Can't Scan dks of defrag

Sorry, typo on intro! DOH!!! *Can't scan dks or defrag

I seem to have a problem that will not allow me to scan disk or defrag.

Message; Performed Illegal Operation you know the rest, and then I can not open out look or IE. After I reboot Out look and IE work fine.

Any ideas?

Thanks Masty

 

First cleanup all temps.

Then boot to safe mode and run both!

Mike

 

Scandisk and defrag
Programs running in the Background stop it.
Turn off screen saver.
Do Ctrl-Alt-Del and close all but explorer and try again.
Upon completion, suggest run defragment.

It can run in Safe Mode also.
Reboot and on startup hold the Control key [F8 if control does not work]
This will bring up the Boot menu
Arrow down [mouse does not work here] to 3. Safe Mode, hit enter
and you will boot to Safe Mode. [Yes it will look funny, very basic here]
[Screen saver should already be turned off] and run scandisk.
Upon completion you can run defragment also. It would be a good Idea as
you are already there.

Upon completion reboot to start you av and other programs

IN DOS
Scandisk can be run in dos also.
Defrag can not
Do the same as safe mode until you get to the startup menu.
Select 5. Command and hit enter.
and you will boot to the C:\ prompt.
Type in scandisk ,
looks like this
C:\scandisk
hit enter
when finish at the C:\ type win hit enter
or for a faster reboot do a Ctrl-Alt-Delete

 

Thanks!

In safe mode I was able to run both!

Defreg took 4 hours!!!

Thanks again, Masty

 

For the future, try to get hold of a WinME version of defrag from a friend. It runs much faster and is only 210Kb.

To be on the safe side in C:\Windows rename defrag.exe to defrag.old and copy in the new WinME version.

 

BurrWalnut's advice is very good

while you are stuck with the old defrag, the following may help, particularly if Scandisk keeps having to restart:

1. do CtrlAltDel (once!), look down the list for OSA. (M$ Office Startup) - it writes to the HDD every minute or so, this severely impacts Scandisk and Defrag.

you get blessed (?cursed) with it if M$ Office Suite is on the machine. M$ Office programs run quite OK without it, they just start slightly slower.

To turn off: Start>Programs>Accessories>SystemTools>SystemInformation...

...SI Tools menu: down to SystemConfigurationUtility, select the Startup tab

uncheck the box for Office Startup

OK your way back to the real world; you will need to reboot; before you do so:

2. If running active desktop, turn it off (Right click blank desktop area, follow active desktop > view as web page - and uncheck it)

now you can reboot

(2 will lose tapisvr if you had it; which can also periodically write to disk by itself)

getting rid of these two background tasks reduced time for W98 defrag from 8 hours to only 40 minutes for me.

but best if to get a better defrag like BurrWalnut says. I think the better ones may "snooze" these background tasks automatically for you?

Good Luck all, Hugh

 

Here is the WinMe defrager!

http://www.boogiejack.com/software/winmedefrag.zip

Just unzip the copy and replace defrg.exe in c:\windows

Mike

 

OK I capitulate!

thanks for the link...

Best Wishes, Hugh

 

WINME DEFRAG

Att: MFLYNN

If I install WINME DEFRAG and rename DEFRAG.EXE to DEFRAG.OLD:

1 Can the WINME version be uninstalled easily and cleanly if I don't like it and/or it acts up?

2 Can the WINME version be run automatically from the TASK SCHEDULER?

Thank you.

 

It is just a file so if you decide to go back, del the winme defragmentor and the rename yours back.

You should have no trouble.

You can get an even faster defrag using the WinMe defrag (or even the 98) if you additionally boot to safe mode and rename or delete TaskMon.exe to taskmon.bak or something and delete the c:\windows\applog folder. Then reboot back to normal mode and defrag.

Mike

 

Another thing to shutdown in 98 that often gets overlooked.

Goto MSCONFIG and uncheck Taskmonitor.

It really does nothing other than overwork defrag.

Use Explore and go to the C:\Windows\APPLOG folder and DELETE everything in it .

Restart the machine then defrag.

And I agree to getting ME defrag. It cut my time from 3 minutes to 30-40 seconds on the C: drive. ( in 98SE of course )

BillyBob

 

Hee hee

Either
A. BB doesn’t have his glasses on.
B. Clear Type is turned off on his XP
C. Repetition will actually convince him to do it

Lol!

Mike

 

Either
A. BB doesn’t have his glasses on.
B. Clear Type is turned off on his XP
C. Repetition will actually convince him to do it

No either about it.

A. BB does need glasses.
B. The type must not have shown up.
C. Repeating really do not do much.

Sorry bout that.

I will try to do better next time.

But no gaurenteess

BB

 

MFlynn

I have Win Me's `defrag.exe' installed and the Win 98 file renamed to *.bak. I stuck it in it's own `ME' folder in Accessories to isolate it for my own assistance.

Before I go further and rename Taskmon.exe and delete the Applog folder, what do they do besides monitoring tasks and creating a host of log files.

Surely they were created for a useful purpose... or simply, were they `a make work' project for some programmer?

Were I an American, I'd be from Missouri I suppose!

Thanks again...you, too, BillyBob.

 

Taskmonitor and the Applog folder keep track of what and how often you run programs.

Defrag arranges files accordingly putting the most used at the front.

If you change the order or number of times you run programs ( or do not run some at all ) the next time you run defrag it re-arranges things AGAIN. And what was at the front may now be put at the end.

BillyBob

 

Thanks BillyBob.

I understand Defrag and what it does and hear you re App Logs - which is what I suspected - but what purpose do the logs serve?

Or conversely, what do I lose if I scrap the folder and the Tasks Monitor?

Troubleshooting?

 

You will lose nothing but gain defrag speed.

Mike

 

I myself have done it both ways.

I LOST nothing by shutting it down.

However I DID GAIN a slight improvement in overall speed.

I did SAVE a lot of time when defraging.

I believe I also cut down a lot of wear and tear on the HD.


Shutting it down also cuts down on resource usage.

BillyBob

 

MFlynn and BillyBob,

Again my thanks to both of you.

I will shut it down and probably even garbage all.

The saving of resources makes much sense...and it's that much less to mess up the Hard Drive.

 

Thanks fellows. All working smoothly. I'm impressed.