Help - Looking to defrag folders under XP

  • Thread starter Thread starter BD
  • Start date Start date
B

BD

Hi, all.

I have 2 different external USB hard disks, one 3.5" under NTFS, and
one 2.5" under FAT32. I'm running XP SP2.

I really want to be able to occasionally defrag the folders on these
disks, to get them all on the same place on the disk.

I read a thread in an experts-exchange forum about XP not allowing
that kind of access under any circumstances, but Win9x allowing that
kind of direct access to the disk.

I do have a boot floppy running a Win98 command shell, and direct
support for USB hard disks on my mainboard. So I *can* access the disk
at the command shell level.

I just need to track down a tool which will do folder defrags at the
command prompt.

As to NTFS access, I believe I should be able to find some kind of
boot disk driver which would allow a 9x boot floppy to access NTFS Not
sure about that, though.

I'm really just looking to defrag folders from a 9x command shell.
That's step 1.

Any pointers greatly appreciated - this is something I've been looking
to work out for awhile, and would prefer to not have to install a full
9x OS to make it work...

Thanks!

BD
 
Previously BD said:
Hi, all.
Click to expand...
I have 2 different external USB hard disks, one 3.5" under NTFS, and
one 2.5" under FAT32. I'm running XP SP2.
Click to expand...
I really want to be able to occasionally defrag the folders on these
disks, to get them all on the same place on the disk.
Click to expand...
I read a thread in an experts-exchange forum about XP not allowing
that kind of access under any circumstances, but Win9x allowing that
kind of direct access to the disk.
Click to expand...

Huh? Why would XP not allow low-level acces? Because the drives are
marked as removable?
I do have a boot floppy running a Win98 command shell, and direct
support for USB hard disks on my mainboard. So I *can* access the disk
at the command shell level.
Click to expand...
I just need to track down a tool which will do folder defrags at the
command prompt.
Click to expand...
As to NTFS access, I believe I should be able to find some kind of
boot disk driver which would allow a 9x boot floppy to access NTFS Not
sure about that, though.
Click to expand...

And you might run into version conflicts and other stuff.
I'm really just looking to defrag folders from a 9x command shell.
That's step 1.
Click to expand...
Any pointers greatly appreciated - this is something I've been looking
to work out for awhile, and would prefer to not have to install a full
9x OS to make it work...
Click to expand...

Why do you want to do this in the first place? USB HDDs are pretty
slow anyways. If you really have a speed issue, I would recomend
removing the disks from the enclosures fro defrag and attaching them
directly.

Arno
 
BD wrote
I have 2 different external USB hard disks, one 3.5" under
NTFS, and one 2.5" under FAT32. I'm running XP SP2.
Click to expand...
I really want to be able to occasionally defrag the folders on
these disks, to get them all on the same place on the disk.
Click to expand...

Why ? Modern drives seek so fast that you wont
even be able to pick it in a proper double blind trial.
I read a thread in an experts-exchange forum about XP
not allowing that kind of access under any circumstances,
Click to expand...

Thats just plain wrong.
but Win9x allowing that kind of direct access to the disk.
Click to expand...

So does XP if the defragger wants to do that.
I do have a boot floppy running a Win98 command shell,
and direct support for USB hard disks on my mainboard.
So I *can* access the disk at the command shell level.
Click to expand...
I just need to track down a tool which will do folder defrags at the command prompt.
Click to expand...

No one bothers, because its pointless.
As to NTFS access, I believe I should be able to find some
kind of boot disk driver which would allow a 9x boot floppy
to access NTFS Not sure about that, though.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is correct.
I'm really just looking to defrag folders from a 9x command shell.
That's step 1.
Click to expand...

Why bother ?
Any pointers greatly appreciated -
Click to expand...

Dont bother.
this is something I've been looking to work out for awhile, and
would prefer to not have to install a full 9x OS to make it work...
Click to expand...

You may find a defragger that runs under XP that does that.
 
No one bothers, because its pointless.
Click to expand...

Not completely pointless.

The Windows explorer 'alternative' that I use (Directory Opus) has an
option which I like to use, for showing the total space used for each
folder when browsing right off the root of the drive. It scans the
folders and shows how much is in each subdirectory.

When I select my 500GB Lacie external disk, the app spends about 20
seconds rattling around scanning the folders to add up the space
totals. I'm *almost* sure if I were to consolidate the folders close
to the MFT, that process would be quicker and quieter.

It's like doing the 'tree' DOS program off the root of a disk when its
folders are all scattered across the disk, and then after doing it
again after consolidating the folders. Makes a massive difference.

For my internal disks, I agree, I don't care - because they're faster
and quieter anyway. But for this one disk, I think it would help.
 
Huh? Why would XP not allow low-level acces? Because the drives are
marked as removable?
Click to expand...

Here's the thread. It's a pretty old thread by this point, but XP is
still XP, and these folks seem pretty certain about what they're on
about.

http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Windows/XP/Q_20323201.html
Why do you want to do this in the first place?
Click to expand...

I posted my interest in this as a response to another posting. For
*most* usage of my disks, I agree it's of no use. But when I use
Directory Opus with the 'automatic folder size total', it basically
grinds and grinds on the disk for about 30 seconds while it scans that
disk (presumably the folders). I'm sure if I *could* consolidate the
folders, this would speed up.

Maybe I'll set up a VMware machine with 9x, see if I can pass control
of the USB disk to the 9x VM (think you need to pass control of USB
storage devices to either the host or the VM, not both at once), and
run a defrag under 9x, which apparently does support the folder
consolidation.

Or, I could get myself caught up with a few 500G disks on a SATA
machine with a mainboard newer than 6 years old, ditch the external
disk altogether and basically get with the program again. ;-) But for
now, what I gots is what I gots.
 
BD said:
The Windows explorer 'alternative' that I use (Directory Opus) has an
option which I like to use, for showing the total space used for each
folder when browsing right off the root of the drive. It scans the
folders and shows how much is in each subdirectory.

When I select my 500GB Lacie external disk, the app spends about 20
seconds rattling around scanning the folders to add up the space
totals. I'm *almost* sure if I were to consolidate the folders close
to the MFT, that process would be quicker and quieter.
Click to expand...

Applications like that behave so.
<http://windirstat.sourceforge.net/> will spend 40 seconds doing its thing
on my C:\ drive and even longer on external drives, but it is cool anyway!
 
I like to defrag my extenals with "jkdefrag GUI". It has several
settings. Basically it likes to defrag everything, then arrange the
folders at the start and then a gap for temp files and then the
frequently used files and then a gap for temp files and then the large
and infrequently used files. Of course if you use the jkdefrag command
line utility you may be able to choose a finer task.

--
Ed Light

Better World News TV Channel:
http://realnews.com

Bring the Troops Home:
http://bringthemhomenow.org
http://antiwar.com

Iraq Veterans Against the War:
http://ivaw.org
http://couragetoresist.org

Send spam to the FTC at
(e-mail address removed)
Thanks, robots.
 
Look into this program. I believe there is a demo version of it here. It has a
defrag all files in a specific folder option.

Ultimate Defrag 2008

Info herehttp://www.disktrix.com/UDIntroduction.htm

Download trial version herehttp://www.disktrix.com/UDTrials.htm- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...

That looks promising. Claims to consolidate folders right by the MFT.
Not clear whether that requires boot-time operation or whether it
could be done while the OS is fully up. But I'll find out soon enough!

Thanks for that!
 
I briefly had a look at some of the front-ends for that tool. But
before I could get a close enough look at it, I tried the tool that
GMAN was mentioning.

Seems to work like a charm!!

I may still look at the JK tool, but for now, I've done the business
on that USB disk of mine, and I'm happy.

Thanks, all!
 
Back
Top