unlocking files in defragmenter

I have a 300gb HDD but when I try to defrag it it says that it cannot defrag
certain files because they are locked......this results in my HDD always
being 40% fragmented.... how do I unlock these files?

Locked files are files that are in use by the operating system. They can not
be unlocked. You need a third party defragmenting utility that can perform a
boot time defrag. This will usually take care of the condition.

PerfectDisk is one.

Diskeeper is another.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)


"T5" <> wrote in message
news:F895D5B2-5689-4D6F-A80C-...
>I have a 300gb HDD but when I try to defrag it it says that it cannot
>defrag certain files because they are locked......this results in my HDD
>always being 40% fragmented.... how do I unlock these files?

This has been recommended by a number of users. I haven't used, nor do I
recommend. http://www.auslogics.com/disk-defrag/

"T5" <> wrote in message
news:F895D5B2-5689-4D6F-A80C-...
>I have a 300gb HDD but when I try to defrag it it says that it cannot
>defrag certain files because they are locked......this results in my HDD
>always being 40% fragmented.... how do I unlock these files?

thanks Richard but is this really the case? In the old xp defragmenter you
were able to firstly analyze and it would show you what the file
would/should look like before and after defragmenting. Then after
defragmenting the drive all of the files would be laid out accordingly, In
vista even after a boot time defrag I am still left with a 40% fragmented
drive. Now, if I switch certain things off, I think indexer is one of them
and system restore, I am able to fully defrag. I know I have sort of half
answered my own question but am I doing the right thing?
"Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Locked files are files that are in use by the operating system. They can
> not be unlocked. You need a third party defragmenting utility that can
> perform a boot time defrag. This will usually take care of the condition.
>
> PerfectDisk is one.
>
> Diskeeper is another.
>
> --
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
> (For email, remove the obvious from my address)
>
>
> "T5" <> wrote in message
> news:F895D5B2-5689-4D6F-A80C-...
>>I have a 300gb HDD but when I try to defrag it it says that it cannot
>>defrag certain files because they are locked......this results in my HDD
>>always being 40% fragmented.... how do I unlock these files?
>

What program are you using for your defragmenting. The program that comes
with Vista does not do a boot time defrag. Nor does it show you the drives
condition pictorially.

If you turn off services and shut down programs that are operating in the
back ground you will, of course, free up a lot more files that can be
defragmented.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)


"T5" <> wrote in message
news:BC59CF86-5D2A-415D-9447-...
> thanks Richard but is this really the case? In the old xp defragmenter you
> were able to firstly analyze and it would show you what the file
> would/should look like before and after defragmenting. Then after
> defragmenting the drive all of the files would be laid out accordingly, In
> vista even after a boot time defrag I am still left with a 40% fragmented
> drive. Now, if I switch certain things off, I think indexer is one of them
> and system restore, I am able to fully defrag. I know I have sort of half
> answered my own question but am I doing the right thing?
> "Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Locked files are files that are in use by the operating system. They can
>> not be unlocked. You need a third party defragmenting utility that can
>> perform a boot time defrag. This will usually take care of the condition.
>>
>> PerfectDisk is one.
>>
>> Diskeeper is another.
>>
>> --
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Richard Urban
>> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
>> (For email, remove the obvious from my address)
>>
>>
>> "T5" <> wrote in message
>> news:F895D5B2-5689-4D6F-A80C-...
>>>I have a 300gb HDD but when I try to defrag it it says that it cannot
>>>defrag certain files because they are locked......this results in my HDD
>>>always being 40% fragmented.... how do I unlock these files?
>>
>

Hi again Richard,

I have been using the defragmenter that comes as part of IOLO system
mechanic 7.0 Professional and auslogic disk defragmenter, they both say that
I have 40% fragmented files and that I have locked files. I have also used
the trial version of Perfect Disk and ran a boot time defrag but I still
have 40% fragmented files ......so what is the purpose of a boot time defrag
apart from wasting boot time?
"Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
news:...
> What program are you using for your defragmenting. The program that comes
> with Vista does not do a boot time defrag. Nor does it show you the drives
> condition pictorially.
>
> If you turn off services and shut down programs that are operating in the
> back ground you will, of course, free up a lot more files that can be
> defragmented.
>
> --
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
> (For email, remove the obvious from my address)
>
>
> "T5" <> wrote in message
> news:BC59CF86-5D2A-415D-9447-...
>> thanks Richard but is this really the case? In the old xp defragmenter
>> you were able to firstly analyze and it would show you what the file
>> would/should look like before and after defragmenting. Then after
>> defragmenting the drive all of the files would be laid out accordingly,
>> In vista even after a boot time defrag I am still left with a 40%
>> fragmented drive. Now, if I switch certain things off, I think indexer is
>> one of them and system restore, I am able to fully defrag. I know I have
>> sort of half answered my own question but am I doing the right thing?
>> "Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>> Locked files are files that are in use by the operating system. They can
>>> not be unlocked. You need a third party defragmenting utility that can
>>> perform a boot time defrag. This will usually take care of the
>>> condition.
>>>
>>> PerfectDisk is one.
>>>
>>> Diskeeper is another.
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Richard Urban
>>> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
>>> (For email, remove the obvious from my address)
>>>
>>>
>>> "T5" <> wrote in message
>>> news:F895D5B2-5689-4D6F-A80C-...
>>>>I have a 300gb HDD but when I try to defrag it it says that it cannot
>>>>defrag certain files because they are locked......this results in my HDD
>>>>always being 40% fragmented.... how do I unlock these files?
>>>
>>
>

Different programs operate differently. Every manufacturer has his/her idea
of what to display as fragmented. That being said, Perfect Disk is used by
many knowledgeable users and it does a fine boot time defrag.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)


"T5" <> wrote in message
news:639CFF54-2F55-4099-A57C-...
> Hi again Richard,
>
> I have been using the defragmenter that comes as part of IOLO system
> mechanic 7.0 Professional and auslogic disk defragmenter, they both say
> that I have 40% fragmented files and that I have locked files. I have also
> used the trial version of Perfect Disk and ran a boot time defrag but I
> still have 40% fragmented files ......so what is the purpose of a boot
> time defrag apart from wasting boot time?
> "Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> What program are you using for your defragmenting. The program that comes
>> with Vista does not do a boot time defrag. Nor does it show you the
>> drives condition pictorially.
>>
>> If you turn off services and shut down programs that are operating in the
>> back ground you will, of course, free up a lot more files that can be
>> defragmented.
>>
>> --
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Richard Urban
>> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
>> (For email, remove the obvious from my address)
>>
>>
>> "T5" <> wrote in message
>> news:BC59CF86-5D2A-415D-9447-...
>>> thanks Richard but is this really the case? In the old xp defragmenter
>>> you were able to firstly analyze and it would show you what the file
>>> would/should look like before and after defragmenting. Then after
>>> defragmenting the drive all of the files would be laid out accordingly,
>>> In vista even after a boot time defrag I am still left with a 40%
>>> fragmented drive. Now, if I switch certain things off, I think indexer
>>> is one of them and system restore, I am able to fully defrag. I know I
>>> have sort of half answered my own question but am I doing the right
>>> thing?
>>> "Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
>>> news:...
>>>> Locked files are files that are in use by the operating system. They
>>>> can not be unlocked. You need a third party defragmenting utility that
>>>> can perform a boot time defrag. This will usually take care of the
>>>> condition.
>>>>
>>>> PerfectDisk is one.
>>>>
>>>> Diskeeper is another.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>>
>>>> Richard Urban
>>>> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
>>>> (For email, remove the obvious from my address)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "T5" <> wrote in message
>>>> news:F895D5B2-5689-4D6F-A80C-...
>>>>>I have a 300gb HDD but when I try to defrag it it says that it cannot
>>>>>defrag certain files because they are locked......this results in my
>>>>>HDD always being 40% fragmented.... how do I unlock these files?
>>>>
>>>
>>
>

Since Auslogics, Vista's own defragger, IOLO and Perfectdisk are not
able to run a boot-defrag, try with Diskeeper Pro. I've never had a
problem running a boot-time defrag with DK pro.

Incidentally, if you have more than one defragger installed on the
system and their services are running simultaneously, one might lock out
the others from accessing the system files during boot-time. Dont' ask
me how or why (I am not an MVP) , but once when I had two
commercial defraggers installed on the system (note: I did NOT try to
defrag with both simultaneously lol), boot-time defrag simply wouldn't
work. Only after disabling the other defragger's service did it work.
Again, don't ask me how, I am just reporting what happened.

So you may want to uninstall the other third party defraggers, install
DK Pro and try once again.

Maybe you also ought to check the disk first if there are any errors,
before running the boottime defrag.


--
Achilles

thx for the advice achilles, I am not too cut up about it, If I disable sys
restore and indexing the whole of my drive seems to defrag, don't know why?
What I do want to know is why does the defrag log always report files locked
or in use when I have nothing other than the defrag tool working?
"Achilles" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> Since Auslogics, Vista's own defragger, IOLO and Perfectdisk are not
> able to run a boot-defrag, try with Diskeeper Pro. I've never had a
> problem running a boot-time defrag with DK pro.
>
> Incidentally, if you have more than one defragger installed on the
> system and their services are running simultaneously, one might lock out
> the others from accessing the system files during boot-time. Dont' ask
> me how or why (I am not an MVP) , but once when I had two
> commercial defraggers installed on the system (note: I did NOT try to
> defrag with both simultaneously lol), boot-time defrag simply wouldn't
> work. Only after disabling the other defragger's service did it work.
> Again, don't ask me how, I am just reporting what happened.
>
> So you may want to uninstall the other third party defraggers, install
> DK Pro and try once again.
>
> Maybe you also ought to check the disk first if there are any errors,
> before running the boottime defrag.
>
>
> --
> Achilles

Most any system file that is loaded during boot up is locked by the system.
There are many that fit into this category.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)


"T5" <> wrote in message
news:8DAE0A4F-E379-449D-A37F-...
> thx for the advice achilles, I am not too cut up about it, If I disable
> sys restore and indexing the whole of my drive seems to defrag, don't know
> why? What I do want to know is why does the defrag log always report files
> locked or in use when I have nothing other than the defrag tool working?
> "Achilles" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>>
>> Since Auslogics, Vista's own defragger, IOLO and Perfectdisk are not
>> able to run a boot-defrag, try with Diskeeper Pro. I've never had a
>> problem running a boot-time defrag with DK pro.
>>
>> Incidentally, if you have more than one defragger installed on the
>> system and their services are running simultaneously, one might lock out
>> the others from accessing the system files during boot-time. Dont' ask
>> me how or why (I am not an MVP) , but once when I had two
>> commercial defraggers installed on the system (note: I did NOT try to
>> defrag with both simultaneously lol), boot-time defrag simply wouldn't
>> work. Only after disabling the other defragger's service did it work.
>> Again, don't ask me how, I am just reporting what happened.
>>
>> So you may want to uninstall the other third party defraggers, install
>> DK Pro and try once again.
>>
>> Maybe you also ought to check the disk first if there are any errors,
>> before running the boottime defrag.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Achilles
>