
which are not "programs" in that they don't appear in your task
schedulere, but still run in the background. They can include
overenthusiastic drivers and non-application processes that "know no
courtesy" when it comes to defragmenting. They are less likely to be
present after a clean boot - but a clean boot may still not solve your
problem.
You can try the other options suggested, but I have found that often
the most pain free way of getting a defrag to work is to disable as
much background stuff as possible prior to booting (you can always
turn it back on later). This is a pain in the ass (but it beats
waiting for the computer to finish getting past 10%). Luckily Norton
Systemworks/speeddisk has an automated way of doing this. If you run
"Norton Optimization wizard" and insist that it optimize your
swapfile, it should reboot your computer and start up speeddisk first
before anything else is loaded. This has always worked for me.
If you are using the default Microsoft Windows Defrag program then the
same rules work in general. Microsoft has less to say on the topic and
only gives information on how to disable the screensaver :
Microsoft Defrag knowledgebase support
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q286263
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q229057
That said, MS Defrag seems to be less prone to stalling than norton
defrag in general, and one key point is that the MS defrag program
runs in Safe mode, so if you really want to defrag without worrying
about it stopping, you can use safe mode as a final alternative.
One application that I have found extremely helpful when diagnosing
these kinds of problems is TaskInfo (available at
http://www.iarsn.com/) which gives you a detailed list of the
processes running on your computer - beyond the applications visible
in the ctrl-alt-del Close Program screen. If you leave this running as
you run your defrag program, you can sometimes get an idea of exactly
which program is causing the problems and target it directly.
So in conclusion, give Symantec's tips a try, use the Norton
Optimization wizard or do a clean/safe boot with the microsoft defrag
program.
If you have any further questions after following these tips, I would
be happy to clarify my answer further.
Good Luck
CalebU2-ga |
