Larian Studios Forums General Chat Defrag doesn't work. Why is that?

I need help please.

Some time ago, suddenly, my Win XP defragmenter started to show - Unable to initialize.

Yesterday I have installed program called Deskeeper. It works analogically to defrag. The problem is that it doesn't work either, and shows the same text. Unable to initialize.

I have two different HDD's. Both particioned - one into three, another into two parts (1 FAT all others are NTFS).

I am trying to do error-checking on all drives but, main drive can do CHKDSK on restart only. Second drive checks for errors in windows.
But still even after error-checking nothing really happends.

Please advise.

try it in safe mode.

I had that once.
After cleaning (removing temp. files and other stuff) and scanning, defrag worked just fine again.
Hope it does for you too. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Morbo, no, no difference <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

Seth, hmm, I did cleanup several times but I haven't deleted temp filles manually. Maybe this will help.

Morbo and Setharmon! Thank you. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

Try O&O Defrag, Freeware version. Might be difficult to get nowadays, but I always recommend it.

In some German offices of the state Disckeeper in't allowed, so they use O&O Defrag instead, if possible.

Look at this link: WinXP Defrag Info

If you are using WinXP maybe one of your problems matches some problems mentioned here.

Tsel

You can try this too.
I got this info from the lockergnome.


Run System File Checker which should search for and replace corrupt or
damaged system files. Pop your XP CD into the CD-Rom drive and cancel the
installer screen. Go to Start->Run and type

SFC /SCANNOW

SFC may take 20 mins or more to run. When finished reboot.

or you can try this process - which you might want to print out for
easier reference

1. Go to Start -> Run and type MMC
2. Now Add the Disk Defragmenter snap-in:
a. Console Root Menu: Select File->Add/Remove Snap-in
b. Select the "Standalone" tab.
c. Click the "Add..." button.
d. Select "Disk Defragmenter" from the list.
e. Click "Add" and then "Close".
f. Click "OK".

3. Right-click on the "Disk Defragmenter" in the tree.
4. Select "New window from here" (a second window comes up).
5. Close the first window that was open using the "x" button
6. Maximize the second window (from Step 4)
7. Hide the console pane (tree view) with the toolbar button.

8. Set MMC options:
a. Console Menu: Select File ->Options
b. Select "Console" tab
c. Type the name "Disk Defragmenter" in the name box.
d. Set Console mode to: "User mode - limited access, single window"
e. Check "Allow users to customize views"
f. Uncheck "Do not save changes to this console..."
g. Click "OK"

9. Save this config file as: C:\WINDOWS\system32\dfrg.msc
10.Close MMC you are all done with it.
11.You should be able to start Defrag as normal now.
12. You can toggle the console view by going to View->Customize View and
uncheck Console Tree to make it look like the original or check the box to
give you the tree.


If that doesn't help then I think you will need to try a Repair Install. See
here for How To Run A Repair Install
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm

You might have to do all of your Windows Updates all over again after this.

Tsel

I've found a page with O&O Defrag, the old freeware version :
http://www.rufi.ch/download/defrag/defrag.html

Newer versions of it are commercial.

Great call AlrikFassbauer <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

Here's another link that has the English version too.
oodfre_V3.5.562_english
http://folk.uio.no/stephanf/software-archiv3.html

Tsel <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Egin, I had the exact same problem and if you go into management console you will see that the module for XP defrag is missing, for some reason diskeeper installs parts of itself on top of XP defrag and when you remove it it also removes XP defrag,

Till this day I have tried to fix it with out a complete install/repair job but no luck so I reinstalled Diskeeper light (free version) again, have tried various other programs in the meantime. but no like any of the others .... oh and you will find that after installing Diskeepr again XP defrag works fine <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks everyone.

MeaCulpa that's right. I have read somewhere the same things, I forgot how to recover defrag after uninstalling diskeeper.

Alrik I have installed O&O. It started and defraged all my drives. It took about 6 hours to do that. It really was a mess <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ouch.gif" alt="" />

But still all other defraggers fail to start. I can leave everything as it is or start further investigations and I honestly don't know what to do.

Tsel wow <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> yay <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> impressive. I will try.


Thank you everyone. You are so helpful I can't describe in words <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

Hmm found an answer to the problem <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Open msconfig go to the services tab, untick Diskeeper and voila Defrag works again <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Mea, no, unfortunately, at least in my case it doesn't start working. More of that none of them initialize (diskeeper and defrag) after I uncheck diskeeper in services. I see a message - service stopped working or something.

yeah but do you have O&O installed ??