Using Defrag

Defrag Revisited

Somebody had asked for help in the forum because they couldn't get Defrag to work properly. It kept restarting.

I received three emails with information on resolving this particular problem. Why send it to me? Why not post it in the forum to help the person that asked the question?

Alicia, I apologize for using your email as an example, but I liked it, because it not only gave a possible solution to a common problem, but it also offered a valuable resource. I thank you very much for your feedback, I just think it would have been better to send it as a reply to the question in the forum.

At this point though, because of copyright laws, I would like to mention that this comes straight from chapter 10 of the Microsoft Windows98 Resource Kit (page 425 in my copy).

Here's part of Alicia's email:

.... someone was having trouble with defrag not working properly. This is what I found in the resource kit.

To prevent screen savers from running during defragmentation

1. Open Registry Editor

2. Create a string named DisableScreeenSaver under HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows /CurrentVersion/Applets/Defrag/Settings

3. Set its value to 'yes'.

Some programs are always running in the background of Windows 98 and are difficult to close. If you closed all programs and Disk Defragmenter still restarts frequently and cannot complete, you may want to run Disk Defragmenter before Windows displays the logon prompt (at this point, most programs have not been started).

To run Disk Defragmenter before Windows displays the logon prompt

1. Open the Registry Editor

2. Go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows /CurrentVersion/RunServicesOnce
and create a new string value named Defrag.

3. Set the value to defrag.exe

4. Close Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Disk Defragmenter runs before the Windows logon prompt with minimal interruptions. Putting this command line under the RunServiceOnce key takes effect only once. subsequent computer restarts will not cause Disk Defragmenter to run again.

......Alicia

Thanks again Alicia, for your feedback.

PC ComputerNotes' subscribers range from new users, just beginning to learn more about their systems, to certified computer technicians and programmers from all over the world. There has never been any doubt in my mind that you are all willing, and able, to help each other out.

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