I Defragment, and it stops...Help....Anyone???

Question

Everytime I try to defrag my hard drive, it doesnt get any further than being %12 defragmented. I have tried this with both the Windows XP program and with a freeware program. I know my system is in dire need of a defrag but it gets to the %12 point, stops and sits there and the system heats up. (im questioning if perhaps the heating up of my system is indicating another issue. Its been happening a lot lately but the weather here has been in the 100's, so...?)
Any suggestions...?
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

if it keeps stopping at the same spot everytime then your hd has a problem in that spot most likely. Shut down all programs running accept you antivirus/spyware protection and try it again. iolo.com has a trial version of system mechanic that does wonders for a computer if you know how to use it. Download it and don't touch the default settings, just run a complete computer tune-up. Once again only have the programs running absolutely needed. The rest..like msn messenger/s, p2p, all that crap, shut it off. The more proggies running the more snags you'll hit and slower performance.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

You must have something running in the background that is stopping your defrag. Windows can not defrag a program if it is in use or running. So go into the msconfig utility and turn off just about everything, you can turn it back on later, and then try defraging again.

By the way, two of the biggest defrag problems are anti virus and firewall programs.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Try running defrag from safe mode

To start the computer in safe mode
You should print these instructions before continuing. They will not be available after you shut your computer down in step 2.
Click Start, click Shut Down, and then, in the drop-down list, click Shut down.
In the Shut Down Windows dialog box, click Restart, and then click OK.
When you see the message Please select the operating system to start, press F8.
Use the arrow keys to highlight the appropriate safe mode option, and then press ENTER.
If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, choose the installation that you need to access using the arrow keys, and then press ENTER.
Notes

In safe mode, you have access to only basic files and drivers (mouse, monitor, keyboard, mass storage, base video, default system services, and no network connections). You can choose the Safe Mode with Networking option, which loads all of the above files and drivers and the essential services and drivers to start networking, or you can choose the Safe Mode with Command Prompt option, which is exactly the same as safe mode except that a command prompt is started instead of the graphical user interface. You can also choose Last Known Good Configuration, which starts your computer using the registry information that was saved at the last shutdown.
Safe mode helps you diagnose problems. If a symptom does not reappear when you start in safe mode, you can eliminate the default settings and minimum device drivers as possible causes. If a newly added device or a changed driver is causing problems, you can use safe mode to remove the device or reverse the change.
There are circumstances where safe mode will not be able to help you, such as when Windows system files that are required to start the system are corrupted or damaged. In this case, the Recovery Console may help you.
NUM LOCK must be off before the arrow keys on the numeric keypad will function.

Answer 4

start in safe mode then defrag, it keeps all sorts of programs from loading that otherwise interfere with defrags ability to get the job done.