Help, Windows Defragger Missing

[Graystoke]

I'm running XP Home/SP2. Funny thing happened today. I was going to do a defrag of my hard drive. I went into My Computer, right clicked on my C: drive>properties>tools tab>defragment now. The defrag GUI opens, but it is basically blank. All the buttons at the bottom are blank. The File, View and Help drop down buttons are ok, but the Action drop down button is empty except for the Help option. In the first row towards the top, it shows....

C:\ NTFS 37.27 25.78 69%


Any ideas on what the heck happened? How do I get my defragger back? Do I need to do a repair using my Windows CD?

[GlobalForce]

Hi Graystoke,

Several similar problem's and suggested fixes here - www dot andreasroom.com/blog/archive/2004/01/18/defrag.aspx


GF

[Graystoke]

Originally Posted by GlobalForce

Hi Graystoke,

Several similar problem's and suggested fixes here - www dot andreasroom.com/blog/archive/2004/01/18/defrag.aspx


GF

I did some of the things yesterday that were suggested, but nothing helped. I can't figure out what the heck happened. I don't defrag that often so I don't know when it happened.

[gerardwil]

Maybe the right moment to change:

Power Defragmenter is a tool that together with Contig can send the old Windows defragmenter to its eternal sleep.

http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/win...ew-25891.shtml

Gerard

[GlobalForce]

Are the result's the same logging on as *System* Administrator in safe-mode?
BTW .... which suggestion's didn't work?

GF

[Graystoke]

Originally Posted by GlobalForce

Are the result's the same logging on as *System* Administrator in safe-mode?
BTW .... which suggestion's didn't work?

GF

I tried it in safe-mode. Same results.

Sorry I didn't explain myself better. What I meant about suggestions that didn't work was, that I went to the link you provided, and tried the suggestions that were offered there. I had no luck.

What ever caused the Windows defrag tool GUI to be blank is the mystery. I've given up trying to figure that out. I have just installed the trial version of Diskeeper. It seems to be pretty similar to Windows defrag tool. I'll go with that for now.

Thanks everyone for responding to my mystery of the disappearing defrag GUI.

[GlobalForce]

Sometime's the MMC get's messed up. What I'd personally try before throwing in the towel would be to create a new console snap-in. Your previous may have been damaged (this is Windows remember). Dblchk services that the "DCOM Server Process Launcher" is set to automatic and that it's running. That you've been using Diskeeper you might if giving this a try re-register those dll's, finishing with the rt clk install of dfrg.inf
(although it was suggested the latter alone was sufficient enough).

• To do it enter mmc into a runbox.
• Goto "file" > add/remove snap-in.
• In the standalone tab clk add.
• Select Disk Defragmenter from the window that opens.
• Clk add, then close.
• In the window that remain's clk OK.
• Now single clk left, or dbl rt.

IMO, honorable mention's in case you didn't browse the whole link, or for anyone else having the same trouble's reading this.

• Frank D. - 17/03/2005 6:05 a.m. (restored dfrg.msc from backup)
  "I found that (in WinXP) the file that runs the Disk Defragmenter is ...."
  
  
• JACKnME - 6/04/2005 3:52 a.m. (DFRGNTFS.EXE missing from system32)
  "Secondly, simply put, I noticed that I did NOT have an instance of ...."
  
  
• Marat - 31/05/2005 11:14 a.m. (after placing the kernel into RAM)
  "That happened to me just after I disabled the ...."
  
  
• Dr. Don - 12/06/2005 6:14 p.m. (had an old Nero driver blocking)
  "On a safe boot I noticed a ...."
  
  
• lee - 29/08/2005 6:58 a.m. (re-setting chkntfs)
  "Just thought i would update, as i found out ...."
  
  
• DC rick - 7/10/2005 8:12 a.m. (file replace from the i386 folder)
  "Found all of this very helpful, and though it didn't ...."
  
  
• Hutch - 6/01/2006 7:24 a.m. (event logs and access right's)
  "Check your application log for event id ...."
  
  
• Cps - 19/02/2006 10:45 p.m. (offer's a download for bad return codes)
  "Windows xp home, windows defragmenter would load but would not ...."
  
  
• Mike - 9/04/2006 7:17 a.m. (another access permission)
  "I finally did find it though after some work with ...."

~~~~~~~


The overwhelming resolution outside the initial instruction's goes to .... "John B's (1/02/2005 2:10 p.m.) pagefile setting!"
It worked for quite a few people there.

"Anyone getting the "Disk Defragmenter Could not start" message ...."

Again .... thanks to Andreas and all involved for sharing their comment's.
PS - Don't mind me Graystoke .... I'm never content when thread's go unresolved!

~~~

"Alternate Free Defragmentation Utilities"
http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilit...entation.shtml

GF

[Graystoke]

Hi GlobalForce.

I uninstalled Diskeeper. I followed your instructions, but still a blank GUI. I added a screen shot to show you what the GUI looks like. Hope this works.

[gerardwil]

I had a similar issue, though with an other program. The cause in my case was that CrapCleaner washed out a Verdana font issue. After restoring this the GUI went back to normal.
Could that be the cause here?

Gerard

[Perman]

Hi, folks: Have you installed Diskkeeper and then uninstalled? If the answer is YES, then you are not alone; You may aware that Window's Defragger was originally designed by Raxco(the keeper of Diskkeeper) and adopted by Window XP. I later learned that you NEED to disable Diskkeeper's process thru task mgr prior to deletling or you NEDD to delelte it in SAFE MODE. I have no chance to confirm it, because it was too late for me, I spent the next 4 hours to reinstall the whole system. This wont happen again, because I have FD-ISR now.

[TonyKlein]

Have a look here for some pointers:

http://www.andreasroom.com/blog/arch...18/defrag.aspx

Register those two dlls, and if necessary register dfrg.inf.

That should hopefully do the trick.

Cheers,

[Graystoke]

Originally Posted by Perman

Hi, folks: Have you installed Diskkeeper and then uninstalled? If the answer is YES, then you are not alone; You may aware that Window's Defragger was originally designed by Raxco(the keeper of Diskkeeper) and adopted by Window XP. I later learned that you NEED to disable Diskkeeper's process thru task mgr prior to deletling or you NEDD to delelte it in SAFE MODE. I have no chance to confirm it, because it was too late for me, I spent the next 4 hours to reinstall the whole system. This wont happen again, because I have FD-ISR now.

Ahh. I did install the trial version of Diskeeper a couple of months ago. When I saw that it was very similar to Windows' defrag tool, I uninstalled it after I ran a defrag with it. Since I ran a defrag with that Diskeeper trial, I didn't see a need to open the Windows' defrag tool at that time. I haven't opened the Windows' defrag tool until the other day when I saw the fonts missing. Maybe that is what happened. When I uninstalled Diskeeper, the Windows' defragger went with it. Bummer.

Thanks Perman.

[Graystoke]

Originally Posted by TonyKlein

Have a look here for some pointers:

http://www.andreasroom.com/blog/arch...18/defrag.aspx

Register those two dlls, and if necessary register dfrg.inf.

That should hopefully do the trick.

Cheers,

I've tried that. It doesn't seem to want to work on my system. I did the command prompt. I went to dfrg.inf, right clicked it, clicked on installed. I got an Install Failed error message. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. After I enter the command prompts, is there correct way to close the command prompt window? Sorry if this is a dumb question. I don't use command prompt often.

[ronjor]

This should show the Microsoft defrag utility.

Start, Administrative Tools, Computer Management. Expand Storage and select Disk Defragmenter

[Graystoke]

Originally Posted by ronjor

This should show the Microsoft defrag utility.

Start, Administrative Tools, Computer Management. Expand Storage and select Disk Defragmenter

No Disk Defragmenter listed. Only Disk Management. I'm beginning to think this is a lost cause.

[ronjor]

Did you register the two dll files as in Tony's post? You should get a confirmation message after registering each one.

[zapjb]

Originally Posted by gerardwil

Maybe the right moment to change:


http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/win...ew-25891.shtml

Gerard

I use this along with PageDefrag 2.32.0.0 from Sysinternals. I think its excellent.

[Graystoke]

Originally Posted by ronjor

Did you register the two dll files as in Tony's post? You should get a confirmation message after registering each one.

Yes I did. I got the confirmation message after each one. After I type in the dll files in the command prompt window, and get the confirmation message, how do I close the command prompt window? Do I just click on the "X" at the top right?

[GlobalForce]

To close the prompt type: exit

[ronjor]

The good news is, there are plenty of other defrag programs out there that are way better than the one that comes with Windows.

[ronjor]

Have you run scandisk lately?

[GlobalForce]

Hey, but open it back up a sec .... I'd like you to try something that was mentioned on that earlier link about chkdsk.

Type: fsutil dirty set c: > enter if C: is the correct drive letter.
If your using an NTFS file system type: chkntfs /c c: > enter. This allow's chkdsk to run at next boot on a volume regardless whether it's dirty or not.

You can answer us both (Ron and myself), I think we're on the same page.


GF

[Graystoke]

Thanks GlobalForce. I tried typing Stop, End, Escape. Didn't even think of Exit.


ronjor.....Yes, I ran a scandisk yesterday.

My head is hurting. I'm going to install Diskeeper.


Thanks everyone. I appreciate you taking the time to help me out.

[GlobalForce]

Does this mean it's over .... NO solution fix!?

GF

[crofttk]

Originally Posted by Perman

...You may aware that Window's Defragger was originally designed by Raxco(the keeper of Diskkeeper) and adopted by Window XP.....

THIS IS INCORRECT. Raxco is the maker of PerfectDisk. Executive Software, or whatever they call themselves nowadays, are the makers of Diskkeeper.