Windows' defragger is useless..

MDesigner

Platinum Member
Apr 3, 2001
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I've got XP Pro, and even if I defrag, my machine still seems to take longer than usual when booting, loading apps, etc. Isn't there some way to get it running quickly & smoothly like it did in the initial weeks after reformatting??
 

MrChad

Lifer
Aug 22, 2001
13,507
3
81
What apps are running in the background? Virus scanners especially can take up resources and slow things down (a fair tradeoff for the protection they offer).
 

duragezic

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
11,234
4
81
Yeah it doesn't seem like fragmentation could cause that much of a problem. Granted, a better defragger might help a tad, but your reinstall shouldn't go to hell that quickly. ;)
 

MDesigner

Platinum Member
Apr 3, 2001
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Well, it's been several months and several program installations later since my reformat. :)

What apps am I running in the background? The same I always have. I've installed more apps, but not ones that run all the time. I have a very low profile virus app, it's never caused slowdowns at all.

So are there any really good freeware defraggers that can compete with DiskKeeper? (which I've tried and wasn't too impressed with)
 

theGlove

Senior member
Jan 13, 2005
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Originally posted by: MDesigner
I've got XP Pro, and even if I defrag, my machine still seems to take longer than usual when booting, loading apps, etc. Isn't there some way to get it running quickly & smoothly like it did in the initial weeks after reformatting??

what hd do you have and what size cache? Is your hd full? how much free space do you have?
 

boshuter

Diamond Member
Feb 11, 2003
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I know it's popular to bash Microsoft or blame windows for all kinds of problems...... but the windows defrag actualy does a pretty good job. I seriously doubt it's cause your slowdown. Try running hijack this and see what's loading.
 

MDesigner

Platinum Member
Apr 3, 2001
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Actually it might be Google Desktop Search that's slowing me down. I'll uninstall it and see.

Also, I found DIRMS which appears to be a pretty good defragger, it claims to be better than DiskKeeper.
 

yukichigai

Diamond Member
Apr 23, 2003
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Windows Defrag is a rebranded version of Norton Defrag. Windows Scandisk is also an older Norton version of the same product. Hell, most Windows system tools started out as Norton tools. Anyway, the point is that Norton has good system tools -- if you don't have to deal with the bloatware they include with 'em, that is -- so the defragger should at least be decent.

My guess is that you're connected to some kind of LAN with shared devices, or which had shared devices, and Windows is attempting to reconnect to each and every one of these at startup. Same thing happened to me at work, and due to the network settings it would take forever for my computer to boot until I pestered someone from IS to go into the admin window and change the settings.

It also could be some of the background processes XP likes to run. I can't remember where exactly -- possibly Annoyances.org -- but there's a good list of services you can disable in XP to make it run a lot smoother.
 

MrChad

Lifer
Aug 22, 2001
13,507
3
81
Originally posted by: yukichigai
Windows Defrag is a rebranded version of Norton Defrag. Windows Scandisk is also an older Norton version of the same product. Hell, most Windows system tools started out as Norton tools. Anyway, the point is that Norton has good system tools -- if you don't have to deal with the bloatware they include with 'em, that is -- so the defragger should at least be decent.

My guess is that you're connected to some kind of LAN with shared devices, or which had shared devices, and Windows is attempting to reconnect to each and every one of these at startup. Same thing happened to me at work, and due to the network settings it would take forever for my computer to boot until I pestered someone from IS to go into the admin window and change the settings.

It also could be some of the background processes XP likes to run. I can't remember where exactly -- possibly Annoyances.org -- but there's a good list of services you can disable in XP to make it run a lot smoother.

You sure about that?

The Disk Defragmenter tool is based on the full retail version of Diskeeper by Executive Software International, Inc.
 

Malak

Lifer
Dec 4, 2004
14,696
2
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The defrag does a fine job, you probably have something else killin the performance. Check for virii, spyware, and adware. My friend couldn't even login to his windows account anymore because it was infested so bad. The odd thing was, he had 2 accounts on the same computer, and one we could get into. I managed to save it before it went down hard like my dad's did. That computer wouldn't even boot, had to restore it. Spyware baaad.
 

MDesigner

Platinum Member
Apr 3, 2001
2,016
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To those who use PerfectDisk.. is there really a noticeable difference between the results it yields and those yielded by WinXP's native defragger?
 

Malak

Lifer
Dec 4, 2004
14,696
2
0
Originally posted by: MDesigner
To those who use PerfectDisk.. is there really a noticeable difference between the results it yields and those yielded by WinXP's native defragger?

I doubt it.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,427
9,948
126
Check your hard drive properties and make sure it's still on udma mode. Sometimes it gets switched over to pio and slows down alot. It doesn't sound like you have a defrag problem to me.