Won't Defrag HDD

SHOOT ME! This isn't my computer, going on hearsay from a friend who has the problem. I'm stumped without actually seeing it! Again Thanks!

Difficult to answer without the exact error message, but I'm assuming the error is related to either a file or surface error. You should run scandisk (Start/Programs/Accessories/Scandisk) in standard mode first and fix any problems reported there, then run it with the thorough option to verify the surface of the drive is not causing a problem. Next try to run defrag with everything shut down (under Ctrl+Alt+Del should only be Explorer and Systray running).
More info on the exact wording of the error would help...

My first suggestion is to try running scandisk and then defrag from safe mode.

If the error persists, there may be a problem with the partition or FAT tables for the drive.

Verify that a drive overlay program is not in use.
Then, boot from a W98 startup disk and run fdisk with the mbr switch. (fdisk /mbr)
CAUTION: if a drive overlay program is installed, running fdisk with the MBR switch may cause all data to be lost.

I don't know if I would try Partition Magic (or any other disk utilities) until the cause of the error is determined.

Chas

One thing I would try is running Disk Doctor (Norton) through DOS. This is available in all versions--go into DOS mode and run NDD.exe from there. That way you don't really have to worry about the OS getting in the way. I personally don't really trust the reliability of scandisk--ndd has always worked much better. Let me know if this works or not. Another thing you could try doing is ending every task but explorer, and running ndd through windows. But if windows is crashing or shutting down everytime you try running that, perhaps your best bet is to try running ndd from the command prompt. Happy Hunting!

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