Defragmenting woes

Chuck

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I tried bringing up win98 in safe mode and ran the MS defragmenter
(after running scandisk of course). It runs for hours, gets to about 95%
complete, and then reports "disk contents changed, restarting". What's
going on? There is nothing else running. No AV software, no spyware
detection, no scheduler, no screen saver, or anything else, plus I'm in
safe mode.

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lee

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Chuck wrote:
> I tried bringing up win98 in safe mode and ran the MS defragmenter
> (after running scandisk of course). It runs for hours, gets to about
95%
> complete, and then reports "disk contents changed, restarting".
What's
> going on? There is nothing else running. No AV software, no spyware
> detection, no scheduler, no screen saver, or anything else, plus I'm
in
> safe mode.
>
> --
> To reply by email remove "_nospam"

You might want to try deleting Windows\Applog folder and moving your
swap file to another partition. This should stop the changing disk
contents at least. Applog folder will be recreated and contains no
valuable information anyway, just cluster mapping of your applications
for enhanced program launching during defrag which may be causing the
excessive run time for defrag. Past defrag sessions that were aborted
also cause excessive run times. You didn't mention it but, how big is
this partition?
 

HAGGIS

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"Lee" <melee5@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:1109093351.708593.136910@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> Chuck wrote:
>> I tried bringing up win98 in safe mode and ran the MS defragmenter
>> (after running scandisk of course). It runs for hours, gets to about
> 95%
>> complete, and then reports "disk contents changed, restarting".
> What's
>> going on? There is nothing else running. No AV software, no spyware
>> detection, no scheduler, no screen saver, or anything else, plus I'm
> in
>> safe mode.
>>
>> --
>> To reply by email remove "_nospam"
>
> You might want to try deleting Windows\Applog folder and moving your
> swap file to another partition. This should stop the changing disk
> contents at least. Applog folder will be recreated and contains no
> valuable information anyway, just cluster mapping of your applications
> for enhanced program launching during defrag which may be causing the
> excessive run time for defrag. Past defrag sessions that were aborted
> also cause excessive run times. You didn't mention it but, how big is
> this partition?
>

just as a side note..get the defrag.exe from windows ME ..it is much faster
for win98
 

Chuck

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Lee wrote:
> Chuck wrote:
>
>>I tried bringing up win98 in safe mode and ran the MS defragmenter
>>(after running scandisk of course). It runs for hours, gets to about
>
> 95%
>
>>complete, and then reports "disk contents changed, restarting".
>
> What's
>
>>going on? There is nothing else running. No AV software, no spyware
>>detection, no scheduler, no screen saver, or anything else, plus I'm
>
> in
>
>>safe mode.
>>
>>--
>>To reply by email remove "_nospam"
>
>
> You might want to try deleting Windows\Applog folder and moving your
> swap file to another partition. This should stop the changing disk
> contents at least. Applog folder will be recreated and contains no
> valuable information anyway, just cluster mapping of your applications
> for enhanced program launching during defrag which may be causing the
> excessive run time for defrag. Past defrag sessions that were aborted
> also cause excessive run times. You didn't mention it but, how big is
> this partition?
>

6 gig.
 

Chuck

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Haggis wrote:
> "Lee" <melee5@my-deja.com> wrote in message
> news:1109093351.708593.136910@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
>>Chuck wrote:
>>
>>>I tried bringing up win98 in safe mode and ran the MS defragmenter
>>>(after running scandisk of course). It runs for hours, gets to about
>>
>>95%
>>
>>>complete, and then reports "disk contents changed, restarting".
>>
>>What's
>>
>>>going on? There is nothing else running. No AV software, no spyware
>>>detection, no scheduler, no screen saver, or anything else, plus I'm
>>
>>in
>>
>>>safe mode.
>>>
>>>--
>>>To reply by email remove "_nospam"
>>
>>You might want to try deleting Windows\Applog folder and moving your
>>swap file to another partition. This should stop the changing disk
>>contents at least. Applog folder will be recreated and contains no
>>valuable information anyway, just cluster mapping of your applications
>>for enhanced program launching during defrag which may be causing the
>>excessive run time for defrag. Past defrag sessions that were aborted
>>also cause excessive run times. You didn't mention it but, how big is
>>this partition?
>>
>
>
> just as a side note..get the defrag.exe from windows ME ..it is much faster
> for win98
>
>

Where is that available and would I be breaking any copyrights by
downloading it for a machine that isn't licensed for ME?
 

lee

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Chuck wrote:
> Lee wrote:
<snip>
> > also cause excessive run times. You didn't mention it but, how big
is
> > this partition?
> >
>
> 6 gig.

6 gig should only take a half hour at most, I'd say something was
seriously interfering or you are running at very slow data speeds.
Have you looked into DMA settings and/or testing your actual through
put for your hard drives? It may be that you could make vast
improvments there.

DMA Check Box Does Not Remain Checked
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=159560
Further info - substitue 2x (DMA) modes as follows
UDMA mode 0 is 40
UDMA mode 1 is 41 etc

http://www.simplisoftware.com/Public/index.php?request=HdTach

Before messing with DMA settings I've found it best to set up a
dedicated DMA buffer first by adding this line to your [386Enh] section
of system.ini file.
DMABufferSize=64

or you can do the same through Device Mangler|System Devices|Direct
Memory Access Controller|Properties|Settings tab|Reserved Memory
section. Doing this first will prevent DMA settings changes from
causing a non-bootable Windows situation, ignore at your own peril.
Press Pause during bootup POST screens to see DMA capabilties, press
spacebar to continue bootup. Refer to help file of HDTach to compare
potential drive DMA levels with actual throughput.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

(A) What about items 2 & 3...?...

1. Turn off screen saver (R-Clk Desktop, Properties, Screen Saver--
None)
2. Turn off power management (Control Panel, Power Management-- Always
On,Never,Never,Never)
3. Disable any permanent internet cable connection, perhaps.
4. Suspend Task Scheduler
5. Turn off interfering programs.

(B) To expand upon Lee's thought, may as well get rid of all your
junk...

(1) Delete the contents of C:\Windows\TEMP. Delete contents only.

Under normal circumstances, C:\WINDOWS\TEMP can be cleared of
files/folders after a fresh boot. You need the fresh boot, because
something may be sitting there, waiting to "complete" an install. You
will likely have seen a message about it, though. Anyway, you should
know whether you've installed something since boot. Now, some files may
return after the delete. "WebPoolFileFile" is one. That will come back
next boot or when you run McAfee.

I have seen one poster who objected, saying one should browse through
those files, looking for .log's. He said it might be interesting to see
whether there is an error message or something inside. It was too late
for me by then.

Naturally, if you have actually installed something into TEMP, there
might be a Registry connection to it. Those, you need to un/re-install
elsewhere. Finally, I even saw a poster who had system files in there,
perhaps it was the Temporary Internet Files in there. That shouldn't be!
Well, to be certain, is C:\Windows\TEMP mentioned in any of these
Registry keys?

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\She
ll Folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Use
r Shell Folders

(2) "Control Panel, Internet Options, Delete Files button, bolt Delete
all offline content, OK, OK"

These were your Temporary Internet Files, which, since V4, has an
involvement with Windows Update. It's main purpose is to hold
bits/pieces of sites you visit, to make it quicker to load next visit.
Also, it is a work area for OE6. Naturally, TIFs will grow back. It's
size is controllable by the slider & input box under the Settings
button.

(3) Most of the following shall never return again, and were work files,
pre-V4:
(a) "START, Settings, Folder Options, View tab"; bolt "Show all
files" & UNcheck "Hide file extensions...".
(b) Open Explorer to "C:\Program Files\WindowsUpdate", and
(c) Delete everything in this folder EXCEPT the V4 folder.
(d) Open the V4 folder, and delete everything in it EXCEPT for the
"iuhist.xml" file.

(4) http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q238165
Deleting APPLOG Content
(a) You won't even see it, unless "START, Settings, Folder Options,
View tab" is bolted "Show all files"; may as well uncheck "Hide file
extensions..." too.
(b) START, Find, Files or Folders, Applog"
(c) Double-click the Applog folder to open it.
(d) On the Edit menu, click Select all.
(e) On the File menu, click Delete, and then click Yes when you are
prompted to confirm the deletion.

APPLOG is used by Defrag to optimize the location of files on your
partition. (Some files in it seem extraordinarily large.) It will be
recreated and the contents will accumulate, as the second time any app
is run it generates an .LGC in that folder. (Optlog.txt, in that folder,
will be recreated, when next you Defrag. Save the old one only to retain
a record of every app that has run, at least twice, to the date of your
last Defrag.)

(5) "START, Find, F/F, fff*". Got any, with a name that is tons long?
Then...

.......Quote.........
You find that you are accumulating a lot of temporary files in your
Windows directory that start with fff and have a .tmp extension, similar
to this:

fff137e3_{3BC6A120-EFC3-11D2-96F7-D0634EC10000}.tmp
fff137e3_{3BC6A121-EFC3-11D2-96F7-D0634EC10000}.tmp

These files are created by a bug in certain versions of MDM.EXE....two
every time it is loaded.
See here:
OFF2000: Files Whose Name Begins with 'fff' Appear in Windows Folder"
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=221438

OFF: How to Turn Off Machine Debug Manager, Mdm.exe
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=321410

MDM is loaded with programs such as Office, and Microsoft Script
Debugger.
The fix is to prevent it from loading, by renaming the file, and
removing its reference in the startup group.

Rename MDM.EXE to MDM.EX_ or MDM.BAD, or something like that.
Look for any reference to MDM.EXE in the Startup folders:
C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp
C:\Windows\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp
and in the registry run key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and delete it.

Then delete all those fff___.tmp files.
Note that if you reinstall any of the programs that added MDM.EXE, you
may get it loaded back, and will have to disable it again.

....glen
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
.......End....of quote.......

(6) Also, do you have SpyBot? Then...
"START, Find, F/F, 'Checks*.*, Fixes*.*'" (No quotes; yes comma). If you
have a ton of these, then delete them. Go to the Settings screen of
SpyBot, & turn off both the Checks & Fixes logs.


http://www.pcmag.com/ 's HDValet can help with that. It is configurable,
& installs with pre-configured suggestions. By design, it will not
delete empty folders, after the files are gone. Also, it will not delete
files that are "in use". It isn't pre-configured to delete it's own log
& doesn't over-write it. So, occasionally, do go in and trim it.

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net
"Chuck" <skilover_nospam@softhome.net> wrote in message
news:38162iF5g29urU1@individual.net...
| I tried bringing up win98 in safe mode and ran the MS defragmenter
| (after running scandisk of course). It runs for hours, gets to about
95%
| complete, and then reports "disk contents changed, restarting". What's
| going on? There is nothing else running. No AV software, no spyware
| detection, no scheduler, no screen saver, or anything else, plus I'm
in
| safe mode.
|
| --
| To reply by email remove "_nospam"
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Chuck wrote:

> Haggis wrote:
>
>>just as a side note..get the defrag.exe from windows ME ..it is much faster
>>for win98
>>
>
> Where is that available

Several places. Try links found via:
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Defrag+WinME+download>

> and would I be breaking any copyrights by
> downloading it for a machine that isn't licensed for ME?

Certaninly.

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