I have two drives in my computer (not partitions, these are two separate drives). On drive C I have installed Windows Vista 32. Drive D is used for files such as movies, archives etc. This drive was fragmented 2 weeks ago, every file had only 1 fragment. Today I analyzed this drive and it appears that many files become fragmented. I'm talking about large, 5GB - 10GB files, that I didn't touch for months. How is that possible? I know why fragmentation occurs, but why defragmented files become fragmented even if I didn't touch it (not even opened these files)? Do Windows move these files for some reason?
If System Restore is active on that drive that can create fragments.
but why defragmented files become fragmented even if I didn't touch it (not even opened these files)? Do Windows move these files for some reason?
You have a large file with a file that follows it, then you append new data to the file and it needs new extents to grow, so it is now fragmented.
I agree it is likely to be system restore, if the files are large and in large chunks, then this fragmentation does not matter a bit. If you aren't reading back a fragmented file, you don't suffer any performance penalty.
it's small files in very many small fragments that cause poor performance if many of them have to be read in by system or applications, or if somethign like the $Mft becomes fragmented into 1700 pieces.
If System Restore is active on that drive that can create fragments.
System restore is active only on drive C (system), and that's not the drive that couse this problems.
You have a large file with a file that follows it, then you append new data to the file and it needs new extents to grow, so it is now fragmented.
No, I didn't open, append, save these large files. Literally, I didn't do nothing to them, they just sit there. I'm aware that changing the file may cause fragmentation.
So if it's definitely not restore stuff, then have a look after analysis at what is contained in the red blocks.
In past I have had system files that were immoveable or with FAT32 folders, that fragmented large files even at the end of the drive for example, which is usually empty.
Of course something has changed the layout or modified those files. There's going to be a reason, but if it's not the usual suspects, then you'll need to dig for more details. I haven't seen unfragmented files be moved or fragmented for no reason.
I know this is in Defraggler Discussion, but what did you originally defrag with to get one fragment, and what did you use to analyse and get multiple fragments? I ask this because the Windows Vista defrag only defrags fragments of less than 64 mb. How it reports this I don't know, but it's worth eliminating. Well, maybe.
I know this is in Defraggler Discussion, but what did you originally defrag with to get one fragment, and what did you use to analyse and get multiple fragments? I ask this because the Windows Vista defrag only defrags fragments of less than 64 mb. How it reports this I don't know, but it's worth eliminating. Well, maybe.
I use Defragger for 2 years now. I defrag my drive with Defragger, also it was also analyzed with Defragger.