Your PC won't defrag

By Fred Litt, Family Technology Associates 

Defragging your PC is required maintenance.  What if it fails?

Defragmentation is the process of positioning the files and folders on your hard drive for maximum access speed.  The more you add and remove files from the hard drive, the more your drive becomes fragmented.  Defragmentation is a simple process that should be performed every month or so.  A successful defragmentation will result in faster access to information on your hard drive.

Windows XP

Simply click START>ALL PROGRAMS>ACCESSORIES>SYSTEM TOOLS then DISK DEFRAGMENTER.  When the DISK DEFRAGMENTER windows appears, click DEFRAGMENT.  This process is simple, straightforward, and, typically, foolproof.  The time required to complete this process is a function of the size of your hard drive, how much information is on the drive, and how frequently you defragment.

Win98/ME

If you have an older PC running Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition, the process is similar - however, failure IS a possibility.  If you have never performed this procedure, it could take many hours to complete.  And that's if you're lucky.

If you attempt this process and it either (1) never completes after 6 hours or (2) constantly restarts (typically after 10% completion), you've got a problem.

The problem is typically caused by (1) some unwelcome program or virus that runs in the background or (2) one or more of your files is 'cross-linked' or corrupted and, in this situation, the defragmentation process simply won't work.

In this case, try the following:

• Run Scan Disk from System Tools to repair corrupted files

• Run Disk Cleanup from System Tools to reduce files that must be defragmented

• Check for viruses and spyware/adware and run respective removal tools

If you still can't complete the defragmentation process, then try

• Enter SAFE MODE and then run the Disk Defragger - or -

• Mount your drive in another PC and defrag it from there - or -

• Purchase Norton SystemWorks and run their Defrag utility

If you can't defrag, should you simply ignore it?  NO!  If defrag does not perform properly, something is wrong with the functioning and performance of your hard drive.  This could lead to a total corruption of your important data files.  Backup your important files and seek professional assistance.

This article may be reproduced with permission of Fred Litt, Family Technology Associates. Contact Fred at 201-315-4943 fred@FamilyTechnology.com for details.