Defrag MFT Files

[ColTom2]

Hi:

Does anyone know of a freeware application or any other way to defrag MFT
files? Current Windows Defrag does not go through to completion because of
MFT files needing defrag.

Thanks

 

[Leonard Grey]

Windows defragmenter does not support defragging the MFT. Search the web
using this search term:

windows xp free defragmenter

to find what you're looking for.

FWIW: I defragment my hard disk once a year (I install some free trial -
this year it was PerfectDisk.) The statistics always say my disk is in
'excellent' condition and I can't tell any difference in performance
before and after. YMMV.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

How does this pertain to IE, Tom?

 

[philo]

Hi:

Does anyone know of a freeware application or any other way to defrag MFT
files? Current Windows Defrag does not go through to completion because of
MFT files needing defrag.

Thanks

Don't think any such utility (should it exist) would have any practical use.

If you end up having a lot of fragmentation on your drive after running
"defrag"
it may be simply due to not having enough free space

 

[ColTom2]

PaBear this is Basics and General Forum.... however, I always appreciate
what you have done for me and so many others. Your one of the best!

Tom


How does this pertain to IE, Tom?

 

[Gordon]

PaBear this is Basics and General Forum.... however, I always appreciate
what you have done for me and so many others. Your one of the best!

Umm you've crossposted it to internet explorer general - whether consciously
or unwittingly...

 

[Gerry]

ColTom2

I would be interested in seeing a Disk Defragmenter report . Open Disk
Defragmenter and click on Analyse. Select View Report and click on Save
As and Save. Now find VolumeC.txt in your My Documents Folder and post a
copy. Do this before running Disk Defragmenter as it is more
informative.

You posted to microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general! Did you intend
to post to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general perhaps?

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

What Gordon said, but thank you.

PaBear this is Basics and General Forum.... however, I always appreciate
what you have done for me and so many others. Your one of the best!

Tom


How does this pertain to IE, Tom?

 

[ColTom2]

Hi Gerry:

Volume (C
Volume size = 37.26 GB
Cluster size = 4 KB
Used space = 11.50 GB
Free space = 25.76 GB
Percent free space = 69 %

Volume fragmentation
Total fragmentation = 1 %
File fragmentation = 2 %
Free space fragmentation = 0 %

File fragmentation
Total files = 48,902
Average file size = 338 KB
Total fragmented files = 133
Total excess fragments = 746
Average fragments per file = 1.01

Pagefile fragmentation
Pagefile size = 744 MB
Total fragments = 1

Folder fragmentation
Total folders = 5,076
Fragmented folders = 10
Excess folder fragments = 22

Master File Table (MFT) fragmentation
Total MFT size = 57 MB
MFT record count = 54,127
Percent MFT in use = 92 %
Total MFT fragments = 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fragments File Size Most fragmented files
285 42 MB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\rt.jar
69 12 MB \Documents and Settings\ColTom2\Application
Data\Sun\Java\jre1.6.0_11\Data1.cab
35 2 MB \WINDOWS\Installer\a923b.msi
16 1 KB \Documents and
Settings\ColTom2\ntuser.dat.LOG
14 1 MB \Documents and Settings\ColTom2\Local
Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\p3vbsewx.default\XUL.mfl
13 29 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP136\snapshot\_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE
13 196 KB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP137\change.log.1
13 29 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP138\snapshot\_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE
12 6 MB \Documents and Settings\ColTom2\Local
Settings\Application Data\IconCache.db
11 30 MB \Documents and Settings\ColTom2\Local
Settings\Application
Data\Identities\{0A364762-1D25-4C9A-94F4-DE11A9EC54C4}\Microsoft\Outlook
Express\Inbox.dbx
10 421 KB \Program Files\Secunia\PSI\psires.dll
10 2 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP138\A0009384.msi
9 3 MB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy.jar
9 2 MB \Documents and Settings\ColTom2\Application
Data\Sun\Java\jre1.6.0_11\jre1.6.0_11.msi
8 32 KB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP137
8 1 MB \Documents and Settings\ColTom2\Local
Settings\Application
Data\Identities\{0A364762-1D25-4C9A-94F4-DE11A9EC54C4}\Microsoft\Outlook
Express\microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general.dbx
8 1 MB \Documents and Settings\ColTom2\Local
Settings\Application
Data\Identities\{0A364762-1D25-4C9A-94F4-DE11A9EC54C4}\Microsoft\Outlook
Express\microsoft.public.windowsxp.general.dbx
7 2 MB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\plugin.jar
7 5 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP137\snapshot\_REGISTRY_USER_NTUSER_S-1-5-21-3111323197-2623549353-2904554276-500
7 29 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP137\snapshot\_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE
6 6 MB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\charsets.jar
6 1 MB \WINDOWS\WindowsUpdate.log
6 687 KB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\javaws.jar
6 544 KB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\jsse.jar
6 6 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP137\snapshot\Repository\FS\OBJECTS.DATA
6 4 MB \Documents and Settings\All
Users\Application Data\Avg8\Log\avgupd.log
5 20 KB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\zi\America
5 1 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP138\A0009387.mst
5 5 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP136\snapshot\_REGISTRY_USER_NTUSER_S-1-5-21-3111323197-2623549353-2904554276-500


ColTom2

I would be interested in seeing a Disk Defragmenter report . Open Disk
Defragmenter and click on Analyse. Select View Report and click on Save
As and Save. Now find VolumeC.txt in your My Documents Folder and post a
copy. Do this before running Disk Defragmenter as it is more
informative.

You posted to microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general! Did you intend
to post to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general perhaps?

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[ColTom2]

PaBear I do apologize for my error in cross posting, as I had intended it to
be General and not Internet Explorer. I should have known from your reply
that I had screwed up.

I sometimes think nowadays that I am getting to old for all this....

Tom



What Gordon said, but thank you.

 

[ColTom2]

Apparently that is where I need to be.....I guess that 41 years in the USAF
took a bigger toll than I realized when I retired in '92.

Thanks for the invite....



You be welcome over at the old folks table.

 

[Jim]

Hi Gerry:

Volume (C
Volume size = 37.26 GB
Cluster size = 4 KB
Used space = 11.50 GB
Free space = 25.76 GB
Percent free space = 69 %

Volume fragmentation
Total fragmentation = 1 %
File fragmentation = 2 %
Free space fragmentation = 0 %

File fragmentation
Total files = 48,902
Average file size = 338 KB
Total fragmented files = 133
Total excess fragments = 746
Average fragments per file = 1.01

Pagefile fragmentation
Pagefile size = 744 MB
Total fragments = 1

Folder fragmentation
Total folders = 5,076
Fragmented folders = 10
Excess folder fragments = 22

Master File Table (MFT) fragmentation
Total MFT size = 57 MB
MFT record count = 54,127
Percent MFT in use = 92 %
Total MFT fragments = 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fragments File Size Most fragmented files
285 42 MB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\rt.jar
69 12 MB \Documents and
Settings\ColTom2\Application
Data\Sun\Java\jre1.6.0_11\Data1.cab
35 2 MB \WINDOWS\Installer\a923b.msi
16 1 KB \Documents and
Settings\ColTom2\ntuser.dat.LOG
14 1 MB \Documents and Settings\ColTom2\Local
Settings\Application
Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\p3vbsewx.default\XUL.mfl
13 29 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP136\snapshot\_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE
13 196 KB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP137\change.log.1
13 29 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP138\snapshot\_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE
12 6 MB \Documents and Settings\ColTom2\Local
Settings\Application Data\IconCache.db
11 30 MB \Documents and Settings\ColTom2\Local
Settings\Application
Data\Identities\{0A364762-1D25-4C9A-94F4-DE11A9EC54C4}\Microsoft\Outlook
Express\Inbox.dbx
10 421 KB \Program Files\Secunia\PSI\psires.dll
10 2 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP138\A0009384.msi
9 3 MB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy.jar
9 2 MB \Documents and
Settings\ColTom2\Application
Data\Sun\Java\jre1.6.0_11\jre1.6.0_11.msi
8 32 KB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP137
8 1 MB \Documents and Settings\ColTom2\Local
Settings\Application
Data\Identities\{0A364762-1D25-4C9A-94F4-DE11A9EC54C4}\Microsoft\Outlook
Express\microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general.dbx
8 1 MB \Documents and Settings\ColTom2\Local
Settings\Application
Data\Identities\{0A364762-1D25-4C9A-94F4-DE11A9EC54C4}\Microsoft\Outlook
Express\microsoft.public.windowsxp.general.dbx
7 2 MB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\plugin.jar
7 5 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP137\snapshot\_REGISTRY_USER_NTUSER_S-1-5-21-3111323197-2623549353-2904554276-500
7 29 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP137\snapshot\_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE
6 6 MB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\charsets.jar
6 1 MB \WINDOWS\WindowsUpdate.log
6 687 KB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\javaws.jar
6 544 KB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\jsse.jar
6 6 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP137\snapshot\Repository\FS\OBJECTS.DATA
6 4 MB \Documents and Settings\All
Users\Application Data\Avg8\Log\avgupd.log
5 20 KB \Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\zi\America
5 1 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP138\A0009387.mst
5 5 MB \System Volume
Information\_restore{C1CCD08C-8F31-41E2-AD90-3EC48D37B729}\RP136\snapshot\_REGISTRY_USER_NTUSER_S-1-5-21-3111323197-2623549353-2904554276-500


ColTom2

I would be interested in seeing a Disk Defragmenter report . Open Disk
Defragmenter and click on Analyse. Select View Report and click on Save
As and Save. Now find VolumeC.txt in your My Documents Folder and post a
copy. Do this before running Disk Defragmenter as it is more
informative.

You posted to microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general! Did you intend
to post to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general perhaps?

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your problem is why defrag quits working when it gets to the MFT.
The MFT on this disk does not need defragmentation.
Jim

 

[ColTom2]

You do the same... your up early this morning. We all need Ma Bell back, as
look at the mess we're in!

Tom


Airplanes be your thing.....
I was six when Amelia Earhart was looking for an island to land on.

I was part of the Ma Bell family; retired in '87.

Take care,

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

[Crosspost to IE General eliminated]

How NTFS reserves space for its Master File Table (MFT)
<QP>
Because utilities that defragment NTFS volumes cannot move MFT entries, and
because excessive fragmentation of the MFT can impact performance, NTFS
reserves space for the MFT in an effort to keep the MFT as contiguous as
possible as it grows.

In Windows XP and in Windows Server 2003, the defrag utility defrags the
MFT.

A defrag operation on the MFT combines an MFT file into 1 and prevents it
from being stored in multiple places that are not sequential on disk. In
this class of operation, the MFT file is more sequential. However, it is
exactly the size that the MFT file was before the defrag operation.

An MFT can be too big if a volume used to have lots of files that were
deleted. The files that were deleted cause internal holes in the MFT. These
holes are significant regions that are unused by files. It is impossible to
reclaim this space. This is at least true on a live NTFS volume.

....Because of the importance of the MFT to NTFS and the possible impact on
performance if this file becomes highly fragmented, NTFS makes a special
effort to keep this file contiguous. NTFS reserves 12.5 percent of the
volume for exclusive use of the MFT until and unless the remainder of the
volume is completely used up. Thus, space for files and directories is not
allocated from this MFT zone until all other space is allocated first.
</QP>
Source & much more: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/174619

 

[Gerry]

ColTom2

You really need not worry about the MFT. It is perfectly normal for it
to be in 2 or 3 fragments. I do not know this but my feeling is that the
last operation when you run Disk Defragmenter is that it writes the
changes to the MFT file. After running Disk Defragmenter are there any
files listed in the Most Fragmented Files List?

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[ColTom2]

Thanks PaBear....



[Crosspost to IE General eliminated]

How NTFS reserves space for its Master File Table (MFT)
<QP>
Because utilities that defragment NTFS volumes cannot move MFT entries, and
because excessive fragmentation of the MFT can impact performance, NTFS
reserves space for the MFT in an effort to keep the MFT as contiguous as
possible as it grows.

In Windows XP and in Windows Server 2003, the defrag utility defrags the
MFT.

A defrag operation on the MFT combines an MFT file into 1 and prevents it
from being stored in multiple places that are not sequential on disk. In
this class of operation, the MFT file is more sequential. However, it is
exactly the size that the MFT file was before the defrag operation.

An MFT can be too big if a volume used to have lots of files that were
deleted. The files that were deleted cause internal holes in the MFT. These
holes are significant regions that are unused by files. It is impossible to
reclaim this space. This is at least true on a live NTFS volume.

....Because of the importance of the MFT to NTFS and the possible impact on
performance if this file becomes highly fragmented, NTFS makes a special
effort to keep this file contiguous. NTFS reserves 12.5 percent of the
volume for exclusive use of the MFT until and unless the remainder of the
volume is completely used up. Thus, space for files and directories is not
allocated from this MFT zone until all other space is allocated first.
</QP>
Source & much more: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/174619

 

[Olórin]

Hi:

Does anyone know of a freeware application or any other way to defrag MFT
files? Current Windows Defrag does not go through to completion because of
MFT files needing defrag.

Thanks

[Removed cross-post to microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general]

If after these discussions you decide that you do still want to defrag your
MFT - - - not freeware, but PerfectDisk 2008 from Raxco will do this, and
there's a free evaluation:
http://www.raxco.com/products/downloadit/perfectdisk_download.cfm. Ditto
O&O's defragmenter - http://www.oo-software.com/home/en/download/index.html.

Other folk think the trial versions don't offer MFT defragmenting - more
discussions at
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Software/System_Utilities/Partition_Tools/Q_22585000.html
(scroll right down, past the blurb to the bottom third of the page).

 

[DanTSG]

You can check out Diskeeper, it defrags the MFT, page file and other
files. Microsoft licensed a crippled and ancient version (V.3 ?? not
sure) of this program for inclusion with XP. The current version is
2009 and has some interesting features such as file sequencing. The
full program is not free, but trial editions can be downloaded from
http://www.diskeeper.com

If the MFT is only in 2 or 3 fragments, it will not affect performance,
so don't worry about it. But ensure you have enough disk space so it
doesn't fragment heavily.

 

[ColTom2]

Hi:

I tried most all of the top listed defrag applications (Perfect Disk,
Diskeeper, O&O Defrag, etc) within the past few days and in my opinion
Perfect Disk 2008 is to best of the group.

It is extremely user friendly.
Provides more options.
Provides more detail information related to Defrag's.
Defrags both Meta and MFT files easily.
And without a doubt does a more complete defrag than any of the other
applications.

I liked it so much that I purchased it.

Thanks again for all the inputs!

ColTom2



Hi:

Does anyone know of a freeware application or any other way to defrag MFT
files? Current Windows Defrag does not go through to completion because of
MFT files needing defrag.

Thanks