I've been told during Windows 98 days that it's good to run Scandisk and
Defragmentation regularly to keep the computer spick and span. Does it still
apply to these days of Windows XP and Vista?

As a matter of fact I carry out these maintenance measures every week, but
would like to know their relevance in the present day software environment.

Thanks.

IMHO, no.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

Penorama wrote:
> I've been told during Windows 98 days that it's good to run Scandisk and
> Defragmentation regularly to keep the computer spick and span. Does it
> still
> apply to these days of Windows XP and Vista?
>
> As a matter of fact I carry out these maintenance measures every week, but
> would like to know their relevance in the present day software
> environment.
>
> Thanks.

Penorama <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I've been told during Windows 98 days that it's good to run Scandisk and
>Defragmentation regularly to keep the computer spick and span. Does it still
>apply to these days of Windows XP and Vista?

Not as much. Fragmentation is not nearly as big a deal in NTFS as in
FAT file systems.

--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(Shell/User)
(E-Mail Removed)
http://members.cox.net/slatteryt

You are over doing it.
Defragmentation in XP is not nearly as critical to performance as is was in
Win98.

Once a month should be just fine, in fact I took a look just now at the last
time I defragmented my C: drive and it was more than four months ago and I
haven't noticed any significant drop in performance.

JS

"Penorama" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:A337E676-9FE7-484C-9E62-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I've been told during Windows 98 days that it's good to run Scandisk and
> Defragmentation regularly to keep the computer spick and span. Does it
> still
> apply to these days of Windows XP and Vista?
>
> As a matter of fact I carry out these maintenance measures every week, but
> would like to know their relevance in the present day software
> environment.
>
> Thanks.

Oh every 6 months or so, give or take 2 or 3.

Penorama wrote:

> I've been told during Windows 98 days that it's good to run Scandisk and
> Defragmentation regularly to keep the computer spick and span. Does it still
> apply to these days of Windows XP and Vista?
>
> As a matter of fact I carry out these maintenance measures every week, but
> would like to know their relevance in the present day software environment.
>
> Thanks.

Penorama wrote:
> I've been told during Windows 98 days that it's good to run Scandisk
> and Defragmentation regularly to keep the computer spick and span.
> Does it still apply to these days of Windows XP and Vista?
>
> As a matter of fact I carry out these maintenance measures every
> week, but would like to know their relevance in the present day
> software environment.
>

[Joke shortened]

Doctor is leaning over a fallen actor on the stage of a Yiddish theater
around the turn of the last century.

From the back of the balcony, a Yiddisha-mama voice cries out: "Give him an
enema!"

The doctor stands and shouts back: "Madam, the actor is dead!"

Same voice from the balcony, a bit more sheepishly: "So, it can't hurt."

The joke doesn't apply. Unnecessary defragging will simply wear the disk out
faster for no good reason.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"HeyBub" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Penorama wrote:
>> I've been told during Windows 98 days that it's good to run Scandisk
>> and Defragmentation regularly to keep the computer spick and span.
>> Does it still apply to these days of Windows XP and Vista?
>>
>> As a matter of fact I carry out these maintenance measures every
>> week, but would like to know their relevance in the present day
>> software environment.
>>
>
> [Joke shortened]
>
> Doctor is leaning over a fallen actor on the stage of a Yiddish theater
> around the turn of the last century.
>
> From the back of the balcony, a Yiddisha-mama voice cries out: "Give him
> an enema!"
>
> The doctor stands and shouts back: "Madam, the actor is dead!"
>
> Same voice from the balcony, a bit more sheepishly: "So, it can't hurt."
>

HeyBub wrote:
> Penorama wrote:
>> I've been told during Windows 98 days that it's good to run Scandisk
>> and Defragmentation regularly to keep the computer spick and span.
>> Does it still apply to these days of Windows XP and Vista?
>>
>> As a matter of fact I carry out these maintenance measures every
>> week, but would like to know their relevance in the present day
>> software environment.
>>
>
> [Joke shortened]
>
> Doctor is leaning over a fallen actor on the stage of a Yiddish theater
> around the turn of the last century.
>
> From the back of the balcony, a Yiddisha-mama voice cries out: "Give him
> an
> enema!"
>
> The doctor stands and shouts back: "Madam, the actor is dead!"
>
> Same voice from the balcony, a bit more sheepishly: "So, it can't hurt."

<rimshot>

That is an absolutely ridiculous statement. Granted, disks wear out.
However, as a product, they have a life expectancy.
If a disk fails chances are it won't be because of defragging. Did it ever
occur to you that there could be MORE wear if it is NOT defragged?
"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> The joke doesn't apply. Unnecessary defragging will simply wear the disk
> out faster for no good reason.
>
> --
> Gary S. Terhune
> MS-MVP Shell/User
> http://grystmill.com
>
> "HeyBub" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Penorama wrote:
>>> I've been told during Windows 98 days that it's good to run Scandisk
>>> and Defragmentation regularly to keep the computer spick and span.
>>> Does it still apply to these days of Windows XP and Vista?
>>>
>>> As a matter of fact I carry out these maintenance measures every
>>> week, but would like to know their relevance in the present day
>>> software environment.
>>>
>>
>> [Joke shortened]
>>
>> Doctor is leaning over a fallen actor on the stage of a Yiddish theater
>> around the turn of the last century.
>>
>> From the back of the balcony, a Yiddisha-mama voice cries out: "Give him
>> an enema!"
>>
>> The doctor stands and shouts back: "Madam, the actor is dead!"
>>
>> Same voice from the balcony, a bit more sheepishly: "So, it can't hurt."
>>
>
>

There's a balance to be struck. Of course a heavily fragmented disk will
endure more wear, but overuse of defrag will do the same.

And of course fewer disks wear out due to excessive defragging. It's more
the opposite. The vast majority of them are of the first type -- not enough
defragging, rather than too much. But that doesn't make my statement
ridiculous. It's a true statement.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"Unknown" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:EqBtk.19431$(E-Mail Removed)...
> That is an absolutely ridiculous statement. Granted, disks wear out.
> However, as a product, they have a life expectancy.
> If a disk fails chances are it won't be because of defragging. Did it ever
> occur to you that there could be MORE wear if it is NOT defragged?
> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> The joke doesn't apply. Unnecessary defragging will simply wear the disk
>> out faster for no good reason.
>>
>> --
>> Gary S. Terhune
>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>> http://grystmill.com
>>
>> "HeyBub" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Penorama wrote:
>>>> I've been told during Windows 98 days that it's good to run Scandisk
>>>> and Defragmentation regularly to keep the computer spick and span.
>>>> Does it still apply to these days of Windows XP and Vista?
>>>>
>>>> As a matter of fact I carry out these maintenance measures every
>>>> week, but would like to know their relevance in the present day
>>>> software environment.
>>>>
>>>
>>> [Joke shortened]
>>>
>>> Doctor is leaning over a fallen actor on the stage of a Yiddish theater
>>> around the turn of the last century.
>>>
>>> From the back of the balcony, a Yiddisha-mama voice cries out: "Give him
>>> an enema!"
>>>
>>> The doctor stands and shouts back: "Madam, the actor is dead!"
>>>
>>> Same voice from the balcony, a bit more sheepishly: "So, it can't hurt."
>>>
>>
>>
>
>