Defraggler fragments the Pagefile

Defraggler
1

@Mr Ron:

On dual boot multiple partition installations - i.e. where a dual boot environment consists of the OS (XP in this case) being installed on separate partitions ~ say C and D drives - when using Defraggler to defragment a drive (partition) containing an OS install that is not currently booted Defraggler WILL actually move the pagefile on that drive during the "Defrag" (whole drive) operation. The result frequently is that the pagefile will end up in multiple fragments due to Defraggler apparently attempting to defragment it. Strangely, this is true even if the pagefile was already contiguous. This is a nasty issue in that contiguous pagefiles are being "fragmented" by Defraggler - when Defraggler runs a whole drive defragmentation against an offline OS drive. This behavior obviously does not occur when running against the online OS drive and pagefile.

However, if one then attempts to explicitly defrag the offline pagefile by selecting it using the "File list" tab, Defraggler will, presumably by design or via the API limitations, refuse to defrag it - even though it just did attempt to do so under the "Defrag" (whole drive) option. I understand that the Windows APIs are being used by Defraggler and that the APIs do not support pagefile defragmentation...or are not supposed to support such defragmentation. However, keep in mind that Defraggler's behavior is occuring on the "offline" OS partition and thus, an offline pagefile. This behavior is in apparent contradiction to all information regarding the inherent ability of the OS APIs (Windows XP) to defragment a pagefile...at least an online pagefile...

"If" the APIs are in fact supporting the defragmentation (i.e. file movement) of an "offline" pagefile, as evidenced by Defraggler's behavior in this dual boot environment, is it then possible to correct/modify the Defraggler code to "correctly" handle offline pagefiles when booted into an alternate OS partition...? Or, conversely, can this "fragmenting" behavior be prevented...?

Sorry for the long winded treatise...but, this behavior was quite surprising...and both annoying in that contiguous pagefiles are being fragmented and intriguing in that Defraggler may well be able to handle pagefile...and perhaps MFT defragging if one is booted into an alternate OS partition and running Defraggler against the offline OS partition. This is strategy does leave the other OS partition in an "offline" state....FWIW. I have verified this behavior of Defraggler in multiple instances...it does in fact actually happen...you will need to create a dual boot system in order to investigate this.

galileo

2

A simple solution to prevent this problem is to first hide the initial partition using an application such as MBRWizard before attempting the secondary Windows installation. This will eliminate dependencies on other partitions and provide complete autonomy. Maybe.

3

Thanks for the info, we will look into this :)

MrRon

4

@MrRon:

Thanks....and while your at (chuckles)...take a look at the light blue blocks that are left on your drive map after a defrag is completed...if one re-analyzes and looks at those blocks you will see that Defraggler reports them as containing no file(s)....yet they are still identified on the drive map with the light blue coloring...it would be desirable to have them cleared of any color if they are in fact empty...Thanks again!!!

@gunner:

This issue here isn't an install issue nor a dependency issue - the partitions are autonomous as far as the active, or in fact each, OS is concerned. Rather it is a file and/or file status identification issue. Per published literature, the Windows XP APIs are not supposedly capable of defragging certain system files, the pagefile being one of those. This is a limitation attributable to the OS and to the "in-use" state of that file. However, a pagefile that is not in use (i.e. effectively offline) would satisfy the API requirements that are required for any files that the APIs can defragment.

Most likely the issue here is that Defraggler "sees" the pagefile as simply another "file" since it is not in-use and is ignoring its system file status when performing a full disk (partition) defrag. But, when attempting a single file defrag, Defraggler is "seeing" and acknowledging the system file status (irrespective of it being offline or not in-use) and thus, refusing to defrag, or even touch, that particular file. The intriguing potential here is that since Defraggler uses the Windows APIs and not custom code for its defragging operations, a dual boot arrangement wherein a pagefile is effectively offline may present an opportunity for Defraggler to actually execute a defrag of that pagefile - including possibly relocating that file to an optimum part of the drive....

Conversely, the problem or annoyance here is that Defraggler is actually moving parts of the offline pagefile(s) and causing defragmentation of those files. Thus, either Defraggler needs the code (i.e. intelligence) to recognize offline pagefiles and defrag them as typical files, or it needs some added code to make sure that it always leaves pagefiles alone irrespective of online or offline status.

My hope is that perhaps there is a loophole in the APIs that will permit Defraggler to do something that has heretofore not so much been impossible but, has rather has not been recognized as possible. And, in so doing, perhaps this can be extended to other system files that are in the same offline state. This would be wonderful from a system maintenance perspective.... :rolleyes:

On a note of personal preference, I really don't like using 3rd party boot manager tools...the potential for issues with the MBR/PBR records is simply too great. If one ever needs to utilize any recovery console tools (i.e. fixmbr, etc.) you can trash other OS and/or data partitions due to items having been written to the MBR that are not recognized by the standard OS tools....yes, such 3rd party tools "function", but.....you can place yourself in a real "house-of-cards" with them....my comments juuuuusssssst might have something to do with some past experience... :P

Nonetheless, thanks for chiming in on the conversation !!!

galileo

5

The blue blocks issue will be fixed in the next release and we will also add an exception for all files called pagefile.sys so they won't ever be moved :)

MrRon

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The blue blocks issue will be fixed in the next release and we will also add an exception for all files called pagefile.sys so they won't ever be moved :)

MrRon

Great information to know. Thanks MrRon

7
The blue blocks issue will be fixed in the next release and we will also add an exception for all files called pagefile.sys so they won't ever be moved :)

MrRon

Thank you! Is there any chance that your Defraggler code can be modified to actually provide the abilty to defrag pagefiles that are not in-use...???...as in the dual-boot arrangement that I described above.

galileo

8
add an exception for all files called pagefile.sys so they won't ever be moved :)

Don't forget the Windows old swap file name from old Windows versions like 98 in case someone still has something like that on another partition/disk that they're using a modern version of Windows with Defraggler to defrag.

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A simple solution to prevent this problem is to first hide the initial partition using an application such as MBRWizard before attempting the secondary Windows installation. This will eliminate dependencies on other partitions and provide complete autonomy. Maybe.

My favorite trick. ;) 'Hiding' all primary partitions before installing a new OS allows it to install without any dependencies on other partitions. Thanks for the quick reminder.

10

Dear OP,

I have XP and Ubuntu installed in C drive itself. I use Ccleaner and defraggler frequently, almost every 3rd day, ccleaner everyday multiple times, don know whats ur prolem, i faced 0 probs till now.