Defragging after virtual drive setup

[Guest]

I have been setting up a new Cryptainer PE program for encryption within a
partition (Aux Drive E) of my main "C" drive; first volume (vault) went well
including the disk cleanup/defragging process. Size was about 9gb for that
volume. Then I set up the second volume with another 9gb size. This time
defrag doesn't work well, leaving a huge "red" area on the defrag analysis,
report seen below.

Volume Aux Drive (E
Volume size = 41.24 GB
Cluster size = 4 KB
Used space = 24.06 GB
Free space = 17.17 GB
Percent free space = 41 %

Volume fragmentation
Total fragmentation = 18 %
File fragmentation = 36 %
Free space fragmentation = 0 %

File fragmentation
Total files = 10,245
Average file size = 3 MB
Total fragmented files = 1
Total excess fragments = 218
Average fragments per file = 1.02

Pagefile fragmentation
Pagefile size = 0 bytes
Total fragments = 0

Folder fragmentation
Total folders = 769
Fragmented folders = 1
Excess folder fragments = 0

Master File Table (MFT) fragmentation
Total MFT size = 15 MB
MFT record count = 11,032
Percent MFT in use = 73 %
Total MFT fragments = 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fragments File Size Files that cannot be defragmented
219 8.79 GB \Cal's Misc

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Software says I should defrag this drive, but it won't defrag. I would
rather not uninstall that last volume--although I do not have data within the
volume yet--unless I have to. How do I handle this in a best fashion. I do
have considerable data within the first volume. I wonder if the software
isn't being faked out, proportionwise, by that 219 fragments vs. no other
data to compare against, or something like that.

Second question: In transferring "my music" into the basic drive E (i.e. not
encrypted), I note a bunch of files labeled "thumbs"; can I just delete those
operating system files as no longer applicable? OS is win Xp pro, but the
media player is "RealPlayer".

Again as with a week or so ago, thanks much for the help.
Cal M

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Cal

The 8.79 GB file would be better located on a volume with a larger
cluster size. I did wonder whether there was a Disk Defragmenter
limitation affecting it's ability to defragment a file of that size!
I could locate any information on that point. Does the file have to be
that large?

--

Hope this helps.

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

 

[Guest]

I solved the defrag problem by deleting both 9gb vaults in favor of two 5gb
vaults and some extra E drive space left over. Defrag works ok, but as with
any new program or process, there is a learning curve. In retrospect, it
makes sense: you can't backup 3gb in a 9gb drive and expect to restore the 3
into a new 5gb vault. It is a good thing I had all files additionally backed
up in unincrypted form; otherwise I would have ended up reinstalling that 9gb
drive just to get straightened out once again. Also for those people
considering this type of encrypted storage (and I like it so far), the basic
9gb file should be located somewhere other than on the desktop, because with
one simple accidental delete, your whole system of data can irretrivable
disappear unless somehow or other system restore might kick in. That was
cheap learning, and thanks for the suggestions, Gerry.