Defrag and Safe Mode problems

[bunnyfugger]

Hi,

I'm running Win XP Pro SP3 (fully patched) and noticed earlier today that when I opened Windows Defrag and clicked the Analyze button for my C: drive, I got the message:

You should defragment this volume

I've used XP for many years and this is the first time I've seen this message. Unfazed, I clicked the defragment button and performed a defrag as usual. Just to check that things had gone well I re-analysed the drive and (surprise surprise!) got the same:

You should defragment this volume

message again. (Hmmm...I thought).

I googled the message and have found a few suggestions on how to rectify, most of which tell me to start in "safe mode", and so I rebooted, tapped away at F8, selected "Safe Mode" and hit enter.

The usual lines of DOS commands scrolled away up the screen until it reached TDI.SYS. Then it hangs. I waited (three or four minutes) but to no avail. Computer just hangs there.

Not one to give up easily I tried again but with the same result.

My questions are:
Has anyone a solution for the defrag problem?
and
Has anyone seen this safe mode problem before and, if so, is there a solution?

I know that some malware can cause a PC not to boot into safe mode but I haven't had an infection for (probably) years, and had a clean MalwareBytes scan earlier in the day. I'll do another when I've posted here.
I've looked at some posts here that relate to the problem but can't seem to find any solutions.

Any help would be greatly appreciated...
Regards,
Bunny.
>:>

[Adamsappleone]

Use your XP CD and enter the "Recovery Console" and do the necessary repairs, that should resolve your issue.

[bunnyfugger]

Hi adamsappleone,

Thanks for replying to my (long) post so quickly.

I'll try your suggestion, but not just yet (nothing personal).

I'm a little nervous about doing a repair install as I've heard of some bad results when it's been tried by others. My problem is probably nothing like theirs, but just to be safe (pun not intended) I'll have a further look on google.
Just to keep you up to speed, I have done another malware scan which came back clean.

Thanks again, and I'll post back here if and when I find a solution, whether by repair install or otherwise.

Kind Regards....
Bunny.
>:>

[caperjack]

3-4 min is not a long wait for safe mode to come up ,wait a little longer ,
also a good free 3rd party defrag is defraggler ,by the makers of ccleaner another great free program ..you could try it and then check win defrag for same message after !

[bunnyfugger]

Hi caperjack,

Thank you for your advice on Defraggler. I've installed it and, as you correctly point out, it's solved my defrag problem (Yay;-).
It was actually hiberfil.sys which caused the problem. After defragging, and still with 23% defragmentation, it was easy to see just what was causing it. I simply turned System Hibernation off and on again in power options and Hey Presto! - no more problem. Windows defrag now reports, "No need to defragment this volume".

I shall also try your other suggestion of waiting longer for safe mode to boot (though tomorrow - it's late here in UK now) and will post back my experience when done.

What an excellent forum and community!
Thanks again....

Best Regards,

[caperjack]

Hi caperjack,

Thank you for your advice on Defraggler. I've installed it and, as you correctly point out, it's solved my defrag problem (Yay;-).
It was actually hiberfil.sys which caused the problem. After defragging, and still with 23% defragmentation, it was easy to see just what was causing it. I simply turned System Hibernation off and on again in power options and Hey Presto! - no more problem. Windows defrag now reports, "No need to defragment this volume".

I shall also try your other suggestion of waiting longer for safe mode to boot (though tomorrow - it's late here in UK now) and will post back my experience when done.

What an excellent forum and community!
Thanks again....

Best Regards,

your welcome ,good to see you got it sorted out ,I never did like/use the hibernation feature

[bunnyfugger]

Hi caperjack,
All problems now solved. Thanks for your time.

Regards...

[jbennet]

Are you low on disk space? It cant defrag if you have less than (10%?) free space. Remember the system reserves enough space for the hibernation file as the total amount as your installed ram.

And as for 3rd party defraggers, ive got diskkeeper (came with laptop) which seems to run fine (better than the vista one anyway, which is atrocious)

[caperjack]

Hi caperjack,
All problems now solved. Thanks for your time.

Regards...

your welcome ,good luck

[bunnyfugger]

Are you low on disk space? It cant defrag if you have less than (10%?) free space. Remember the system reserves enough space for the hibernation file as the total amount as your installed ram.

And as for 3rd party defraggers, ive got diskkeeper (came with laptop) which seems to run fine (better than the vista one anyway, which is atrocious)

Hi jbennet,

Thanks for the help but my problem is solved. I use defraggler now. God bless Piriform...

Regards:)