Stephen

Defragmenting the hard disk is often recommended to improve performance. My
hard disk has never been more than 25% used, so I wonder why any of the
files have ever become fragmented in the first place. Isn't this just a
difficiency of the operating system?

Stephen

Tony Meloche

Stephen wrote:
> Defragmenting the hard disk is often recommended to improve performance. My
> hard disk has never been more than 25% used, so I wonder why any of the
> files have ever become fragmented in the first place. Isn't this just a
> difficiency of the operating system?
>
> Stephen


If your disk is only 10% used, the files will still, over time, become
fragmented. It's "the nature of the beast", though in your situation,
they might not get fragmented as quickly.

Best bet is to have Windows Defrag analyze the disk once a month. If it
says you're fine for now, you're fine for now. If it says Defrag, do
it. Generally takes just a short time.

Tony

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Alias

Stephen wrote:
> Defragmenting the hard disk is often recommended to improve performance. My
> hard disk has never been more than 25% used, so I wonder why any of the
> files have ever become fragmented in the first place. Isn't this just a
> difficiency of the operating system?
>
> Stephen
>
>

It's a deficiency that you need to live with if you want to continue
using XP. The hard drive becomes defragmented due to use. How much of
the hard drive is used is not relevant unless you have more than 85% and
then it will be impossible to defrag it.

--
Alias
To email me, remove shoes

Bud W

"Alias" <iamalias@shoesgmail.com> wrote in message
news:fedgg6$3bd$1@aioe.org...
> Stephen wrote:
>> Defragmenting the hard disk is often recommended to improve performance.
>> My hard disk has never been more than 25% used, so I wonder why any of
>> the files have ever become fragmented in the first place. Isn't this just
>> a difficiency of the operating system?
>>
>> Stephen
>
> It's a deficiency that you need to live with if you want to continue using
> XP. The hard drive becomes defragmented due to use. How much of the hard
> drive is used is not relevant unless you have more than 85% and then it
> will be impossible to defrag it.
>
> --
> Alias
> To email me, remove shoes

Alias: Are you implying that only XP results in fragmented files?

Bud

Alias

Bud W wrote:
> "Alias" <iamalias@shoesgmail.com> wrote in message
> news:fedgg6$3bd$1@aioe.org...
>> Stephen wrote:
>>> Defragmenting the hard disk is often recommended to improve performance.
>>> My hard disk has never been more than 25% used, so I wonder why any of
>>> the files have ever become fragmented in the first place. Isn't this just
>>> a difficiency of the operating system?
>>>
>>> Stephen
>> It's a deficiency that you need to live with if you want to continue using
>> XP. The hard drive becomes defragmented due to use. How much of the hard
>> drive is used is not relevant unless you have more than 85% and then it
>> will be impossible to defrag it.
>>
>> --
>> Alias
>> To email me, remove shoes
>
> Alias: Are you implying that only XP results in fragmented files?
>
> Bud
>
>

Not at all. Where did you get that idea? All versions of Windows have
this problem, not just XP.

--
Alias
To email me, remove shoes

Bud W

"Alias" <iamalias@shoesgmail.com> wrote in message
news:fedl9b$ibo$1@aioe.org...
> Bud W wrote:
>> "Alias" <iamalias@shoesgmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:fedgg6$3bd$1@aioe.org...
>>> Stephen wrote:
>>>> Defragmenting the hard disk is often recommended to improve
>>>> performance. My hard disk has never been more than 25% used, so I
>>>> wonder why any of the files have ever become fragmented in the first
>>>> place. Isn't this just a difficiency of the operating system?
>>>>
>>>> Stephen
>>> It's a deficiency that you need to live with if you want to continue
>>> using XP. The hard drive becomes defragmented due to use. How much of
>>> the hard drive is used is not relevant unless you have more than 85% and
>>> then it will be impossible to defrag it.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Alias
>>> To email me, remove shoes
>>
>> Alias: Are you implying that only XP results in fragmented files?
>>
>> Bud
>
> Not at all. Where did you get that idea? All versions of Windows have this
> problem, not just XP.
>
> --
> Alias
> To email me, remove shoes

I got the idea from your comment about continuing to use XP.

Alias

Bud W wrote:
> "Alias" <iamalias@shoesgmail.com> wrote in message
> news:fedl9b$ibo$1@aioe.org...
>> Bud W wrote:
>>> "Alias" <iamalias@shoesgmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:fedgg6$3bd$1@aioe.org...
>>>> Stephen wrote:
>>>>> Defragmenting the hard disk is often recommended to improve
>>>>> performance. My hard disk has never been more than 25% used, so I
>>>>> wonder why any of the files have ever become fragmented in the first
>>>>> place. Isn't this just a difficiency of the operating system?
>>>>>
>>>>> Stephen
>>>> It's a deficiency that you need to live with if you want to continue
>>>> using XP. The hard drive becomes defragmented due to use. How much of
>>>> the hard drive is used is not relevant unless you have more than 85% and
>>>> then it will be impossible to defrag it.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Alias
>>>> To email me, remove shoes
>>> Alias: Are you implying that only XP results in fragmented files?
>>>
>>> Bud
>> Not at all. Where did you get that idea? All versions of Windows have this
>> problem, not just XP.
>>
>> --
>> Alias
>> To email me, remove shoes
>
> I got the idea from your comment about continuing to use XP.
>
>

The only comment I made was that to continue using XP, one needs to run
the defrag from time-to-time. How you got the idea that I said only XP
has this problem is beyond me. As the OP is running XP, other Windows
versions is not really relevant.

--
Alias
To email me, remove shoes

bylane

I thought the same and decided to forget about it for a long time until i analyzed one day and found the report saying that the drive was fragmented. Took me by surprise. The PC was running much slower and programs took longer to open. Two myths got cleared for me, Windows fragments all drives eventually, its just a matter of time before this problem attacks different drives. I guess it is inevitable. Second, a badly fragmented drive does affect performance, perhaps the degree of degradation may vary for each and those who are not used to a lightning fast system might not notice the difference but i think if your drives get full and fragmented, problems arising may be more than just sluggishness.

Lil' Dave

"Stephen" <none> wrote in message
news:%23hmiakbCIHA.4444@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Defragmenting the hard disk is often recommended to improve performance.
> My hard disk has never been more than 25% used, so I wonder why any of the
> files have ever become fragmented in the first place. Isn't this just a
> difficiency of the operating system?
>
> Stephen
>

Some windows system files and related files to the operating system are not
stagnant. They change as you use the PC. This occurs by design.

Changed open files saved back to the OS partition may not fit in the
previous allocated space, or even may not be attempted to save in the
previous allocated space. They end up dispersed in freespace.

As a comparative analysis, if you have separate partition for saving stuff
that doesn't change or have stuff added to it often, like personal file save
location; observing the fragmentation on that partition will appear
relatively stagnant.
Dave

Stephen

"Lil' Dave" <spamyourself@virus.net> wrote in message
news:%23voKr9mCIHA.3848@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> "Stephen" <none> wrote in message
> news:%23hmiakbCIHA.4444@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> Defragmenting the hard disk is often recommended to improve performance.
>> My hard disk has never been more than 25% used, so I wonder why any of
>> the files have ever become fragmented in the first place. Isn't this just
>> a difficiency of the operating system?
>>
>> Stephen
>>
>
> Some windows system files and related files to the operating system are
> not stagnant. They change as you use the PC. This occurs by design.
>
> Changed open files saved back to the OS partition may not fit in the
> previous allocated space, or even may not be attempted to save in the
> previous allocated space. They end up dispersed in freespace.
>
> As a comparative analysis, if you have separate partition for saving stuff
> that doesn't change or have stuff added to it often, like personal file
> save location; observing the fragmentation on that partition will appear
> relatively stagnant.
> Dave
>

Yes, I understand why a file may shift in position on the drive. My question
is this: As there is always ample contiguous space for saving a file, why
does it get fragmented in the first place?