any good defrag programs

[viper]

Are there any good defrag programs besides the one that already comes with Windows XP? The reason why I am asking cause it seems the defrag program that comes with windows has a hard time defragging large hardrives. Large meaning anything 120 gigs and above. Even after the defrag is done, and trying it over and over again, it still looks like the hardrive wasn't defragged.



Thanks

[viper]

The reason why I am asking is cause I have a 200 gig harddrive and when I try to defrag it gets up to about 6% complete and then comes up with a "defrag stopped responding message"

[lordpake]

Have you tried Speed Disk that comes with Norton Systemworks?

I prefer it over windows' defrag.

[greffov]

I prefer Speedisk as well.

[viper]

I also use speeddisk, and it usually does a good job. I think I am finding out what the problem is. I am doing a CHKDSK (file data) scan and it's finding bad clusters in the files. I don't how that could be since the harddrive is almost brand new. It's still doing the scan, I hope it doesn't find to many.


What else can go wrong?

[cowmomo]

A few things:

Viper - how much space is free on that 120 gig drive and how is it formatted? I can't imagine it's too full, or anything but NTFS, but maybe...

You could partition that monster into some more manageable chunks if defragging continues to be a hassle.

My own defragging routine:
1) Clean - Spybot, window washer, regscrub, JV16 registry tools. Reboot.
2) Set page file/virtual memory to zero. (edit...Reboot in Safe Mode).
3) Scandisk/Chkdisk - let it fix bad clusters
4) Defrag
5) Recreate page file/virtual memory. Reboot.
6) Bootvis

No fancy software - everything is defragged including the the page file and important stuff is moved to the front of the disk . It's like a tune-up everytime.
Slightly off topic but I thought it might help.

[greffov]

You can schedule a chkdsk upon boot. At this time the OS is still in single user modus, so no other processes interupting it.
It will at least sort your problem that it keeps on starting over and over again.

[viper]

It's a Maxtor 200 gig internal hardrive 7,500 rpm. I have 155 gig available free space left. I don't know what's the matter with it, or it's just taking a long time to scan. So far it has found 5 files that had bad clusters and it's been running about 3 hours with no end in sight.

I think thats a good idea once this scan gets done I will partition the harddrive. Maybe divide it in half or thirds. This is nuts having to go through this.




Quote: If it isn't broken, don't fix it

[lordpake]

Maybe it's busted ???

[enduser]

You might try Diskkeeper: http://www.executive.com/coverpage.asp

I'm not sure if the evaluation version actually defrags or is just a demo. The commercial version is quicker about defragging than Norton.

[viper]

LAUGHS, lordpake that's a good 1 but I sure hope not. The CHKDSK has been running 8 hours and I can't tell if it's doing anything or not. Can't even tell how much it has been completed. I seen a few defrag programs out there and will choose which one based on reviews and such.


Luckily this harddrive is my slave drive and not my master. I would be up the creek without a paddle.

[geffers]

if you dont stop everything but the basics from running defrag will never finish, i think its something like 10 tries and then it gives up
the easiest way ive found is to run your defrag in safemode then you know that only the bog basic files that are needed to run the os are running

[cowmomo]

That's what I forgot in my list Geffers, Thanks. (arghh, stupid me)

After cleaning (Step 1), I either open in safe mode or just shut down all non-essential services.

That really is probably viper's problem - some RPC interrupting the dfrag, although I would still partition it and fix the mussed sectors.

[viper]

Thanks everyone for there input and ideas, it was greatly appreciated


I am happy to say that I finally fixed the problem. Though it wasn't the way I planned it. The computer ended up crashing and wouldn't reboot. It kept on coming up with messages saying that hardware changes were made and it was basically caught in a loop.

I tried using a boot disk or a format cd and it wouldn't work. So I eventually disconnected my master drive (80 gig) and just hook up my slave drive (200 gig) and make that my master. That didn't work, it kept coming up with a "NTSDL" file not found. I tried downloading the file from Microsoft's website but the file is to big for a floppy even though it's suppose to be on a floppy......way to go Microsoft!!!!!

I finally got the files off of the format cd somehow. I hooked the master drive back up the way it was originally and the format cd worked. I ended up reformatting my master plus my slave hard drives. In fact I can't believe how well it worked. Cause when I originally installed the 200 gig hard drive with a ATA adapter card my computer was sluggish. Now it's working like it was originally, quick.

I am sure there could of have been easier ways of doing it but everything works like fine tooth comb which is the way I like it.


Thanks again


Compaq Pesario Pentium 4, 1.6 ghz, 512 DDR Ram, 80 gig + 200 gig hard drives, DVD drive, CDRW, Nvidia GeoForce MX 2 64 meg video card.

HP Pavillion Pentuim 4, 2.66 ghz, 512 DDR Ram, 566 mhz bus, 120 gig hard drive, DVD drive +RW, CDRW, Nividia Geforce MX 440 128 meg video card, Creative Audigy sound card.

[viper]

Just to let the folks know that gave the input, I ended up having to send the hard drive back to Maxtor for a replacement. Did a scan disk with there powermax program and came up with a error 3 times trying to do a adavnced test of the disk. I guess with all the downloading i did, the hard drive gave up and crapped out.