some files cannot be defragmented

[ElBoricua433]

sometimes I encounter these while I am defragging is there anyway I can get through them?

[ElBoricua433]

Thank You for you guys viewing but not helping

[Augeas]

It isn't obligatory to answer. Perhaps we don't know the answer - I know I don't as I don't use Defraggler. Maybe some kind person will help you. Rgds.

[hazelnut]

Perhaps giving a bit more info perhaps may help, such which operating system, what exactly happens, where about it happens, and any error messages.

[thm]

There can be many reasons why "some files cannot be defragmented",

here are a few thoughts on the matter; I hope that you find them of help...

 

In any one attempt at defragging a drive in a reasonable period of time, the algorithms

are likely to be fairly simple and move as little data as possible. At the end of this, there

may be no contiguous free spaces large enough to accommodate some of the larger fragmented

files, hence they could not be defragmented without moving other files out of the way first,

and the algorithms probably wouldn't do that if those files had already been defragmented or

moved, as it could be relatively easy to get into a endless circle of moving files around and

getting nowhere and wasting time into the bargain.

You may find that running a defrag a second or third time can resolve most of these, as Defraggler

can get a "fresh look" at the files in their new locations.

Doing things this way typically results in a good compromise between speed and completeness

of defragging. In practice you are unlikely to be able to measure (let alone notice) any

significant difference between a drive with a few fragmented files and one with none.

[And, of course, as soon as you fire up your browser and start browsing the internet you will

generate dozens or hundreds of fragmented files per hour (albeit, rather small ones) !]

 

As far as I can tell, if you effect a defrag of files after an analysis [i.e. by selecting them

and clicking the "Defrag" button": method A] the defragmentation is of the files only: no

attempt is made to consolidate [defrag] the free space. This is very good for a quick regular

defrag (say, once a day), but it is more likely (as indicated above) that some files won't be

defragmented. This is unlikely to be of significance, at least in the short term.

 

For a more comprehensive defrag (say once a week or month), you can defrag the files

and consolidate the freespace by right-clicking on the drive name in the Defraggler

window and selecting "Defrag Drive" [method B]. This will typically take much longer, as

it will first defrag the files and then try to defrag [most of] the freespace by moving many files

to the beginning of the drive. In so doing, this will make more contiguous space available

for large files to be accomodated without fragmentation. So, if you have any fragmented

files remaining after the first "comprehensive" defrag you will have a much better chance

of getting such files defragmented on a second or third attempt, and if there are only a

few such files, you will probably be able to defrag just these files quite quickly by using

method A for second/subsequent defrags, but if this fails you can use method B again.

 

Aside:-

 

 

Now, there *are* defragging programs out there that can pretty well guarantee to

 

defrag all files [if there is enough freespace] in "one go", but these are commercial

 

and when running in this mode can take an inordinate amount of time to complete.

 

Personally, I find that the better freeware defraggers [like Defraggler] are very fast

 

and effective if used regularly. When I really do [rarely] want to virtually guarantee total

 

defragmentation & optimisation on a drive, then I use the command line version of JkDefrag

 

in a script (invoked several times) and set it going [with auto-shutdown afterwards] on my

 

PC before going home. Piriform have indicated that they may include command line support

 

in Defraggler, and if they do so, I may well switch to using that for this purpose

.

 

 

Another reason that some files cannot be defragmented could be due to limitations of

either the program or the way in which it interworks with Windows. Windows imposes

restrictions on defragging certain system files and components of the MFT, and files

that are open. Indeed, some of these *cannot* be defragmented by any defrag programs

whilst Windows proper is running, but can only be defragmented at boot time [although

there is a further method for the Pagefile].

 

If you need to defrag files that are locked when Windows is running, then you could

use JkDefrag. If you want to defrag your Pagefile and other system files, then you

could use Pagedfrg (by Sysinternals). Alternatively, you could defrag your Pagefile

on Windows XP IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH RAM (> 512MB) by the following...

 

1) Remove the Pagefile

2) Reboot the PC

3) Defrag the boot drive [or drive where you want the Pagefile] using Defraggler method B

4) Recreate a Pagefile on your chosen drive, using a custom size with the SAME min/max values.

 

I have deliberately not been too explicit as to how to do this: if you are not confident

that you would know what to do from the above instuctions then it is probably best

that you don't try it !

 

Finally, please note that there is a bug in Defraggler up to and including beta 058

whereby if you run an analysis on a drive that has just been defragged using method A

it may report that there are some fragmented files when in fact there are not. Sometimes

a further "analysis" run will indeed correctly show that all [or most] files have indeed been

defragged, but sometimes you would have to restart Defraggler in order to get the correct

analysis.

 

Happily, although this is a trivial bug, Piriform have tracked this down and fixed it, but

the fixed version has not yet been released. I presume that this will be due to the

wisdom of rolling this fix up with other bug fixes & new features and applying reasonably

thorough testing of the whole before release. [i look forward to it ]