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Defragmentation software for Win9x


Multibooter

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For the past years I have been defragging my HDDs not under Win98, but under WinXP. I uninstalled Diskeeper Pro v9 from Win98SE about 4 years ago, and since then I have no defragging software installed under Win98, except for MS Disk Defragmenter, which I don't use.

I have on my dual-core desktop 2 instances of WinXP, one running on a FAT32 partition, the other running on an NTFS partition. The boot partition is FAT16. A separate FAT32 swap partition contains the fixed-size 3888MB swap files of Win98 and of WinXP(Fat32); the swap file of WinXP(NTFS) is on its NTFS partition.

I frequently create under Win98, with Norton Ghost v11.0.2 (standalone) and the switches -z9 -cns -fatlimit -szee in the desktop shortcut, backups of the WinXP(FAT32) partition. Before creating the .gho file of the WinXP(FAT32) partition, I boot into WinXP(NTFS) and defragment from there the WinXP(FAT32) partition with PerfectDisk v8.0.67, then I boot back into Win98 to create the .gho partition image.

I would like to defragment the WinXP(FAT32) partition under Win98. Which Win98-compatible defragging software can be recommended for this purpose? The defragging software should work fine under plain vanilla Win98SE with:

- big PATA drives (up to 750GB)

- big SATA drives (up to 2TB)

- primary and logical FAT32 partitions up to 240GB (on external drives and on internal HDDs with patches for the 137GB problem)

- HDDs connected via USB 2.0/eSATA I, maybe also via Firewire

- other partition types on the HDD (NTFS, Linux) (i.e. the defragmentation software should not damage them)

- Unicode/WinXP-compatible file and directory names

- files up to 4 GB in size

- a dual-core CPU under Win98

There is a very interesting thread at but I am interested specifically in Win98 software which works with modern hardware. I am hesitant about experimenting with various old defragging programs on my HDDs, maybe someone here has already done it already. I only need basic defragmentation and free space optimization on demand, no optimization of file and directory locations, no automatic runs in the background.

Edited by Multibooter
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I only need basic defragmentation and free space optimization on demand, no optimization of file and directory locations, no automatic runs in the background.

NOT an answer. :(

But something worth a look (promising):

http://sourceforge.net/projects/filesystemd/

And some semi-random hints:

The ME defrag is said to be much better than Win98 one.

PowerDefrag may help in managing "standard" defrag:

http://www.mdgx.com/98-3.htm

Among Commercial tools, AFAICR, the Vopt is the only one that is still updated ansd works on 9x:

http://www.vopt.com/index.html

http://www.vopt.com/nudownload.htm

jaclaz

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IMO, your expectations are a bit too high (especially the last point).

Probably the only chance for modern defragmentation tool is KernelEx - personally, I would like to try freeware Defraggler (I've tested it under Windows XP systems).

Edited by rainyd
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Defragmentation under XP is much more flexible. And way more stable. You already have tools you trust, for XP. Why not defrag the XP (NTFS) while booted from XP (FAT-32) and vice-versa? And every other possible partition from either?

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With all due respect for the opinions of the members who posted :), this seems not a poll like:

Is it better to defragment a disk under Windows 98 or under XP?

or

What is the best defragmenting software or Operating System?

Multibooter, for reasons that should not be up to debate, wants to defragment under Windows 98, his question seems like clear enough to me.

...and I thought mine was not an answer .... :whistle:

I guess Multibooter is old and experienced enough a member to know what he is asking for and he most probably has a reason to ask this (and not another question)....

jaclaz

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Among Commercial tools, AFAICR, the Vopt is the only one that is still updated ansd works on 9x: http://www.vopt.com/index.html http://www.vopt.com/nudownload.htm

Thanks jaclaz. I have test-installed VoptXP v7.22 on my 10-year-old Inspiron 7500 laptop (700MHz, 512 MB RAM) under Win98SE and made some preliminary tests. Here the results under Win98SE:

- VoptXP v7.22 defragged fine a 192GB partition on an external 1 TB pre-brick Seagate SATA HDD ( )

- VoptXP v7.22 defragged fine when this pre-brick Seagate SATA HDD was in a Kingwin EZ-Dock EZD-2535 docking station connected via eSATA PCCard (Vantec eSATA PCCard UGT-ST350CB [silicon Image SiI 3512 SATALink Controller]) and when connected via USB 2.0/nusb

- VoptXP v7.22 processed Ok a 3.99GB file (4.294.967.295 bytes) under Win98SE with the "Unofficial 2-4 GB Files Errors KERNEL32.DLL Fix"

- VoptXP v7.22 seems to handle errors Ok: the 192GB partition on the pre-brick Seagate SATA HDD had a free disk space error [Norton Disk Doctor: "The boot area on this drive contains invalid information about the drive's free space. Windows may report the drive's free space incorrectly or slowly."], which seems to be ignored under WinXP, but not under Win98. After defragging for about 10 minutes, Vopt displayed an error message "VoptXP. An error has occurred while attempting to access this drive.

Err=Error writing drive -> 268

Source=V.DP.RH.PD.PAD.MFR.SF2.SSMF"

Then ScanDisk came up out of the blue with the err msg: "ScanDisk cannot check this drive because the disk is not properly formatted, or a program such as a disk utility has locked it. Format the disk or wait for the utility to finish, and then restart ScanDisk."

After shutting down and powering the pre-brick Seagate HDD off-on, I ran NDD under Win98 and fixed the free disk space error. NDD found a lost cluster, probably a leftover from the interrupted defragging.

I then ran under Win98SE Partition Table Doctor v3.5 and PartitionMagic v8.01.1312, everything was Ok. I then compared the files on the partition where VoptXP was working on against a backup on another HDD, everything Ok. VoptXP seems to handle well error situations/crashes, no data was lost.

BUT: Immediately after VoptXP started to defrag, Win98 became nearly totally unresponsive [a Windows Explorer window open up about 3 minutes after clicking on it to bring it to the foreground]. The clock in the system tray didn't advance anymore, the CPUIdle usage icon in the system tray stayed frozen, and SysInternal's Process Explorer (set to real time) did not responded either. After VoptXP had finished defragging, everything worked fine again and the clock showed again the correct time. This single-tasking behaviour, however, makes VoptXP unattractive to use under Win98.I didn't find any switches or settings to fix Vopt's temporary locking up of Win98; there are no settings for background defragging. Any suggestions how to fix this?

BTW, VoptXP v7.22 has not been updated recently. The latest modification date of files in the install-to is 21-Nov-2003, even if the modification date of the installer file VXP_v722.exe on their website is 17-Dec-2006 (=probably date of their last upload to their server). VoptXP v7.22 is still offered for sale, but was last updated 7 years ago.

Edited by Multibooter
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BTW, VoptXP v7.22 has not been updated recently. The latest modification date of files in the install-to is 21-Nov-2003, even if the modification date of the installer file VXP_v722.exe on their website is 17-Dec-2006 (=probably date of their last upload to their server). VoptXP v7.22 is still offered for sale, but was last updated 7 years ago.

Well, AFAIK not even Windows 98 has been updated recently.... :whistle:

Maybe you can try using a launcher with process priority features, like this one (examples):

Myrun

http://ex-boroda.chat.ru/english.html

ATM

http://www.simtel.net/product/view/id/12339

Cannot say if it can work....

jaclaz

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Well, I'm going to throw my 2 cents into all this, and that's all it's worth! I tried VoptXP v7.22 and it seemed OK for Windows 98SE. I use the ME Defrag on my 98SE systems which works very fast as jaclaz mentioned earlier about the ME Defrag being better for 98SE. I also use an old program called EndItAll to shut down most all running programs while Scandisk and Defrag run on my notebook. This is just out of left field ... not having much much info on VoptXP v7.22 since it is so old ... perhaps this is something it does also ... shut some running programs down so it can defrag the hard drive. You did say everything seemed OK after VoptXP has finished. All was well. Like I said ... just my 2 cents. I will continue to work with it some more. I did try something ... VoptXP seemed to be going slow but doing it's job so I stopped it ... went to the Win 98SE (ME) Defrag and it went fast through it's work. Went back to VoptXP and started it, 2 seconds it was done, nothing to defrag ... so it was apparently satisfied that the hard drive was already completely defragged by the Windows ME Defrag. Not much to go on but I have always thought the ME Defrag in Windows 98SE was acceptable, definitely much faster. However, I will try other defrag systems if they are mentioned in this thread.

...

Edited by duffy98
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Maybe you can try using a launcher with process priority features, like this one (examples): Myrun http://ex-boroda.chat.ru/english.html

ATM http://www.simtel.net/product/view/id/12339

Cannot say if it can work....

Thanks jaclaz. I have installed MyRun v1.10, set the Process Priority of VoptXP v7.22 to "Idle" - and it seems to work on the first glance.

Win98 is not locked up anymore while Vopt is running. I am making this posting while VoptXP is defragging under Win98SE another 192GB FAT32 partition on that 1 TB pre-brick Seagate SATA HDD in an EZ-Dock docking station connected via USB 2.0 to my old laptop.

VoptXP is currently making its second major test: defragging the library of my biggest application, the excellent German language Digitale Bibliothek http://www.digitale-bibliothek.de/ This library is in a folder with 426,000 files in 1,200 folders, using 119 GB, on the 192GB partition.

VoptXP v7.22 was apparently never intended to run in a low priority mode, its program window does not have a minimize button "_" in the top right of its program window while defragging. When defragging has finished, the minimize button "_" appears again in the VoptXP program window.

Addendum: VoptXP v7.22 has just locked up again Win98 when defragging another 192GB partition on the 1TB pre-brick Seagate SATA HDD, this time connected via eSATA. I am investigating. This posting was made from another computer, the computer still defragging is currently locked up/busy, with an hour glass displayed.

Addendum: When VoptXP apparently locked up Win98, it was moving a 3.99GB file (4.294.964.413 bytes). I clicked on the Stop icon, and after about 5 mins the operation was cancelled. After rebooting into Win89, NDD, PTD and PartitionMagic did not indicate any errors, so clicking on the Stop button of VoptXP seems to have caused no problems.

Addendum: VoptXP also locks up Win98 when moving a 700MB file, so it's not caused by a file > 2GB.

Edited by Multibooter
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This library is in a folder with 426,000 files in 1,200 folders, using 119 GB, on the 192GB partition.

:blink: This must have cost you a little fortune to buy all that. :w00t:

OT: A little treasure, 281 volumes (=CDs). The values lies not in the individual volumes, but in the searchable whole. One can search a huge mass of texts written in German or translated into German.

The 7.9 GB DVD "10 Jahre Digitale Bibliothek Jubiläumsband" (2005), which contains 30 volumes (=CDs), is a good starter, I got it as a complimentary gift from the company, many volumes were available over the years on CDs inside of German computer magazines, others from ebay. This is an extraordinary collection, like a small google books of German-language books, but on one's own HDD and the text is copy-and-pastable, and some volumes include additionally the rare original edition of the books as facsimile images. It's maybe 300 meters of bookshelf space, inside the HDD and easily searchable.

Unfortunately most CDs and DVDs of the library are now out of print ("vergriffen"): http://www.digitale-bibliothek.de/scripts/ts.dll?s=2&id=2FF46D8A&mp=/pi/1/&lm=/sel/2/

All volumes listed there, except under the heading zeno.org, run with the DigiBib v4.01.350 software (=search, display and print engine) under Win98.

Many volumes are still available at ebay:

http://shop.ebay.de/i.html?_nkw="Digitale+Bibliothek"&_sacat=0&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_odkw="10+Jahre+Digitale+Bibliothek"&_osacat=0&_trksid

For non-German speakers: Volume DB061 contains the text plus the facsimile of the First Folio Edition/1968 facsimile edition by Hinman of the complete works of Shakespeare. The Digitale Bibliothek also includes a huge collection of images of publicly available art.

Edited by Multibooter
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I have to mention ScanDefrag here.
I only need basic defragmentation and free space optimization on demand, no optimization of file and directory locations, no automatic runs in the background.
Thanks supem, but ScanDefrag http://www.blueorbsoft.com/scandefrag/ looks like a scheduler without its own defragging software. Although I am interested at the moment in on-demand = not-scheduled defragmentation, I may look at ScanDefrag later on, once I found the right defragmentation software under Win9x.

ScanDefrag looks interesting because it apparently works with Norton SpeedDisk. I rejected SpeedDisk years ago, I don't remember why. Since a related software, Norton Disk Doctor, has worked fine for me under Win98, I will try SpeedDisk again if VoptXP can't be made to behave like a multi-tasking application.

Edited by Multibooter
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