defragmenting C drive

[prof xavier]

Can somebody out there please tell me why when I try to defragment my C drive the box displays a message saying " Drive,s contents changed: restarting. What is the problem and more importantly is there a solution

[BigBlue66]

Hey Prof,

Yep, that means that you have moved the mouse, or hit a key. Don't do either while running defrag.

Also, disable the screen saver, or at least set the time for it to start using high numbers of minutes. Defrag, depending on how big the hard drive is, will usually complete its task in a few minutes. For example, if you notice that defrag will usually be done in 5 minutes, set the screen saver to start up after 10 or 15 minutes.

Also, disable any programs you have running in the background, except for Systray and Explorer. The answers to your other post will direct you as to how to do this.

Cheers,

Big Blue 66

[Reid]

EndItAll (http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,,0011NB,.html), a free utility program, is a quick way to shut down the programs running in the background.

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reido@my-deja.com

[trevmartini]

BigBlue has it right. Some advanced power options can also interfere, such as 'turn off monitor' or 'turn of harddisks' make sure they are set for a period of greater then a normal defrag takes. One hour is safe and practical.

[Paleo Pete]

Q186978 (http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q186/9/78.ASP) from the Microsoft Knowledge Database explains what this message means.

Sorry to dispute ya blue, but moving the mouse has no effect on my machine at all, it can't in fact, since you have buttons there to show details, more info, pause etc, and if it restarted defrag every time you moved the mouse to click one of those buttons they would be a major nuisance. Same for keyboard keys, since the same buttons are activated by keyboard shortcuts as well.

The drive contents changing message is usually related to software running in the background that accesses the drive intermittently, virus scanners are about the worst of the bunch, and as stated above, power management trying to shut down the hard drive can do the same thing. Shutting down the monitor has no effect, I have my power management set to only shut down the monitor, including during defrag, and it keeps right on chugging away. I have checked it soon as the monitor shut down, it's still running, and hasn't started over.

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[BigBlue66]

Oh, alright Pete. I shall bow to your superior wisdom. However, the rest of my post was pretty much accurate except that I forgot to mention anything about the PM settings.

Didn't mean to lead Prof astray. I must have been thinking about how moving the mouse and hitting a key would affect a benchmarking program. Ya know? http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/redface.gif

Cheers,

Big Blue 66

[Paleo Pete]

Yep, the rest of your info was good as can be, no arguments there at all. I waited to post anything until I ran defrag a couple times to be sure, and checked it on my machine before I did the old "stick foot in mouth" routine again...

The power management settings are often overlooked when running defrag, that was the main reason I set mine so it never turns off the hard drive. I always forgot to reset it before running defrag, and I also leave my machine on 24/7 and use it several times a day, which would mean spinning the hard drive up more than absolutely necessary, incresing the wear on mechanical components.

When APM shuts down the hard drive defrag has to start over, and can hang up. Shutting down the monitor has no affect, at least on my system, which has an AT board, and APM disabled in BIOS. I'm not sure what ATX boards or machines with APM enabled in BIOS would act like.

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Soon as I come up with all the answers...they change the questions!!

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)