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Windows 2000 Professional defrag

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by maxwell edison

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Although any user can gain access to the Disk Defragmenter console, the ability to defragment a volume requires administrator privileges. If you do not have administrator privileges and you try to use Disk Defragmentor, you receive the following message:

Disk Defragmenter

You must have Administrator privileges to defrag a volume.

I want my Power Users (all of my users, for that matter) to be able to run the defrag utility themselves - without giving them administrator privilages. Hasanyone stumbled upon a way around this built-in restriction?

15 replies

by jwilczyn

Disk Defragmenter was designed primarily for stand-alone workstations or servers whose users have the ability to log on locally with administrator privileges. Disk Defragmenter is not intended to be a tool for administrators to maintain networked workstations. This version is not designed to be run remotely and cannot be scheduled to automatically defragment a volume without interaction from a logged-on user. The only way a non-administrator can defragment a local volume is to run the Dfrg.msc console in the context of a user who has administrator privileges. You can accomplish this by running the following command:

runas /user:administrator@domain.company.com "mmc dfrg.msc"

The user is prompted for the administrator password. This command may be useful for an administrator who wants to run a defragmentation on a user's computer without forcing the user to log off.
Check Q231176

by maxwell edison

Thanks for the answer, but the first half of my question was taken from that article. The suggested resolution won't work for me because it requires the user entering the administrator password. If I were to share the password with all of my users, I might as well just give them administrator priviliges - which I don't want to do.

It seems to me that Microsoft screwed up when they released Windows 2000 with this limitation.

Thanks anyway. If you happen to see something else, let me know.

by r. a. caluste

Why not try a third-party defragmenter?

Try the following:

O&O Defrag (freeware for windows 2000): ftp://ftp.oo-software.de/pub/ood2kfre/oodfre_V3.5.562_english.exe (disregard space)

Also try the freeware Autodefrag (http://www.webattack.com/get/autodefrag.shtml)

"AutoDeFrag is a launcher for the standard defragmenter built into Windows 2000. The standard defragmenter does not support the ability to be scheduled, and therefore must be manually launched when required, once for each fixed disk in your system. AutoDeFrag works around this limitation and allows the Windows 2000 Task Scheduler to be used to schedule the defragmenter. By default, lunching AutoDefrag will defragment all drives, however you can specify in the command line, if you only want a selected drive defragmented. Very simple tool, but a great aid in maintaining performance."

Using this tool, you can take advantage of the Task Scheduler's RunAs to automatically run Defrag as administrator without user intervention.

Hope this helps.

by maxwell edison

I have considered third party utilities, and I've looked at several different options in this regard. However, the purpose of the question is rather specific. And whether or not I use task scheduler is not an issue. I want to totally put this task -defraging the local drive (whether it's scheduled or not) - onto the users without giving them administrator priviliges or the administrator password. Yes, I could use a third party software, but that's not the issue of the question.

I want myusers to be able to run the "built-in" defrag utility themselves - without giving them administrator privilages or passwords.

Has anyone stumbled upon a way around this built-in restriction?

Thanks anyway for the answer. If you happend to find anything else, let me know.

by maxwell edison

Greetings to all who are kind enough to read and consider answering my question. I think it's a major oversight for Microsoft to have programed this restriction into the Windows 2000 Professional operating system.

I'm not looking for alternatives to running the built-in defrag utility, as I know there are many different options. What I'm looking for is very narrow in scope.

Specifically, as I mentioned initially, I'm looking for a way around the built-in restriction as described. No more, no less.

Feel free to post whatever kind of answer you'd like, but I'll accept only the one that specifically answers my question. I guess what I'm looking for is some kind of registry hack or something similar.

Thanks again.

by maxwell edison

Dave,

Thanks for the answer and the link, but it's really outside the very narrow scope of my intended question. I hate to be a stickler on this, but I'm really looking for that one "bulls-eye" answer.

As I stated in a comment previously, whether or not I use task scheduler is not an issue. Finding a way to allow a power user or a regular user to run the built-in defrag utility as designed (with the emphasis on "as designed") at his or her discretion was the basis of the question. Also, and again, as mentioned above, a registry hack or something similar is what I'm looking for. I know about the alternatives, but that wasn't the specific question. I hate rejecting answers, but I'm really looking for only that one very specific thing. I suppose, however, what I'm looking for doesn't exist.

In all the questions I've posted, I think I've accepted close to 95% of the answers, and awarded close to 200,000 points. I really do hate rejecting them, and in a way, I wish I didn't post this question. I know that the professionals who regularly answer questions look for ways around a problem if there's no apparent "direct" solution to it. That's what I do, and sometimes that's all a person can do. And that's what's happening here.
If I hadn't already rejected those first two answers, I'd just acept them all and close the question. In the very least, any attempt to help a peer deserves sincere thanks. So I hope you can accept my thanks for the noble effort.

Maxwell

by maxwell edison

Anna,

Thanks for the answer and the link, but it's really outside the very narrow scope of my intended question. I hate to be a stickler on this, but I'm really looking for that one "bulls-eye" answer.

As I stated in a comment previously, whether or not I use task scheduler is not an issue. Finding a way to allow a power user or a regular user to run the built-in defrag utility as designed (with the emphasis on "as designed") at his or her discretion was the basis of the question. Also, and again, as mentioned above, a registry hack or something similar is what I'm looking for. I know about the alternatives, but that wasn't the specific question. I hate rejecting answers, but I'm really looking for only that one very specific thing. I suppose, however, what I'm looking for doesn't exist.

In all the questions I've posted, I think I've accepted close to 95% of the answers, and awarded close to 200,000 points. I really do hate rejecting them, and in a way, I wish I didn't post this question. I know that the professionals who regularly answer questions look for ways around a problem if there's no apparent "direct" solution to it. That's what I do, and sometimes that's all a person can do. And that's what's happening here.
And since I have the opportunity, I'd also like to let you know that I admire your tenacity, considering all that's transpired in recent months about various things. You've contributed a great deal to this forum, and I'm glad you found it fitting to post an answer to my question.

Best regards,

Maxwell

by cglrcng9

I know this won't help answer your question in the exact way it was put (I think the above poster did that)...But the "as built" Windows defrag. utility isn't the best solution anyway..Norton Speed Disk is and easy enough to get and run (both economically and for the user), nor would it require admin. priv. (he is right on the hack above tho).

by maxwell edison

Thanks for the answer, and yes, you're right about defrag not being the best solution, and that there are better alternatives, but it's not the specific point of the question. See the comments above (if you care to). They apply here as well.

Manythanks,

Maxwell

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