Can I run disk defragmentor for a few hours a day instead of doing it all at once?

Question

At the rate the computer was going, will take like 60 hours for disk defrag to finish. Can I run it overnight, say 6 hours a night, for ten days and finish defragging the whole drive?

the computer isnt running slow, it is just the disk derag, I have like 37 gb filled of a 40 gb disk, its an old computer, and ive only defragged it one other time like 4 years ago, hence 60 hours

Answer 1

Yes, you can run it overnight. Just don't do it if it's raining or during bad weather. You wouldn't want a power surge to ruin your computer while you're sleeping.

Are you using the XP defragger? A commercial program like Perfect Disk will run faster. Not only that, but it will run properly. XP system files can't be modified (for the most part) while XP is running, so the defragger doesn't touch them. This leaves the files fragmented and their position on the hard drive may promote file fragmentation in the future. Commercial defraggers have 'offline' defragging which defrags the system files before Windows fully boots up. You would do an offline defrag first, and then run Windows and do the online defragging. Online defragging doesn't need to be done too often.

You can also get a disk partitioning program like Partition Magic to chop up your 1 large partition into 2 or more smaller ones. Files like photos, videos, and music files don't really change, so these static files can be put into another partition. Since these files don't change, you don't really have to waste time defragging that partition. If you have a 500 gig hard drive, it sure would take a lot less time if you only had to defrag a 250 gig or less partition.

Answer 2

Yes you can. When the program is running, there is usually a 'quit' button, or 'stop' button than can be tirggered any time. When the program restarts, it takes up where it left off. The smart thing to do, though, is program it to run just as you go to bed. When you get up in the morning, it is complete, and you don't have to worry about missing anything if you stop it during program operation. I have never heard of one taking that long, but the overnight operation is the least disrupting ot disturbing.

Answer 3

Yeah I do that alot but remember its taking and moving files around in a better order to speed things up. So if you are installing software or doing anything that would add data to the disk during that time. Then you will be making the fragments worse.

60 hours? That has to suck.

Answer 4

yea but u r better off going to bestbuy or circut city and buying a new hard disk drive they arnt that expencive eithrer according to size i just got a 160 gb hard disk drive for 85 dollers and its also quieter than my old 40 gb hard disk drive too they range from 60, 75, 80, 100, 120, 160, 250, 300, 500, and 750 gb hard disk drives the prices go up and down on these according to brand (get western digital they r faster loading and it will only take a sec to install) go on line at www.bestbuy.com and were it says search for and in the blank space type in hard drive and it will find everything for u about hard drives u can go to circut city to search by putting circut city in your google search or www.circutcity.com and were it says search put in the blank space hard drive and it will have items brought up in catagories and pick one u want and there ya go more space

Answer 5

Sure..u can..but ofcourse, it may not be as effective as running the defragmenting process the usual way..first try n find out why your P.C is running slow...

Answer 6

Before doing disc defrag, run disc clean up first. I have windows XP and it tells me if i need to defrag or not.

Answer 7

no ...
all in vain when u even click your mouse once during the defragmentation