Fragmented files won't defrag

[rchong416]

Hello,

If this topic is covered somewhere else, please let me know.

I've defrag my drive and I always get a few files that have

32,796 fragments on a 500meg file.
2,100 fragments on another 500meg file.

This is on a database file. And no matter how much I defrag the drive
it doesn't help. Will moving the DB to another drive help with the
fragmentation?

I have at least 5gigs free on the 20gig drive that it's on.

Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks,
Ray

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Ray

What programme was used to create the database file?

Is the free space fragmented?

What else is on the drive? Pagefile? Windows XP files?

What other drives / partitions and free space is available?

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[rchong416]

What programme was used to create the database file?

It's called Promasoft - it's an autoresponder program
I use to manage my ezine.

Is the free space fragmented?

No... not according to the XP defrag application.

What else is on the drive? Pagefile? Windows XP files?

Yes to both. As well as program files. I wanted to
keep all programs in its own partition as I wouldn't
be backing them up.

What other drives / partitions and free space is available?

The drive I have WinXP, pagefile and program files is 80 gig
partitioned into 3.
5 gigs free on c:
19 gigs free on e:
1 meg free on g:

I have another drive also partitioned into 4 x 20 gigs.
with 2 partitions almost full and 2 empty.

Would it help to move the autoresponder program and database to the
other drive onto an empty partition?

Thanks for your help!
Ray

 

[Greg Hayes/Raxco Software]

Boot into Safe Mode and try defragmenting from there. While you may have
5GB free, how much of that free space is contiguous? Built-in has issues if
not enough contiguous free space to fit a file.

- Greg/Raxco Software
Microsoft MVP - Windows File System

Disclaimer: I work for Raxco Software, the maker of PerfectDisk - a
commercial defrag utility, as a systems engineer in the support department.

Want to email me? Delete ntloader.

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Ray

Primasoft. You are mixing data files with your system files,
which goes against the principles of partitioning. They are
very large files, which are presumably constantly changing
so they will fragment rapidly. Does the Primasoft programme
not allow for data files to be placed elsewhere leaving the
programme files where they are?

Many advocates of partitioning put the pagefile in it's own
partition, with that partition being the first partition on the
second drive. You need, however, to keep a small pagefile
on the "Windows" drive.
http://aumha.org/a/parts.htm

Your g partition with only 1 mb free space looks odd
without knowing the partition size and purpose!

Moving the Primasoft data files could reduce the frequency
of running Disk Defragmenter on your system partition. It is
certainly worth trying.

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[rchong416]

Well I moved the program (promosoft) to the second dirve, fragmented
the first drive and all is well.

I will run it (promosoft) from the second drive, but don't get why a
500meg file would not be able to be defraged in the first place.
Wouldn't the software just move it to a spot large enough to slot it?
I mean with 5 gigs available, and there seeming to be enough contiguous
space, I'm just a bit puzzled.

Ray

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Ray

The 5 gb free space is most likely scattered all over the drive /
partition. Some third party Disk Defragmenters can make the
free space contiguous but the utility provided with Windows
XP cannot. What you have done will to a certain extent
circumvent this limitation.

Lack of contiguous free space is a reason why system restore
points commonly feature as a multi fragmented file in the list of
fragmented files.

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Jonny]

To give you an obvious example of database fragmentation, subscribe to
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general for a few weeks. Download headers 1000
each day. No need to read any of it. Once a few weeks has expired, defrag.
Download the next days headers, close your newsreader. Then check
fragmentation again.