Re: disk defragmenter and how it runs???

On Mon, 6 Sep 2010 18:59:50 +0100, Rod wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I have had something puzzling me for some time now regarding the disk
> defragmenter. Perhaps someone can put me straight and help me out here.
>
>
> My disk defragmenter is set to run every Wednesday at 1.00 am. My computer
> is off at the time. What I would like to know is this.
>
>
> With the computer off and when I go back to to look at the settings in the
> disk defragmenter, it is telling me that my system was last de-fragged on
> the Wednesday last, exactly how it is telling me when it will defrag each
> week. So in other words, it is up to date in the defragging department, or
> so it is telling me.
>
>
> Firstly, if the computer is off, is it still defragging the computer as it
> is telling me it has? Or does the computer need to be physically on all the
> time while the defragging process is in operation?
>
>
> Secondly, I tried to defrag in the daytime when my computer was on. I left
> it alone to do its thing. After a period of time though, the screen went
> blank and eventually the computer turned itself off. It either went to
> sleep or in hibernation. When I checked in about two hours later, I had to
> put in my password once again to unlock the computer. Once that was done, I
> noticed it was still defragging.
>
>
> In the end, I left it all night. When I returned in the morning, it had
> locked itself out once more and I had to put in my password again and it was
> STILL defragging. Surely it does not take this long? It is making me think
> that when the machine shuts down, the defragging process stops. Is this the
> case?
>
>
> This is why I explained above, why is it telling me that it has been
> defragging successfully when the computer is off? This I cannot understand
> or fathom out.
>
>
> So my next question would be this. I know I may have to go into power
> management in the control panel to do something. I want to know how to stop
> the computer going to sleep and shutting itself off every so often so that
> you then need to put in your password each time.
>
>
> Can anybody tell me what settings I need need to have so that the computer
> stays on all the time without going to sleep or shutting down so that when I
> defrag, there is no intermittent breaks in between. So then it can defrag
> properly until it reaches its concluding end?
>
>
> A satisfactory answer to this problem would really help, if not for my
> sanity.
>
>
> Thank you
>
> Rod

Don't tell your computer to go to sleep or into hibernation after a time
interval.

If it's not off overnight, but actually asleep, it will wake up to run
the defrag. On Wednesdays, put it into sleep mode manually to be sure
it's not off that night.

There are lots of settings in the scheduler. Look into them. Find things
like "Turn computer off when this job is finished" and much more.

I can't imagine wanting to run defrag at all, to tell the truth, and
especially every week - although for all I know my computer is doing it;
I haven't looked :-)

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On Tue, 7 Sep 2010 13:54:28 +0100, Rod wrote:

> "Gene E. Bloch" <not-> wrote in message
> news8h4uion9kgy$.uxh64j0ajmr0$....
>> On Mon, 6 Sep 2010 18:59:50 +0100, Rod wrote:
>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Don't tell your computer to go to sleep or into hibernation after a time
>> interval.
>>
>> If it's not off overnight, but actually asleep, it will wake up to run
>> the defrag. On Wednesdays, put it into sleep mode manually to be sure
>> it's not off that night.
>>
>> There are lots of settings in the scheduler. Look into them. Find things
>> like "Turn computer off when this job is finished" and much more.
>>
>> Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)
>
> Okay thanks for the tips.
>
> I think summing up, I need to turn off hibernation mode.

That's up to you, but my computer takes longer to turn off and back on
using hibernation than just powering off and on :-)

> I still cannot understand why my computer is telling me that it was last
> de-fragged on the Wednesday last. If it has not defragged with the computer
> off and it is saying this, then it is very misleading. I still would like
> an answer whereby if my machine is putting out this statement on my machine,
> even though the machine is off, is my machine being defragged or not every
> Wednesday as it is showing?

Dave-UK says it all. But if you have not actually turned it off, but
instead put it into sleep mode, it will wake up to run at the scheduled
time. Tomorrow, get up at 1:00AM to see if that is what's happening
(just kidding).

>> I can't imagine wanting to run defrag at all, to tell the truth, and
>> especially every week - although for all I know my computer is doing it;
>> I haven't looked :-)
>
> I was always under the impression that defragging your computer tidies all
> your files up and puts them back in order so as to speak giving the final
> outcome of your computer running more efficiently.

All defragging does is rearrange files so that the separate pieces of a
file are moved so they are contiguous ( stored together). So if part of
your file system has clusters (smaller pieces of a file) arranged as
A2-B2-A3-C1-B1-A1-B3-C2 (as a possible example), they might end up
relocated to A1-A2-A3-C1-C2-B1-B2-B3 - and not necessarily close to the
area of the disk where the original clusters were found.

Today's drives, computers, and OSes are pretty fast, so there's not a
huge benefit for an average user to be bothering with this. Of course,
when the system does it automatically, it's really no bother.

> I know there are other ways as well to tidy up your PC such as using an
> optimiser/disk cleaner, running CHKDSK etc. Defragging is also an important
> part of keeping your machine running more efficiently and doing it on a
> weekly basis I would have thought, is the norm and very sensible ;-)
>
> Rod

There's a disc cleaner built into Windows, and it's useful to use it to
regain wasted space, especially if you're low on space. Although if you
are, you really need more serious organization techniques.

Some optimizers (sorry for the American spelling) - the ones that
optimize the registry - are considered dangerous by some posters in this
NG. I don't know for sure, except that when I run them, the changes they
offer look dangerous, even scary, to me - so I don't accept the changes
or use the programs. For the rest of the optimizers, I am not concerned
enough about my computer's performance to bother.

You've heard the slogan "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" (although one
of my favorite bumperstickers is "if it ain't broke, break it").

Chkdsk is not a program to tidy up your PC, it's a program to find & fix
file system problems. As in file system corruption and bad sectors, not
inefficiency.

You already know my opinion of defragging: a big yawn. However, in
response to this thread, I just *had* to look into my task scheduler.
Defrag is scheduled to run Wednesdays at 04:20 and it ran last at
18:59:07 9/01/10 (September 1, not January 9). I must say that I never
noticed any effect on the performance of my computer, before, during, or
after.

If you read this far in this long & somewhat opinionated post,
congratulations - you are very patient and forgiving :-)

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

There is a free disk defrag program that I have used before called Smart
Defrag. It works much faster than the one built into Windows and has a
special Fast Optimize option as well. You can download it from Download.com
or Iobit website.
Paul

On Tue, 7 Sep 2010 22:03:34 -0400, Techfriend1 wrote:

> There is a free disk defrag program that I have used before called Smart
> Defrag. It works much faster than the one built into Windows and has a
> special Fast Optimize option as well. You can download it from Download.com
> or Iobit website.
> Paul

If you had followed my posts (which you didn't quote), you would see
that I am not all interested in such an item.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)