monthly maintenance !!

[hines232]

Had not used (DISK SCAN (THOROUGH) for a while. Ran it today, and it auto. fixed some things. Next I ran (DISK DEFRAG). Kept  starting and stopping, and then told me to run Scan disk again, and then re run Disk defrag. Which I did, (another two hours +) wasted. same message !!! any suggestions would be appreciated Thanks. (WINDOWS ME) MS DISK SCAN AND DEFRAG. P.S. Keeps saying "disk content has changed" and starts over..

[Marc57]

Something running in the background is interfering with scan disk, Make sure to shut down as many programs as you can while it's running(Including Anti-virus). You can also try to run it in Safe Mode.

[Chim]

Had not used (DISK SCAN (THOROUGH) for a while. Ran it today, and it auto. fixed some things. Next I ran (DISK DEFRAG). Kept  starting and stopping, and then told me to run Scan disk again, and then re run Disk defrag. Which I did, (another two hours +) wasted. same message !!! any suggestions would be appreciated Thanks. (WINDOWS ME) MS DISK SCAN AND DEFRAG. P.S. Keeps saying "disk content has changed" and starts over..

You using Windows ME might just be close enough to my Windows 98SE.  After NOT doing Disk Defrags for probably 2 or 3 years, I just started again like 2 weeks ago.  Oh, I've done many Windows Reinstalls on my computer, so I get the equivalent of Disk Defrags.  Back to the subject.  The reason I had stopped doing Disk Defrags is that ever since I had upgraded from AOL 9.0 Optimized to AOL 9.0 Security Edition ... something kept running in the background and constantly Restarting my Disk Defrags.

After those 2 or 3 years of NO Defrags, I decided to give it a shot again.  I Pause the Standard Shield in avast!  I Pause the Task Scheduler in the System Tray.  I then End Task on the AOL Scheduler and AOL Software and whatever other Processes I deem that I can get away with doing so in the Startup sequence.  ANYTHING you can think of that's running in the background and doesn't need to for a Defrag ... Shut Down / Pause It / End Task.

I then started the Defrag.  I had 2 or 3 Misfires whereby I immediately got flashbacks that my Defrag was NOT going to work, just like ole times back when I got that infamous AOL 9.0 Security Edition.  But, it finally got going.  I've done 2 Defrags since bringing back my Defragging Routine out of hiatus / retirement.

I did read the other day on some site that the Windows XP Defragging function is much Smarter and Efficient than the one in Windows 98.  The Windows XP Defragging function is NOT so easily thrown off track by something running in the Background.

Oh, yes ... that message which you mention --- "Disk content has changed ... " I am wayyy too familiar with it.  Yep, I see it during those annoying Restarts.  So, it sure seems as though you're going through the same thing as me.  Just try doing as I suggested.  Pause avast! ... Pause the Task Scheduler in the System Tray.  And Ctrl Alt Del so that you can bring up the Running Processes.  End Task on whichever ones DON'T have to be running during a Defrag.

You'll still see these Restarts and "Disk content has changed" throughout your Defrag.  But, Pausing / Ending all of those Items I mention, will at least let the Defrag get going and somewhat EVENTUALLY make it to the end.  It'll be a little bit annoying, slow and tedious, but well, if it NEEDS to be done ... it has to be done even if it's rough and tedious.

[alanrf]

In support of the comments of Chim ... my old WinMe laptop is incapable of completing a disk scan on the C drive for the reasons you give, though (not a surprise) the D drive is no problem. 

So long since I tried a defrag ... but next time I power it up I will give it a try (after the 20-30 minutes it needs for the avast updates to finish).

[Chim]

In support of the comments of Chim ... my old WinMe laptop is incapable of completing a disk scan on the C drive for the reasons you give, though (not a surprise) the D drive is no problem. 

So long since I tried a defrag ... but next time I power it up I will give it a try (after the 20-30 minutes it needs for the avast updates to finish).

The weird thing is that in MY case, even though it is Windows 98SE that I have, I USED to, back in my AOL 9.0 Optimized days, be able to perform Defrags succesfully anytime, any day without problems.  It was only when I upgraded to AOL 9.0 Security Edition that suddenly Defrags were NOT routine.  To prove my theory, I even installed AOL 9.0 Optimized again ... and the Defrags again became Non-problematic.

The question will then be asked:  Why then, didn't I STAY with AOL 9.0 Optimized so as to still have working Defrags?  Well, it's been sooo long, but I THINK at some point I was having some other AOL problem and I subsequently installed the other version, the Non-Defrag Friendly AOL 9.0 Security Edition to see if that would fix my other problem.  I don't remember whether it fixed my problem at the time, but I probably got tired of experimenting and then just stayed with the Defrag Problem Child AOL 9.0 Security Edition ... and stopped doing Defrags.

That being 2 or 3 years ago ... about 3 months ago, I contacted AOL Tech Support to see IF they might have a Fix for this problem of AOL 9.0 Security Edition wreaking havoc with Defrags.  The AOL Rep just apologized for the "inconvenience," but offered NO Fix.  I then inquired if the old AOL 9.0 Optimized, the one that DID allow Defrags, still worked as I still had the CD and was considering Downgrading to it.  The AOL Rep told me that yes, that Lower version still worked, but ... that if I did downgrade to it, to expect periodic REMINDERS to Update to the New version.  Oh just friggin great!  I would have to tolerate mandatory periodic harassment Reminders to Update.    So, I'm still with the Problem Child AOL 9.0 Security Edition that won't play nice with Defrags.  But, at least I think I found the workaround by Pausing / End Tasking everything possible.

[hines232]

Something running in the background is interfering with scan disk, Make sure to shut down as many programs as you can while it's running(Including Anti-virus). You can also try to run it in Safe Mode.

Disk Scan ran fine.Defrag won't run.

[hines232]

Had not used (DISK SCAN (THOROUGH) for a while. Ran it today, and it auto. fixed some things. Next I ran (DISK DEFRAG). Kept  starting and stopping, and then told me to run Scan disk again, and then re run Disk defrag. Which I did, (another two hours +) wasted. same message !!! any suggestions would be appreciated Thanks. (WINDOWS ME) MS DISK SCAN AND DEFRAG. P.S. Keeps saying "disk content has changed" and starts over..

You using Windows ME might just be close enough to my Windows 98SE.  After NOT doing Disk Defrags for probably 2 or 3 years, I just started again like 2 weeks ago.  Oh, I've done many Windows Reinstalls on my computer, so I get the equivalent of Disk Defrags.  Back to the subject.  The reason I had stopped doing Disk Defrags is that ever since I had upgraded from AOL 9.0 Optimized to AOL 9.0 Security Edition ... something kept running in the background and constantly Restarting my Disk Defrags.

After those 2 or 3 years of NO Defrags, I decided to give it a shot again.  I Pause the Standard Shield in avast!  I Pause the Task Scheduler in the System Tray.  I then End Task on the AOL Scheduler and AOL Software and whatever other Processes I deem that I can get away with doing so in the Startup sequence.  ANYTHING you can think of that's running in the background and doesn't need to for a Defrag ... Shut Down / Pause It / End Task.

I then started the Defrag.  I had 2 or 3 Misfires whereby I immediately got flashbacks that my Defrag was NOT going to work, just like ole times back when I got that infamous AOL 9.0 Security Edition.  But, it finally got going.  I've done 2 Defrags since bringing back my Defragging Routine out of hiatus / retirement.

I did read the other day on some site that the Windows XP Defragging function is much Smarter and Efficient than the one in Windows 98.  The Windows XP Defragging function is NOT so easily thrown off track by something running in the Background.

Oh, yes ... that message which you mention --- "Disk content has changed ... " I am wayyy too familiar with it.  Yep, I see it during those annoying Restarts.  So, it sure seems as though you're going through the same thing as me.  Just try doing as I suggested.  Pause avast! ... Pause the Task Scheduler in the System Tray.  And Ctrl Alt Del so that you can bring up the Running Processes.  End Task on whichever ones DON'T have to be running during a Defrag.

You'll still see these Restarts and "Disk content has changed" throughout your Defrag.  But, Pausing / Ending all of those Items I mention, will at least let the Defrag get going and somewhat EVENTUALLY make it to the end.  It'll be a little bit annoying, slow and tedious, but well, if it NEEDS to be done ... it has to be done even if it's rough and tedious.

Thanks Chim .

[MikeBCda]

Slightly off-topic, but ...

A few months ago I tried defragging in safe mode (I have XP home, SP3) in hopes it would speed things up a little.  Actually it backfired on me, took quite a bit longer -- other versions may be different, but in XP safe mode doesn't use the page file, which makes quite a difference.

[hines232]

Thanks to all post's !!

[YoKenny]

I use Index.dat Suite to schedule a defrag at next boot to run before Windows locks access to its files:
http://support.it-mate.co.uk/?mode=Products&p=Index.datSuite

It also helps to compress the index.dat files that can not be cleaned out during normal Windows running as they are in use all the time.

By the way, index.dat files have the capability of storing every site you visit so could be a privacy issue.

[Chim]

Slightly off-topic, but ...

A few months ago I tried defragging in safe mode (I have XP home, SP3) in hopes it would speed things up a little.  Actually it backfired on me, took quite a bit longer -- other versions may be different, but in XP safe mode doesn't use the page file, which makes quite a difference.

Funny you should mention Safe Mode backfiring on you. Once ... and ONLY once, I tried running an avast! Manual Scan in Safe Mode.  The result?  It backfired and added like at least 1 HOUR Extra Scanning Time than what it usually took to run a Manual Scan.  I don't know if that's supposed to happen normally when you run a Manual Scan in Safe Mode, but needless to say, I never did run a Manual Scan in Safe Mode again.