[paulmarkj]

I use auslogics to deframent my drives and use windows 7.

I have an external drive that has terrible fragmentation. The drive has 50gb free (just over 10%). I defragged and optimized, so the 40gb is all in at one 'end' of the disk. There were no fragmented files.

I copied 811 files (7.5 Gb) and now there are 270 fragmented files - one file is fragmented into 1,110 pieces! 18040 files ahve 10 fragment or more.

Looking at the disk map, it seems that windows is placing new files where the old ones were (ie: not at the 'end' where all the space is).

So, it seems either auslogics has not optimized the disk and left spaces or windows is doing something odd.

Why doesn't windows place big files whre there is space for them?
Is there any point in using a disk optimizer if windows only uses the tiny spaces in the non-optimized area?
Am I making it worse by using the optimizer because by creating lots of space at one end (which is not used by windows) I have more fragmented space in the other end (which windows does use!)

Here's a model:(X=used, - = space)

before optimising:
XXXXXXXX---XXXXXX---XXXXXXXXXXXXX--XXXXXX---XXXXXXXX---XXXXXX---XXXXXXXXXXXXX--XXXXXX---XXXXXXXX--XXXXXX---XXXXXXXXXXXXX--XXXXXX---

After optimizing:

XXXXXXXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX------------------

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Windows want to use this area which has LESS space.....................................................All the space is here, but windows is not using it!

The diskmap was all green before the copy, now you can see it is red (fragmented) where files already existed, but the bottom has not been used.

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Windows will try filling up the one side prior to going out to the other open space, that's the whole point to disk optimization. Unfortunately sometimes it does split folders to different sectors or what not. Now are you actively experiencing any delay in read/write or are you just upset over how windows is handling your read/write to the drive? It's hard to tell what you really want help with.

[PhrantiQ]

Windows will try filling up the one side prior to going out to the other open space, that's the whole point to disk optimization. Unfortunately sometimes it does split folders to different sectors or what not. Now are you actively experiencing any delay in read/write or are you just upset over how windows is handling your read/write to the drive? It's hard to tell what you really want help with.

[paulmarkj]

Windows will try filling up the one side prior to going out to the other open space, that's the whole point to disk optimization. Unfortunately sometimes it does split folders to different sectors or what not. Now are you actively experiencing any delay in read/write or are you just upset over how windows is handling your read/write to the drive? It's hard to tell what you really want help with.

I am not experiencing any delay because I have just defragged the disk and have only copied a few files, but the defragmentation will get worse very quickly.

My question was: "Why doesn't windows place big files where there is space for them?" as this would keep the disk in good order for much longer.

[phillpower2]

If I may chime in with some input folks

What is the brand and model name or number of the HDD and is it still under warranty.

Please note that in order to avoid data corruption and/or mechanical HDD failure for data only HDDs you must always have a minimum of 10% of the HDDs overall storage capacity available as free space between and 15 and 20% of a HDDs overall storage capacity available as free space if the OS is on it, the free space allows for information to be copied to and from the drive efficiently.

Not having the above can render a computer inoperable if the HDD concerned has the OS on it due to the MBR (Master Boot Record) becoming damaged/corrupt, please see information @ http://pcsupport.abo...sterbootrec.htm