Jump to content

Welcome to Geeks to Go - Register now for FREE

Need help with your computer or device? Want to learn new tech skills? You're in the right place!
Geeks to Go is a friendly community of tech experts who can solve any problem you have. Just create a free account and post your question. Our volunteers will reply quickly and guide you through the steps. Don't let tech troubles stop you. Join Geeks to Go now and get the support you need!

How it Works Create Account
Photo

Defrag leaves spaces


  • Please log in to reply

#1
mic77

mic77

    New Member

  • Member
  • Pip
  • 5 posts
I have tried the XP defrag, DirMS, DefragNT, and Diskeeper. All of them leave free spaces between files. This seems counter-productive since the next time you save a large file it is almost guarenteed to be fragmented. On the old DOS/Win95 defrag the only time I would get defragmentation was when I would delete a file then save files.

Does anyone know of a freeware/shareware/trial software that actually eliminates the free spaces to make a single freespace?

mic
  • 0

Advertisements


#2
Retired Tech

Retired Tech

    Retired Staff

  • Retired Staff
  • 20,563 posts
You can check after downloading a large file to see if it has sent it all over the drive, but it should not

Avoid programmes which erase free space as they can lead to a repair install at best or even a format to correct the effect on what are unmoveable files marked in green
  • 0

#3
Michael

Michael

    Retired Staff

  • Retired Staff
  • 1,869 posts
Hello and Welcome to Geeks To Go

All defragmenters to leave some space between files when they defragment you hard drive. As long as all of each file is in the one space they are doing a good job. The space means there is room for files to grow, is there was not fragmention would happen to quickly.
  • 0

#4
mic77

mic77

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 5 posts
Keith,

I did a simple test:
Starting conditions: 80G partition (fat32)
1 fragmented file
2 fragments (1 excess fragment)
Free space = 23GB
Largest free space = 6.7GB

Saved 1 file: 700MB
Result: 2 fragmented files
8 fragments (6 excess fragments)

This shows the file was saved in 7 peices

Windows does not do a thourough check for free space large enough for the fille being saved, as a result fragmentation will almost always ocurr immediately after a defrag that leaves multiple free spaces. If the defrag process leaves only 1 free space then any file saved can not be fragmented. fragmentation would only occur after a file is deleted and a larger one saved.

Michael,

Less than 3% of files on the average system change size, most are static. In addition, most of these files do not affect system performence since they are only accessed when being eddited by the user(with the exception of log files).

If the defrag programs left free space only around files that are frequently modified I would buy that argument, but the free spaces occur randomly throughout the drive. These spaces are only left to speed up the defrag process. In the old DOS defrag almost every file was moved twice which took a great amount of time, but the result saved time in future defrags.

Based on the responses I guess that all the current defragmenters leave multiple free spaces.


My recommendations to M$ and any defragmenter developers:

1. All locked system files should operate like the MFT with reserved space that is accessible for file storage only if ablolutely necessary.

2. Defraggers organize the files so that rarely modified files be packed tight at the beginning of the drive, occasionally modified files be packed tight against the first set of files, and frequently modified files be loosely spaced at the end of the drive. This would leave the bulk of the free space between the occasional and frequently modified files. The result would be a reduced need to regularly defrag the drive.

My 2 cents
mic

Edited by mic77, 15 October 2005 - 10:41 PM.

  • 0

#5
Michael

Michael

    Retired Staff

  • Retired Staff
  • 1,869 posts
I agree, but I can't find a program that dose it. I am was stating what they do not what I want then to do. I wish some one would write a program like you just discribed. I wonder if I can get my hands on and old DOS defragmentor, I am going to try. I will tell you if I do.

Edited by Michael Buckley, 15 October 2005 - 10:54 PM.

  • 0

#6
mic77

mic77

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 5 posts
Unfortunately, they do not usually offer support for NTFS. But if you find one I would appreciate a heads-up.
  • 0






Similar Topics

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

As Featured On:

Microsoft Yahoo BBC MSN PC Magazine Washington Post HP