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DEFRAG IS FRAGGED!

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13 replies

by j j k

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
Packard Bell Pentium 3/600, Win98SE - the defrag appears to be not working. The machine SOUNDS as though defrag is working, but the blue progress bar simply jumps up to the '1% done' mark, then dissapears. In the 'show details' window, absolutely nothing appears. After four hours, there is still nothing on the 'show details' screen and the blue progress bar still does no more than intermittantly jump up to the '1% done' mark. I suspect that the defrag is truly not working as the machine is nowgetting slow on some programs and tasks. Now, scan disk is doing the same thing, but that's a new problem, as Defrag showed this problem weeks earlier. I have disabled absolutely eveything on startup, including anti-virus - nothing is running in thebackground at all. The machine has no other problems at all and has been a marvellous thing to operate.

13 replies

by curacao_dejavu

check the ms kb Article ID: Q218160 and
(this is too long to cut and paste)

Article ID: Q259030.
Disk Defragmenter Hangs After Choosing Disk to Defragment and
APC PowerChute Plus Causes Disk Defragmenter to Hang
This behavior can occur if you are using APC PowerChute Plus 5.0 or 5.0.1. These versions of PowerChute Plus are designed for Microsoft Windows 95.

RESOLUTION
To work around this behavior, quit PowerChute Plus before attempting to use Disk Defragmenter. To do so, follow these steps:

Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to open the Close Program dialog box.

Click PowerChute Plus, and then click End Task.

Repeat steps 1-2, clicking Iconclnt in step 2.

Run Disk Defragmenter.

To start PowerChute Plus after Disk Defragmenter is finished, use either of the following methods:
Method 1
Restart your computer.
Method 2
Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files or folders.

In the Named box, type iconclnt.exe pwrchute.exe, and then click Find Now.

In the list of found files, double-click the Iconclnt.exe file, and then double-click the Pwrchute.exe file.

Quit the Find tool.

regards,

Leopold

by j j k

Leopold, thanks for your efforts, but I'm afraid it didn't help me. Power Chute is not and never has been on this computer. I followed the article trail you gave me and deleted the C/windows/apps file as one of the articles suggested, but to no avail. When I use scan disk it keeps jumping from 'checking folders' back to 'checking file allocation tables', until eventually up comes an alert, saying "Scan Disk has restarted ten times because Windows or another program has been writing to this drive. Quitting some running programs may enable scan disk to finish sooner...". Beleive me, there are no other programs running at all, so that message should not come up. No screen saver is operating; the anti-virus program is disabled; I have been right through msconfig to make sure nothing is alive and I have even deleted some (non-windows )programs to make sure there are no conflicts. So, what's the story here....

by zbopz

Here's an idea.

Restart in MSDOS mode. Type: scanreg /fix (enter)
When it says "Windows has successfully fixed your Registry" It is done. Hit enter to return to The DOS Prompt. Run this utility a few times. It should get a bit faster each time.

When you are satisfied that it is not getting any quicker, get back to the prompt and Type: scandisk (enter). Some of the things you mentioned could be pointing to a damaged HD. The system gradually slowing down and problems running two differentdisk utilities. This DOS version of scandisk will mark any bad clusters on your HD so that no data can be written to them. If scandisk gives a clean bill of health, you have some peace of mind.

Back at the DOS Prompt Type: exit (enter) or win (enter) to return to windows.

Run: SFC to verify the integrity of your system files.

Now try defrag. If it works, great. If not, go into msconfig and on the general tab, deselect selective startup and then reselect it.. This will clear the "process system.ini and win.ini check boxes. Apply, OK, Restart, Try defrag again. If it needs more help than this, boot into safe mode and run it.

As a last resort, I would replace defrag.exe using SFC again, this time to extract one file. You need to know the path to the file (C:\WINDOWS on my system) and have the Windows 98 CD or know the path to the cabs. Do a search for Win98_*.cab if you don't know.

Laterzzzzz

by j j k

No bad clusters. No damage to the HDD. For some reason, during defrag, the computer THINKS something is writing to the disc. However, if I have missed turning EVERYTHING else off, I'm dammed if I can find it!

by rbatton

When I have run into this problem I just run defrag in safe mode. To get to safe mode just restart your PC and hold down the 'shift' key while PC is booting. This has worked for me in the past with no problems.

by j j k

Thanks Bob. I tried this and it worked! However, Leopold (Deja_Vu)sent me a private email just before you posted this response, so I am now at a loss as to how to allocate the points! Half each, or the full points each? Now, I need help with this dilemma....

by lheisey

Turn off everything in MSConfig, antivirus, screen savers and wallpaper and you will be fine.

by j j k

Sorry, in my initial posting I explained that I'd done all this. However, in defrag, it seems as though the computer still THINKS something is writing to the disk, even with EVERYTHING else switched off. Consequently, it keeps starting and stopping and can't/wont go past 10% done

by kitticatxx

Click on CTRL-ALT-DELETE
close all running Programs Exept Explorer and Systray Also dissable your Screensaver

by j j k

Thanks, but I'd already done all this, as I explained in my initial posting.

by j j k

Thanks Leopold, for this advice. Your private email came before any other suggestions and got me out of trouble. Sorry for the delay in rating your answer, but I have been away.

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