I am trying to defrag my 'other' computer. It gets to 1% and then goes back to the start.

There is absolutely nothing else running at all. Please could somebody tell me what the problem might be?

If you haven't disabled your screensaver (by selecting 'none' on the screensaver tab) that will stop a defrag. Also if you have less than 15 percent of free space on the volume you are defragging that will also stop it running successfully. Another possible solution would be to boot into safe mode and try again.

ctrl alt delete and stop anything running in the background that you dont need running

PerfectDisk is a really good tool! give it a try!

simonj, melthebell & 21steve - many thanks for your replies to my request for help.

I've checked the screensaver and it is definitely off - according to the machine I'm using 77% of the space.

ctrl alt delete shut the machine down.

the machine that's having a strop is not connected to the internet - I only use it for printing photos.

I've since tried a format and it won't let me re-format.

This all started with trying to do a format to put in Windows 98 - at the moment I'm running on Windows millenium. I realise I'm going one step back using Windows 98 but my intention is to use less space with the programme and hopefully gain speed. I've just purchased a laser printer and my computer has only 64mb of memory. I've tried to upgrade it to the 300mb line but according to PC World because of the age of the computer this is not possible.

Any help will be more than appreciated.

Originally posted by hector
simonj, melthebell & 21steve - many thanks for your replies to my request for help.

I've checked the screensaver and it is definitely off - according to the machine I'm using 77% of the space.

ctrl alt delete shut the machine down.

the machine that's having a strop is not connected to the internet - I only use it for printing photos.

I've since tried a format and it won't let me re-format.

This all started with trying to do a format to put in Windows 98 - at the moment I'm running on Windows millenium. I realise I'm going one step back using Windows 98 but my intention is to use less space with the programme and hopefully gain speed. I've just purchased a laser printer and my computer has only 64mb of memory. I've tried to upgrade it to the 300mb line but according to PC World because of the age of the computer this is not possible.

Any help will be more than appreciated.
????
ctrl alt delete only shuts the machine down if you do it twice, once and it brings up the task manager

Get the PerfectDisk trial from:

www.raxco.com/products/perfectdisk2k

or

http://www.raxco.com/products/downloadit/perfectdisk2000_download.cfm

its really good, better than the windows defrager

When I did ctrl alt delete it gave me list of programmes in a box I highlighted one of the programmes - at the bottom of the box it said 'clear' - I pressed this and the computer simply shut down.

After this happened twice that was when I tried to re-format - but the computer won't let me go 'backwards' with programmes. As I said I want to use Windows 98 not Millenium to try and make space and speed. Plus the computer hasn't been formatted in the last four years. Scan disk and defrag have been used over the past four years. But during this time an awful lot of programmes have been put in and taken out. This makes me think that there must be lots of bits all over the hard drive.

Have you run scan disk before trying to defrag. My old 98SE pc would not defrag until I had carried out a deep scan disk and everything was ok. If I didn't, it would stop at 1% everytime.

The simplest way, I find, is to run Defrag in safe mode. When you first turn on your computer, repeatedly press the F8 key on your keyboard, until a menu appears and select Safe Mode using the cursor keys and press enter.

It is always a good idea to run scandisk first though, although no need for a thourough scandisk.

Disable anti virus software etc while you run...........Also set your computer to run the minimum requirements when its turned in.....basically deactivate for a short time anything you have downloaded new to the pc by running "msconfig" and going to "startup"....... that sorted out mine when I had the same problem. Defrag then put startup back to normal.

A big 'Thank you' to everyone who's tried to help me.

I've had a go at all the suggestions - but to no avail. I'm beginning to think I've got a real problem with the computer.

my old windows me machine does something similar, just used to start, then stop responding, crashed. Pile of!!!!!! :rant: