defrag: my unmovable files are in 3 separate blocks

[mitchafi]

The green stuff (unmovable files) in my defrag tool is in 3 separate blocks instead of the 1 it used to be in. Does this matter? If so, how can I fix it. I think I may have done it when I was messing with my paging file.

 

[InlineFive]

1. What defragmenting tool are you using?
2. It is probably, pagefil.sys, hiberfil.sys and swapfil.sys.

-Por

 

[mitchafi]

I'm just using the defrag tool that comes with windows xp...is there a better one? And if it is those files, does it matter, and how do I fix it?

 

[dullard]

Welcome to Anandtech.

Any file that is marked as hidden will likely also be called "unmovable" files. Old programs used to hide copy protectection files on disk drives in very specific locations - and any defragmentation program which tried to move them would create massive problems with those programs (the copy protection would think the program was copied instead of installed legally). Thus hidden files are considered "unmovable". It is possible that you got some files marked as 'hidden' that you didn't have marked that way in the past.

Defragmentation is highly overrated. I've seen 'snake oil salesmen' type people telling everyone that defragmentation will solve every computer problem that has ever existed. That is far, far from the truth. Defragmentation, for the most situations, is useless. It has one and only one goal: to slightly speed up a drive which has become fragmented. If your drive isn't fragmented or if speed of that drive is not a concern to you, then you do not need to defragment. Some defragmentation programs will also move frequently used files to the fastest parts of your drives - giving another slight speed boost (this is the major difference between different defragmentation programs). In fact, many operating systems don't have a defragmentation at all - another hint that they are not a requirement.

Long story short: you do not need to worry about a few files that are not moved.

 

[John]

Originally posted by: mitchafi
I'm just using the defrag tool that comes with windows xp...is there a better one? And if it is those files, does it matter, and how do I fix it?

2K & XP use a version of Diskeeper Lite which is very efficient. The drawback of the built-in defrag tool is that you cannot schedule automatic runs or a boot-time defrag of the mft and pagefile.

 

[Paperlantern]

Defragmentation can free up space, and speed up the computer, but as mentioned, its not effective really by itself, or in a properly maintained system. however, i work in this field as a tech and see computers that are not maintained by their owners at all and are DOG slow. I use a relatively easy system to speed them up significantly, VERY noticeable speed increase, but its usually on systems that have been used for over a year with no deletion of files, no defrag done, and heavy use. The first thing i do is run norton system works, win doctor, this usually finds and repairs on average of 300 problems, then run fast and safe, the next is to run some sort of spyware program, my program of choice is adaware, only a personal preference. Upon removal of those files and items, and the fixing of the problms, i run a program called VoptXP, its an efficient, and very fast disk defragmenter. After all these things are done the computer was running like a champ, and the customer NOTICED it VERY much. But it has to be a pretty far gone computer in order to actually GET a performance boost, and even then its not a performance boost, its just regaining LOST performance. Hope this helps

 

[mitchafi]

thanks, but I defrag at least twice a week so that stuff probably wouldn't help me all that much...maybe on my parent's computers though...they are clueless

 

[Paperlantern]

there ya go