First scan with Defraggler

[Humph]

Hello all

 

After running a weekly Windows defrag on my one year old VAIO latop running Windows Vista Home - I wondered whether the Windows defrag was actually doing anything.

 

The Defraggler analysis showed 55% fragmentation so I ran a defrag which reduced this to 45%, which as I said in a previous post, seemed rather pointless. If anything the system seems jerkier.

I always run CCleaner before defragging to make the job easier.

 

I cannot think that this 45% remianing consists of locked or immovavble system files - but since all I keep on Drive C is mainly programs perhaps this is so. Could it be so?

[kroozer]

I cannot think that this 45% remianing consists of locked or immovavble system files - but since all I keep on Drive C is mainly programs perhaps this is so. Could it be so?

Yes.

If you have a full 15% of your C drive in Sys Vol Info (Restore) files, plus a sizeable number of Temp Int files, and all the remaining files are defragged you will still have a high frag reading because Sys Vol Info and Temp Int files are not defraggable.

Further, if you have a large capacity drive with a lot of free space defragging should not improve performance.

My drive is now 54% fragged, which is normal. It fluctuates only a few points even without defragging.

To see a substantial drop in frag all you have to do is clean out all your temp files, and delete all your system restore points. It may then drop to around 15% frag, but you lose the safety of Restore Points, and as the points build so will your frag reading.

Frags on your HDD are like bugs at a family picnic. They'll begin reappearing a few minutes after a clean sweep.

[Humph]

Yes.

If you have a full 15% of your C drive in Sys Vol Info (Restore) files, plus a sizeable number of Temp Int files, and all the remaining files are defragged you will still have a high frag reading because Sys Vol Info and Temp Int files are not defraggable.

Further, if you have a large capacity drive with a lot of free space defragging should not improve performance.

My drive is now 54% fragged, which is normal. It fluctuates only a few points even without defragging.

To see a substantial drop in frag all you have to do is clean out all your temp files, and delete all your system restore points. It may then drop to around 15% frag, but you lose the safety of Restore Points, and as the points build so will your frag reading.

Frags on your HDD are like bugs at a family picnic. They'll begin reappearing a few minutes after a clean sweep.

 

Well thank you Kroozer. I would guess that therefore it is only worth Defraggling when your Drive C is 80+% full, which I would not allow anyway.

 

Incidentally I always clear Temp Int files before feragging - using CCleaner - which is how I came by Defraggler.

 

As I said I only Defraggled once and am unlikely to do it again. I just hope this one Defraggling can't have done any harm, can it?

[kroozer]

I just hope this one Defraggling can't have done any harm, can it?

Unfortunately there IS the possibility defragging can cause harm which is one reason why Sys Vol Info files are undefraggable.

On my previous computer using a different defragger I did damage two programs.

But I've had no issues the few times running Defraggler with my current pc.

[redhawk]

I've never heard of damage caused by defragging since Windows knows the files have been moved and will compensate accordingly.

There is however a possibility that habitually moving files around if the drive is dying or suffers from high ECC errors then this could lead to disk corruption.

As for SVI is normally not accessible because it's probably interference either by user or virus could cause the System Restore function to malfunction.

 

Richard S.

[kroozer]

I've never heard of damage caused by defragging since Windows knows the files have been moved and will compensate accordingly.

This is however a possibility that habitually moving files around if the drive is dying or suffers from high ECC errors then this could lead to disk corruption.

As for SVI is normally not accessible because it's probably interference either by user or virus could cause the System Restore function to malfunction.

 

Richard S.

On those two programs I noticed the damage almost immediately after defrag. ChkDisk showed no disk damage, nor later when I finally decommissioned the drive.

As to the information about omitting SVI from defrag, I obtained that from a tech item online a few years back and I cannot remember the source, so you got me there.

 

I posted some months ago questioning the value of periodic defragging and asked if anyone could provide a link to a report of the results of a statistical analysis showing performance improvement from periodic defragging. No result. If such a paper exists I would love to read it! So right now to my mind the value of most defragging is theoretical - no proof.

 

Betty

[Humph]

On those two programs I noticed the damage almost immediately after defrag. ChkDisk showed no disk damage, nor later when I finally decommissioned the drive.

As to the information about omitting SVI from defrag, I obtained that from a tech item online a few years back and I cannot remember the source, so you got me there.

 

I posted some months ago questioning the value of periodic defragging and asked if anyone could provide a link to a report of the results of a statistical analysis showing performance improvement from periodic defragging. No result. If such a paper exists I would love to read it! So right now to my mind the value of most defragging is theoretical - no proof.

 

Betty

 

Well, since I have 220GB free out of total 289GB it would be stupid of me to worry about defragging anyway. I do use the CCleaner weekly to get rid of excess.

 

As I say I analysed and did the Defraggler ONCE only without going back to defrag individual files. Surely that cannot have done harm?