Windows XP tip for the non-technically minded

[Springbok]

I used to have a desk top computer with Windows ME. Doing my"housekeeping",
defragmenting regularly ,I found that Scan Disc took hours so in the end didn't bother.

Last year, changed to a Lap top with XP.and on the System Tools ,no mention of Scan Disc. so carried on with just defragging but it started to look as if I had Free Space scattered all over. A friend lent me his copy of Readers Digest"How To XP edition" and on the next page to " how to Defrag," was CHKDSK. but accessible through "MY Computer".

Took about 45 mins first time but ended up with 5% additional Free Space.

 Go to Start, Click on "My Computer" .Right Click on hard disc drive(normally  "C")

On pop up box go to Properties ,under Tools , click on Error Checking ,click Check Now. Then Tick both Boxes "Automatically fix errors and Scan for and fix."
Click Start and a box will ask if you want to schedule the Check. Go to Start and restart your computer .


Springbok

[kerryb]

Found it Springbok

Thanks for that!

Kerry

[RJ_Paton]

Neither Chkdsk nor scandisk actually defrag your harddrive ..... both are utilities for finding and fixing errors on the hard drive and have been present in MS operating systems since the days of MSDos.

[Springbok]

Yes Falkyrn,

I did  know that, but not having programmed anything for 20 yrs., one tends to forget how to change the Spark Plugs when driving a modern machine rather than a model Y Ford !!

Spring

[RJ_Paton]

I hate programming -    possibly something to do with early run ins with Fortran IV.

Unfortunately the defrag and other tools with Windows are not always up to the job  although Chkdsk does a pretty reasonable job  it has one foible .... the job it does depends to some extent on the manner in which your hard drive is formatted. ie it acts slightly differently on a FAT formatted drive to one formatted as NTFS.

Have a look at http://www.updatexp.com/windows-xp-chkdsk.html

[downside]

A major tip is to place your Page File and your Tempory Internet files on another logical drive.  The C drive needs frequent defragging if these two files are left there as these two are in constant use and are constantly being expanded and contracted as they are constantly modified.

downside

[Springbok]

Hi Falkyrn

Mine is NTFS,  these days I don't think I'm up to understanding "anything too Technical"  (I can programme the Video) but am just coming to terms with abbreviations in the Chat Room.

Still I'll have a look at that Link ,Thanks.

Downside , now you have dragged me in to deeper waters, I see what you mean about constant use tho' .

Spring

[downside]

Hi Springbok

If your hard drive is divided up into logical drives e.g. C, D, E, F, G etc then you can chage where you page file, the place where Windows writes to disk when it runs out of room using your physical memory (RAM) resides.  You can also change where Internet Explorer keeps its files.

If you only have one drive i.e. a C drive then you would have to find a program that can resize and create logical partitions without losing the data on your C drive such as Partition Magic.

downside

PS running chkdsk is not what I would call programming, it is merely a bit of housekeeping (an operation).

[Berlin-Bob]

possibly something to do with early run ins with Fortran IV.

So what's wrong with FORTRAN IV

A wonderful language, I "grew up" on FORTRAN IV, ALGOL, CORAL, various assemblers, . . .

One amusing pasttime (when you get fed up with watching paint dry  ) is to watch HOW a disk is defragmented and compare programs, and try and guess how the algorithm works.

The standard defragger from Windows 98 is very slow and very simple, but I also have another, called Diskkeeper Lite, (found it on a computer mag. CD) which is much faster but has a really weird algorithm (in as much as one can understand it by looking at the map of the disk)

Bob