[scottportraits]

Apr 1, 2007

Hello,
I use a great disk defrag app and have it set to do primary, secondary, and I-Fast defrags on each of three volumes (HD's) every day in the wee hours. Have used it for year or so with no problems.

Downloaded and installed XP Repair Pro 2006, and after making a back-up restore point, ran it to repair and them optimize system. Everything seemed fine after that......

....When auto-time came to run defragmenter, it sent a " program failed to initialize" error message. I uninstalled and re-installed the defrag prog thrice by now, and twice attempted a sytem restore from the points set upon installing, then upon running XP Repair Pro.

Still can't get my defragger to initialize. Even the pre-installed one that came with XP Home won't launch. Checked 'Services' and it seems to be started and set to automatic...dependency service 'Remote Proceedure Call (RPC) also seems fine.

I am assuming the XP Repair Pro 'cleaner' did this, but may be mistaken. Would like to avoid a major XP repair, as I have a crummy boot-up CD from E-Machines that is not very good.

Thank you, pros, for any enlightenment here.

- Sincerely,
Scottportraits

[Advertisements]

have you tried xp's built in defrag?

[starjax]

have you tried xp's built in defrag?

[scottportraits]

Friday April 6 2007

Yes, I did try XP's own defragmenter when my own app (Executive Diskeeper) was uninstalled. For some reason it too 'fails to initialize'.....

....This is the only type of program which seems to be failing since after running XP Repair Pro 2006. Like I say, I did system restores from points before installing this 'cleaning' app and running once to clean and optimize. System restore didn't help.

From My Computer > Manage > Services it looks okay, I see no trouble there....so where can I look next ? Tried uninstalling and reinstalling Diskeeper several times now. It launches, but won't actually initialize and defragment.

- Stumped. Scottportraits

[Retired Tech]

See if this will run

http://www.kessels.c...frag/index.html

[scottportraits]

Sun April 8, 2007

Yes, this defragmenter works great....but it seems to resist being made into a "scheduled task", citing error 0X80070005 - access denied, account info could not be set.

I wouldn't mind running it manually before bed, and then exiting the 'finished' window in the morning.

Any advise how to make it fully automatic with "scheduled tasks' ???

- Thanks for the great defragmenting app....it does a better job than Executive Diskeeper.

- Scottportraits

[Retired Tech]

Worth checking if XP defragmenter will run now, if not

Items in blue which are underlined are clickable to give more information about the process

Click start then run, type sfc /scannow then press enter, you need the XP CD

Windows File Protection will show an on screen blue progress bar which will simply disappear when the scan is complete, reboot when it does

Occasionally the system file check does not start using run, so you can also right click the taskbar, click task manager, click file, new task, type sfc /scannow then click OK

If you do not have an XP CD you can borrow a same version as was originally installed XP CD, if you downloaded SP2 then you need an SP1 XP CD


This one defrags the drive then shuts the PC down

http://www.vcsoftwar.../SpeeDefrag.jpg

http://www.vcsoftwar...SpeeDefrag.html

[scottportraits]

Mon April 9 2007

Well, I tried XP's own defragmenter, and it opens but won't start (initialize).

So I ran the XP File Protection Scan, like you advised, and then rebooted. Nothing was reported, unless it's in a log somewhere that I should look for.

Now, the System Restore disk that came with this eMachines prefab'ed PC is pretty inadequate....has little 1 KB files, almost useless...I also have a restore disk of sorts that my PC guy made for me that has alot of .cab files and is mainly gibberish to me, so I don't really know what I have or how to use it....maybe tapping F2 while booting up with the CD in the drawer accesses the features, but I didn't want to venture out there and try anything, not yet anyway....

Most of these PC's you buy these days with integrated motherboards and Celeron chips are sold with XP SP2 pre-installed and a back up on .cab files, stored somewhere....the recovery disks are not too great.

Anyway, the first defragger you gave a link for, JKDefrag, is great, alotho only works manually....probably best to stick with one defragmenter since they differ (algorithms?) and might goof things up worse if I keep switching them around. For now, I'll stick with JKDefrag since it is so good.

PC runs alot smoother with this one than the one before it, Executive Diskeeper.

- Thanks,

Scottportraits

[starjax]

If defrag for windows xp is still not working after the system file check, then a windows xp repair might be the only solution

http://www.geekstogo...ws_XP-t138.html

Also, I am very selective when using software to clean the registry. Norton Utilities and Tune-up Utilities are the only apps that I recommend.

If you want to run JkDefrag as a scheduled task, I suggest looking at JkDefragCmd.exe. This is the command line version of the utility.

How to run JkDefrag automatically?
It's a great idea to run JkDefrag automatically every day by adding it to the Windows scheduler, like this:

* Start -> Control Panel -> Scheduled Tasks -> Add Scheduled Task
* The wizard starts, click 'Next'.
* Use the 'browse' button to select the 'JkDefragCmd.exe' program.
* Select 'daily', next, select a time, next.
* Enter a userid/password with administrator privileges, click 'Finish'.

Tip: create 2 schedules, a schedule for a daily run that starts the utility with the "-a 3" option (fast optimization) and a schedule for a weekly run with the "-a 4" option (full optimization).

[scottportraits]

April 10, 2007

Hello,

After uninstalling Diskeeper, and running that XP File Protection Scan (results unknown unless a log was generated) I find the XP defragmenter still will not initialiize. I won't bother re-installing Diskeeper because it probably won't work either. But the manual JKDefrag app is very good so I'm not without this feature.

Now, my System Restore disk that came with the eMachine is extremely inadequate. I do not have a CD for the XP OS, they put a back-up in .cab files hidden somewhere. Besides, I'm not sure how to go about using it. I will look closely at the article on XP repair that you've linked, but again, the disk I have is pretty useless, unless there is some way to use it that I don't understand. Do you boot-up with it in the drawer and press F2 ??

Also, I tried setting up a scheduled task for JKDefragCmd.exe, but I hit the same error message: Ox80070005 : access denied; account info cannot be set.
I believe I have administrator privileges, and entered my known password when the scheduler asked, but it is being rejected. I put the app in the C:/Programs files.....it will not launch automatically....
....but it is a great defragmenter and I don't mind much using it manually, so thank you for that info and link.

- Scottportraits

[Retired Tech]

You could look at using speedefrag, as you say, the problem is chopping and changing, if it runs properly you will have scheduled defrag

If defrag is the only problem with the PC, I would wait until something else needs repairing

[IO-error]

I wouldn't mind running it manually before bed, and then exiting the 'finished' window in the morning.

Any advise how to make it fully automatic with "scheduled tasks' ??

Tried making a shortcut and schedule that shortcut?

[scottportraits]

Wed Apr 11 '07 1.30p est

Yeah, tried it, but the problem has to do with account settings...keep hitting error msg Ox80070005 - account info could not be set....access denied.
...How do I convince my PC that I am the administrator with full privileges and have the correct account nameID and password ?
The task is listed on the scheduled list, but fails to start.

- Scottportraits

[Retired Tech]

You could try safe mode and choose the administrator account

[scottportraits]

April 12
4.45pm est

Hi,

Okay, I tried booting up in safe-mode and logging in with the administrator's account. Opened Scheduled Tasks and tried to set the defragmenter, but hit yet another error mesage after the password,

Ox80041315 : Task Sched Service is not running.

Went to Computer > Manage > Services and found no changes could be made in safe-mode. Re-booted and went to Services again, only to find Task Scheduler is set to automatic and is started.......it IS running....also, went to Run > msconfig > services and see it on the list checked and running.

Besides the defragmenter that refuses to be set automatically, there are no other symptoms of trouble, so I can just run the JKDefragger manually.

Still, I'd like to know why it is acting so uncooperative regarding defragmentation; the XP defragger also refuses to initiate.

- Any other ideas ?? An XP repair would be difficult since the recovery disk eMachines supplies is very inadequate.


- Scottportraits

[starjax]

have you tried running a full checkdisk on your hard drive?