Since installing your software (free version) I have tried to de-fragment my drives, but it is coming up “some files cannot be defragmented” XP does not give much info on which files these are in the logfiles, (unless I don’t recognise it)… But I can say this has never happened before, is this something to do with avast…? I previously used kasperky internet security 2010 (original, up to date)
How Did you uninstall Kasperky Internet security?
Did you reboot after installing Avast? Is Avast working properly?
Interesting to know how you removed KIS from your system - if by vendor’s uninstaller tool or some other way.
What is the defrag software you are using and do you have any partitioned drives?
Did you use a cleaner prior to doing a defrag? Many of us use CCleaner. It is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. There is a Slim version available as well at http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/builds - 4th option down. It removes unused files (cache, temporary Internet files, etc.) from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner.
A good defrag with a boot-time defrag is from Puran (free version) http://www.puransoftware.com/Puran-Defrag.html. Run the regular defrag first, then the boot-time defrag after wards. Works very well on XP’s.
Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.
avast 5’s “persistant cache” (which allows it to rememember information about files, so it doesn’t have to re-scan them unless it detects they’ve changed) activates a Windows feature called the “User Journel”. Apparently, by design, this file
C:$Extend$UsnJrnl:$J:$DATA (on my system)
can’t be moved/defragmented
ky331 has pretty much hit the nail on the head, but this isn’t a problem though as the remainder of the disk will be defragged.
What I don’t understand is why only the windows defrag tool reports this as all the other defrag applications don’t come up with this at all and most of those defrag tools are better than the XP defrag.
Currently I use Puran Defrag (free version) which is much quicker, more flexible than the XP defrag tool. There are other free defrag tools that also don’t throw up this message.
Main Features
· Puran Intelligent Optimizer for boosting system speed.
· Directory Optimization and Optimization By Freeing Space for addtional speed gains.
· Automatic Disk Defragmentation for worry free defrag.
· Boot Time Defragmentation for defragmenting system files like MFT, Pagefile, Registry etc.
· Low Priority Defrag for work while defrag experience.
· Individual File/Folder Defrag for selective defragmentation.
· GUI and Console Command Line Defrag For Advanced Users.
· Restart/Shutdown After Boot Time Defragmentation.
· File/Folder Exclusion or exclusion by wildcard facility.
· Native support for 64 Bit Windows.
The Defraggler from Pirisoft isn’t able to defrag all avast-files, too.
It may be that they simply don’t ignore that file as under certain legitimate circumstances it won’t be defragmented but report it. Perhaps some others can’t defrag it yet don’t report it.
Interestingly the XP defrag might report it couldn’t defrag some files, it doesn’t list them.
I’m using MyDefrag (by J.C. Kessels) —
admittedly, an old version, 4.1.2 —
and also Auslogics Disk Defragger —
an old version 2.1.2.50 as well —
and neither of these defrag the User Journel.
I think some points from avast need to be said,
In ver 5 they use the USN journal for logs etc even if the delete the USN journal with the command FSUTIL USN DELETEJOURNAL /D C: on the next reboot avast will recreate another USN journal , try a chkdisc you will see that xp will check this as well,
AVG use the USN journal for logs etc so do many other ms essentials does not, all avast has to to is explain that v5 uses the USN journal by design cheers baz
Well some more powerfull defrag products can defrag even the USN Journal. I know PerfectDisk does as i use it myself. Have a sneaking suspicion that Puran does this aswell.
same here and am getting “some files cannot be defragmented” using the Defraggler or xp pro sp3 defrag tool. on My xp computers and also on 4 of my clients computers who are running AVAST. Prior to AVAST (they had AVG) the entire drive was defragged.
robin
I would recommend Puran as well. I purchased it just before it went free (doh!) and think it is great. Switched from Raxco PD and never looked back. Boot-time defrag works great with Puran, but was sometimes problematic with others I’ve tried.
Yes, Puran does use this on the Boot-time defrag. I use the regular defrag followed by the boot-time defrag (free) with great results.
Yes Puran has a very powerfull defrag engine, IMHO i think it is one of the best(if not the best) free defrag softwares out there. I would highly recommend it. MyDefrag is also very powerfull as you can supply your own scripts to the defrag engine and make it do exactly what you want to but it doesn’t have an offline defrag mode which means it doesn’t defrag all those metadata files like Puran does. I heard that Defraggler’s next big version will have an offline mode aswell so keep an eye out for that one aswell.
EDIT: http://www.piriform.com/blog/2010/9/6/ccleaner-v30-and-defraggler-v20
regarding defrag by default system tools if go run cmd and use FSUTIL USN DELETEJOURNAL /D C: this will delete the USN journal ,type it twice to confirm removal , it will say error usn not active , then run defrag you will see it defrags as normal, but on next reboot avast will create a new USN journal for its self
Thanks for so many kind replies…(to all)
At least its not stubborn malware (I hope)…
One thing I would say is if so many people are reporting the same thing, its kind of a cheek to say, “use a third party’s software” as even though the problem is indirectly windows based, it does’nt show up without avast…
By the way I uninstalled kaspersky properly, and there were no residuals, I would also like to say I think we’ve discovered why most software does not use the journal, maybe avast should follow suit…
And as good as puran sounds, stop plugging it… when I install software, I do not expect to have to install unrelated software to help it work properly…! And maybe puran is’nt that good if it is’nt reporting the non-movable journal log…!
I read on the homepage of Pirisoft/Defraggler, that in the new Version of Defraggler (actually Version 2.xx/in the near future Version 3.xx) there will be a Boot-time defrag, too.
We’ll see how it works…
It seems that we are all getting away from the reason why in the first place that the xp default defrager reported that it could not defrag some files, its because avast is creating a USN journal for logs etc, not very big in size please avast just let us know that this is by design of ver5 of avast
As far as I’m aware, it is related to the Transient and Persistent caches, used to speed up scans. If you defrag and delete that journal, I believe you fill find the next scan takes longer as you have to build up the persistent cache again, I don’t know if that is related/located in the journal.
It is certainly the case after defragging with Puran I find the next on-demand scan is a little slower, so I don’t know if this is simply because files may well now be in different locations but the file hash would presumably be the same. Or could it be that it is defragging the journal.
The one thing I do know even if the journal is the reason and avast is creating it own journal entry, its size would be minimal even if fragmented when the rest of your hard disk has been defragged.
So I don’t think there would be any system performance impact through it not being defragged, only it would seem avast.