It's all those bad things I said about Windows, isn't it? I shoulda asked it to leave the room before bad-mouthing it.
I'm trying to defragment my HD. Problem: every time I try, it never gets anywhere before something gets writ to the hard disk, and it has to start over. ScanDisk confirms this problem. Now when I run Windows in Safe Mode, things work fine, EXCEPT that my defragger runs incredibly slowly, and freezes around 55%. Which is especially annoying, since it took it ten hours to get that far. So why is my computer writing to the HD constantly? There's nothing running except Explorer (which I can't very well close) and the ScanDisk/Disk Defragmenter programs themselves. What the heck's goin' on?!
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :
My dad's computer has the same problem. I could start a defrag come back 5 hours later and it hasn't even started.
Meanwhile on my computer I make it a point to defrag once a week. It takes less than 10 minutes to defrag my 40GB harddrive, but all day to defrag his 6GB. As for what causes this problem...I haven't got a clue.
Posted by The_Evil_Lord (Member # 256) on :
Remember one thing before you reach for the hammer: it's nothing personal. Computers are indiscrimate about whom they want to annoy.
Now, as for your problem: have you let Scandisk run a deep surface scan, or did you just do a superficial check-up? More often then not, a more thorough investigation can reveal what's causing the problem.
I can think of two possible solutions: 1). Your HD is nearing to the end of its lifespan (unlikely, but bad disk-maintance can accelerate the aging process) and needs to be replaced. 2). It's a virus/worm of some sort.
By the way, the fuller a disk is, the longer it takes to defrag completely. Especially if the amount of free space is less than the size of Windows' swapfile. Deleting/archiving a few programs might help as well.
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
I CAN'T have ScanDisk do a deep surface scan. It doesn't get much past analyzing your FATs before something writes to the drive, and it starts over again. Thus my problem.
As for HD space, my computer DOES frequently tell me when I'm online that I'm running out of space. Of course, I tend to disregard that, seeing as I have over seven hundred megs free...
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
I had that problem, I had to disable the WildFile GoBack feature, then everything went smoothly....
Then there is this answer.....
Maybe it is a Dem. PC???
Posted by The_Evil_Lord (Member # 256) on :
Sounds like you might have a screwed up TOC on that last problem... open up a DOS box and type "fdisk /mbr" (without the quotation marks, of course). That should in theory get rid of the wrongly reported diskspace.
(I try to make a habit of not letting my system get so FUBAR'red, at this stage I'd probably be low-level formatting )
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
Mind if I ask what that's gonna do to my computer, first? Posted by The_Evil_Lord (Member # 256) on :
Fix it, hopefully Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Yeah, it's a good idea never to listen when someone tells you to type a command starting w/ "fdisk", unless you know what it does... *L*
Posted by Jeff Raven (Member # 20) on :
Omega, try freeing up some diskspace. You should, as a rule, leave 10% of your hdd empty to keep it working well.
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
My HD is six gigs. I have over 10% free.
So is anyone gonna tell me what fdisk does?
And no one has any clues as to why my computer is constantly writing to the hard drive?
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Okay, rather than leaping to the "virus" panic option, let's be calm.
Now, you said that only Explorer is running. I give you enough credit to know what you're talking about here, but just in case, have you
1/ closed all programs running in your task bar?
2/ CTRL+ALT+DEL, and closed all the programs running, except explorer?
3/ Deleted everything in your Startup folder (which should, frankly, be empty anyway. I have yet to meat a program that deserves to be in there. Especially the office programs, which work fine regardless).
If you've done all that, then, er, I'm not sure. You could try running Scandisk from DOS, which does a much more thorough job. Go to your windows folder, and type Scandisk.exe.
And you don't need to defrag your hard drive every week. You barely need to do it every other month. Defragging your hard drive has two uses:
1/ It kills some time
2/ It makes you think you're actually doing some work, when you're not.
It is possibly the ultimate way of procrasting on a computer, short of trying to find the perfect wallpaper for Windows.
For your other point, how do you know it has 700 meg free? Are you right clicking on it, then checking properties? Have you set the Swap file allocation size to manual? Try checking using DOS.
Also, call me crazy, but I'm not sure low level formatting's a good idea. Since (I think) it destroys IDE hard drives.
In fact, reformatting your hard drive is a horrible idea, that should only be done in the most desperete of emergiencies. Far better to stop your hard drive getting in a bad state in the first place, but if you have to reformat, you can kiss your weekend goodbye, as you try and find EVERY CD that had stuff on it you want, and you try and find every patch you're downloaded from the internet, and every piece of shareware, and blah.
Finally, since your computer keeps running out of hard disk space, I'd check to see what you have running all the time. If you're one of those people who thinks the more you have in your taskbar, the bigger your penis, have a look to see if you REALLY need taskscheduler, that CD-R program that doesn't really do anything, and half a dozen sound and graphic programs.
Posted by Mr. Christopher (Member # 71) on :
*reads thread*
*grins*
*enjoys Windows 2000 Pro*
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
Nah, I don't keep that much stuff running. My penis is big enough as it is.
Though I did figure out where all my HD space went. A 700MB file just HAPPENED to show up on my drive for no apparent reason, in the WinHack folder. Don't ask me where it came from. I killed it, and the prog, seeing as I never used it.
how do you know it has 700 meg free?
Click the drive, and the info bar at the bottom says it. Check the properties and it says it. Everything says I have 700 MB free. Now, at least. I didn't when that 700MB file showed up and knocked me down to 2.
As for everything running, yep, I did all that.
I'll try running ScanDisk from DOS.
And I probably should defrag, seeing as I haven't done it since I bought the computer over a year ago.
Posted by MC Infinity (Member # 531) on :
What I like to do is partition the drive in two parts, so I can format the buggy Windoze partition, and keep my important files on my second partition. This doesn't solve your problem, but if you get rid of the problem, it'd be good if you did the same thing. Also, I like to burn my stuff to CDs, so I never allow myself to have less than 60% free space. Right now I have 6gigs free on a 10gig HDD, of the 4gigs, 2 are mp3s Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
I had a similar problem with my laptop earlier this year. For some reason, ScanDisk refused to run when operating in Windows, and Defrag would crash Windows after spending two hours checking about 5%. It kept syaing that the contents of the hard drive had changed, so it had to restart defragging. It was a nuisance that I was never able to correct. In the end, I archived all of my files, stored them on my friend's computer, and I reformatted the damn computer. Doing a clean-sweep of the drive and reinstalling Windows did the trick.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
"I never allow myself to have less than 60% free space."
Isn't that a bit like buying a house, and only using two rooms?
Posted by The_Tom (Member # 38) on :
There's a far simpler explanation, Omega. Your computer voted for Gore.
Posted by Vogon Poet (Member # 393) on :
Windows Scandisk can be very useful, especially for correcting minor physical damage to sectors on your HD. But the problem with getting it to run at all can be insurmountable.
Posted by Wes1701E (Member # 212) on :
quote:Originally posted by Hobbes: [QB]..Meanwhile on my computer I make it a point to defrag once a week. [QB]
one a month should work, hobbes. too often and you physically wear out your drive faster.
Posted by MC Infinity (Member # 531) on :
quote:Originally posted by PsyLiam: "I never allow myself to have less than 60% free space."
Isn't that a bit like buying a house, and only using two rooms?
Yes, but you get to brag about having the other rooms, and you'll always have the extra space incase guests drop in
Posted by MC Infinity (Member # 531) on :
Windoze 98 is a repulsive, memory-hogging piece of shit!! Image
[Image transformed into link because it was huge and clunky.]
[ July 09, 2001: Message edited by: Sol System ]
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Gee, I just cannot imagine why your resources would be so low.
Posted by MC Infinity (Member # 531) on :
That was just a game I was downloading at the time, usually my desktop doesn't contain nearly as many icons. Infact, there are usually quite few of them, and I only run my firewall, msn and icq on a normal day. at the time i was running download accelerator, as well as winamp, but neither take up a lot of memory, it's the damn windows garbage with it's memory leakage, it's never happened to me on 2000
Posted by Daniel (Member # 453) on :
Don't you people know? People these days buy homes with a formal living, dining, an eating, dinette, parlor, drawing room, library, den, sitting room, loft, office, media room, sunroom, and use only the family room tucked in the very back of the house, and the kitchen table to eat off of. 99.76% of a house remains unused.
P.S. I AM being sarcastic.
[ July 09, 2001: Message edited by: Daniel ]
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
*looks at Infinities playlist* Dear God. I don't know what to say about that selection. The Blondie song along would require at least a paragraph.
I should also point out that people who say "Windoze" are hilarious. Really.
Posted by MC Infinity (Member # 531) on :
I run a business, it was a request, I didn't delete it, what are you gonna do, sue me? More than half my songs are requests from customers that I forgot to delete because someone else might want it too and I don't feel like downloading it again. And I don't care how funny you find it, I will say Windoze as much as I fucking feel like, because I think you're an asshole and I'm thru arguing with you.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
A business? Of what, selling pirated music? That's, um... highly illegal, not to mention immoral...
Posted by MC Infinity (Member # 531) on :
quote:Originally posted by TSN: A business? Of what, selling pirated music? That's, um... highly illegal, not to mention immoral...
Surely you jest.... I beleive that it is right for people to enjoy music freely without shelling out massive bucks to recording companies of which the artist receives a half a procent or similar. I cannot beleive I have met a person that finds the free exchange of information immoral, why should people have to listen to shit-quality radio that blares out advertisements most of the time. When there is a viable and cost-effective alternative to trading music and offering it to others that are not as fortunate to be blessed with a high-speed connection, I will stop doing it, until then, you can take your morals to someone else, because I feel quite well with mine. And I also beleive that there is no suitable use for a CD burner if you're not gonna make some money off of it.
Posted by Mr. Christopher (Member # 71) on :
Oh, gee, heaven forbid you would back up your HD on CDs... Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
quote:I beleive that it is right for people to enjoy music freely without shelling out massive bucks to recording companies of which the artist receives a half a procent or similar.
I believe the key to the fundamental flaw in logic in Infinity's argument is right here. You see, if I go out and buy a CD or cassette of the new Nelly Furtado album, the recording company that she has a contract with is going to give her part of the profits. In your opinion, it's only a half or a percent or so. However, if I pay you ten bucks to make download the songs to her album and put them on a CD for me, you get to keep all of the money. Nelly Furtado sees nothing for her effort.
In short, you're chastising the recording company for only giving her a half of a percent, but that's a heck of a lot more than the zero percent you're giving her.
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
1) If you create something, you alone have the right to make copies of it.
2) If someone else makes a copy of something on which you own the copyright, it is stealing.
3) Stealing is wrong.
Which one do you disagree with, Infinity?
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Is this a Lounge topic or a Flameboard topic?
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
You may want to go ahead and move this to the Flameboard, Sol. It's gonna start getting ugly by tomorrow morning.
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Ya know what? If you rearranged and reworded Omega's previous post, you'd have a perfectly sound and valid ethical argument against selling bootleg CD's of MP3s.
1) Stealing is wrong because it deprives one of the enjoyment they obtain from an object.
2) Making a bootleg CD's of MP3's and selling those CD's deprives the originator of the enjoyment of earning the proceeds from the legal sell of that object.
3) Therefore, selling a bootleg CD of MP3's is wrong.
It's valid (the conclusion follows from the two premises) and sound (all premises are true).
Yay! I actually retained information from the ethics class I just finished!
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
As a side thing, I do actually make mp3s of other peoples CD's. Not the whole thing, just certain tracks. And yes, I know it's wrong. Still, in most cases, it's of singles I would never buy. If it's an album I like, I will buy it.
And you've made a huge leap in your arguments Infinity:
"I beleive that it is right for people to enjoy music freely without shelling out massive bucks to recording companies"
Now, I'd bet there are a few people here with illegal mp3's on their hard drive. Fair enough. It's naughty.
"I cannot beleive I have met a person that finds the free exchange of information immoral, why should people have to listen to shit-quality radio that blares out advertisements most of the time."
And here's the leap. First, music doesn't count as "Free information", any more than novels or films do. Second, those advertisements are there to pay the record company, who pay the artist.
And thirdly, it's hardly "free exchange of information" if you are charging people for it, is it?
Posted by Jeff The Card (Member # 411) on :
Of course, it should be noted that despite the file-swapping services out there (Napster, Gnutella, etc.), record sales have actually stayed constant (from before Napster) and increased -- there's no loss in revenue to the record companies.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
I did hear though that record sales were down around universities. Or at least, universities with good internet connections...
Posted by MC Infinity (Member # 531) on :
quote:Originally posted by PsyLiam: And thirdly, it's hardly "free exchange of information" if you are charging people for it, is it?
I charge for the cost of the disk and a small fee for the use of the CD burner, they do wear out the more you use them. I charge $5 Canadian for a CD, I do not make a lot in terms of profit. If someone wanted an mp3, I would give it to them for free because it does not COST ME anything, when something COSTS ME, then I CHARGE. I don't rip people off, I leave that to corporations
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"...I do not make a lot in terms of profit."
You shouldn't be making any profit!
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
I don't rip people off
Giving away something that doesn't belong to you is stealing, is it not?
Posted by Jeff The Card (Member # 411) on :
Well, but in the sense that MC Infinity can provide a CD full of songs a person wants ...
Rather then a CD with one or two good tracks and nine or ten really crappy tracks ...
Which is why I hate buying CDs. I mean, I think The Offspring's last CD was a "best buy" in terms of great songs: Feelings, Have You Ever, Kid's Aren't Alright, Pretty Fly (For A White Guy), She's Got Issues, Walla-Walla, Why Don't You Get A Job, & Staring at the Sun. However, most CDs REALLY suck. I mean, christ, the new Weezer album has like TWO good songs, and eight crap songs. So, essentially, you're paying about $8 per song.
Now, if the record companies would produce made to order compilations ...
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
That's why I don't have a problem w/ d/l'ing MP3s and such. If I like enough songs on an album to make buying it worthwhile, I certainly do so. If it isn't worthwhile, I just get the songs for free off the 'net. But I would never consider profiting off of reselling songs. That's just wrong.
Posted by MC Infinity (Member # 531) on :
Then I suppose I should just slap a Salvation Music Army label on my computer and waste time (which IS worth money) on providing people with free music?
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Either that, or don't give them any music at all. But you can't just sell other people's work and keep the money for yourself.
Posted by MC Infinity (Member # 531) on :
quote:Originally posted by TSN: Either that, or don't give them any music at all. But you can't just sell other people's work and keep the money for yourself.
Yes I can. It's easy, you open the CDRW drive, pop an empty CDR inside it, turn on Nero, select all your songs, and hit burn. Then you give it to the person that ordered it and take his/her 5 bucks, place them in your wallet. Alternatively, you could place them in your pocket if a wallet is not accesible to you, but that's how I usually do it
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
And, out of curiosity, how many of these people that you supply CD's for don't have Internet access?
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Well, going by Infinity's logic, it's quite easy for me to watch television. I simply wait until after dark, go to Circuit City, bust in a window, enter the store, and then leave carrying a brand new television set. Of course, this is absolutely wrong and immoral: I'm stealing from Circuit City and depriving them and Panasonic of profits for their product.
Just because you're using your computer and never have to see the faces of the people you're stealing from does not make it less wrong than my example. "Out of sight, out of mind" is not always a true theorem.
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