Windows XP Defrag says it's done, but isn't. Why?

Question

I'll run the defrag, and it will finish and say that there were no files that couldn't be defragmented, but the total volume fragmentation is still at 8% and file fragmentation is at 17% (which means that 1.5 GB worth of data on my hard drive is fragmented).

And the weird thing is that i just wiped the hard drive today, and was installing my programs when I noticed that it did that (I was very careful, restarting after ever installation, and defragmenting after every restart).

It isn't an old computer...around 2 years old...but it has such strange problems sometimes (that have dumbfounded numerous tech specialists), and this will be the third time that I have been forced to format the hard drive due to unusual file disappearances and blue screens of death (with no viruses detected).

It is a Dell Dimension 3000 desktop, if that helps. And I have service pack 2, a gig of ram, and a 2.8 Ghz processor. I use it for semi-professional video editing.

Talked with a tech specialist, and none of you guys are right about the cause of the problem, although one of you was right about the solution.

Answer 1

If you did not turn off system restore you would get this.
Especially if it was infected.

Try this

Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec
NOTICE: Using Dell PC Restore permanently deletes all data on the hard drive and removes any applications or
drivers installed after you received your computer. If possible, back up the data before using PC Restore. Use PC
Restore only if System Restore did not resolve your operating system problem.
NOTE: Dell PC Restore by Symantec is not available in all countries or on all computers.
Use Dell PC Restore by Symantec only as the last method to restore your operating system.
PC Restore restores your hard drive to the operating state it was in when you purchased the computer.
Any programs or files added since you received your computer—including data files—are permanently
deleted from the hard drive. Data files include documents, spreadsheets, e-mail messages, digital photos,
music files, and so on. If possible, back up all data before using PC Restore.
To use PC Restore:
1 Turn on the computer.
During the boot process, a blue bar with www.dell.com appears at the top of the screen.
2 Immediately upon seeing the blue bar, press .
If you do not press in time, let the computer finish starting, and then restart the
computer again.
NOTICE: If you do not want to proceed with PC Restore, click Reboot in the following step.
3 On the next screen that appears, click Restore.
4 On the next screen, click Confirm.
The restore process takes approximately 6–10 minutes to complete.
56 Troubleshooting Tools
5 When prompted, click Finish to reboot the computer.
NOTE: Do not manually shut down the computer. Click Finish and let the computer completely reboot.
6 When prompted, click Yes.
The computer restarts. Because the computer is restored to its original operating state, the screens that
appear, such as the End User License Agreement, are the same ones that appeared the first time the
computer was turned on.
7 Click Next.
The System Restore screen appears and the computer restarts.
8 After the computer restarts, click OK.

Answer 2

If you're getting the Blue Screen of Death(BSoD) then my guess is you might have ram problems. That also may be why you are having errors in defragmenting your HD. You should go and download memtest ( http://www.memtest.org/ ) and burn it to a CD. Then tell your computer in the BIOS to boot first from the CD and memtest will start. You will need to let it run for a least an hour. My recommendation is to just let it run overnight. If there are problems with you RAM, then it should detect it. If so, you will need to buy some new ram or you will continue to get errors. If you have 2 512mb sticks, I would recommend testing them 1 at a time.

Answer 3

commonly while techniques are strolling defrag simply cant paintings accurately, it demands the pc to be entirely to be had so it may well transfer knowledge round. begin through disconnecting from the Internet ether unplug the cable for your community or disable it within the community connections field. subsequent blank out cookies and whatnot, do disk cleanup. subsequent shutdown the whole lot strolling at the PC and that i imply the whole lot. begin with the matters through the clock, correct click on on each and every of them separately and seem for a shutdown or go out button. you probably have an anti virus software strolling you have got to disable it entirely in its choices. after completing with the icons through the clock and anti virus. open venture supervisor and begin killing strategies related to matters that can gradual down the defrag method, printer drivers digicam drivers and techniques, any strategies left strolling through the anti virus software, and exceptionally any dossier sharing techniques that can be strolling. now run defrag, it with a bit of luck will paintings on one move and be performed. be aware you do not use the pc whilst its doing this primary knowledge touchy operation, so do it earlier than you pass to mattress, or the can, then restart the pc while completed. you're going to ought to return into the choices on your anti virus and re allow it, and reconnect your community, however the strategies you killed in venture supervisor will restart with home windows. well good fortune TV

Answer 4

Have you tried running chkdsk from the recovery consule of your windowsXP disk ?

Does the same defragment problem occur if you defragment in Safemode ?

Answer 5

Run scadisk first then run defragmentation, also dont forget to tick fix all errors in the scandisk options.
You cant defrag a hardisk that has errors otherwise it tangles all up and you have more errors.

Answer 6

some bad sector must be there which makes disk defragmentation to stop, do a low level formating using disk wizard software which will solve ur problem

Answer 7

sounds like you're infected with spyware malware or virus run antivirus avg by grisoft is good if you dont have one and run spybot search and destroy then you may have to reformat again but it should fix it.