Diskeeper 10 User's Manual

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions 63
Appendix B
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Does Diskeeper work with Windows XP Service Pack 2?
Yes. However, if you are installing or running Diskeeper on a computer running Windows XP Service Pack 2
(SP2), be sure to visit www.diskeeper.com/sp2 for the latest information about running Diskeeper with SP2.
Note that this information also applies to Windows Server 2003 SP1.
Why won’t my volume defragment completely?
This can be the result of several situations. If your volume is extremely full, there may not be sufficient free
space to defragment the files completely. In that case, we recommend temporarily moving some of the files off
the volume, particularly large files. This temporary measure often allows Diskeeper the “working room” it
needs to complete the defragmentation process. It also allows Diskeeper to defragment the free space on the
volume, increasing the possibility that the temporarily-moved files can be moved back to the volume in a
contiguous or less fragmented condition.
Another cause of incomplete defragmentation is a fragmented paging file. For more information, see Can
Diskeeper defragment paging files? on page 64.
A volume that, at some time, has been filled to capacity may have a severely fragmented Master File Table
(MFT). Volumes that have been converted from FAT to NTFS often also have a fragmented MFT. A White
Paper describing the causes and effects of MFT fragmentation is available from the Diskeeper Corporation
website at www.diskeeper.com/products/documentation/documentation.asp. Use the Boot-Time
defragmentation option to defragment a fragmented MFT. For more information, see page 38.
Another situation that can prevent complete defragmentation of a volume is the existence of a large number of
directories on the volume. For more information, see Can Diskeeper move directories? on page 64.
Yet another cause for incomplete defragmentation on Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and
Windows Server 2003 systems can be a security access situation. Both SYSTEM and ADMINISTRATOR must
have full control over a file (or the directory folder it is in) in order for Diskeeper to have access to move the
file. This is because the Diskeeper service runs under the Administrator account, and System access is
necessary to defragment files safely. This security feature is governed by the Windows NT, Windows 2000,
Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 C2 security requirements. Included with Diskeeper is a batch file that
sets the access permissions on a disk volume to allow Diskeeper to run properly. See page 66 for information
about using this batch procedure.
Diskeeper won't move some files no matter what I do. Is there a problem with
Diskeeper?
Diskeeper has a built-in list of files that it will not move under any circumstances. This list is referred to as the
Diskeeper internal exclusion list.
The most common reason for a file existing on the Diskeeper internal exclusion list is safety. The file cannot or
should not be moved in order to maintain the integrity of your system.
For example, the file memory.dmp is on the Diskeeper internal exclusion list. This file is on the exclusion list
because the disk locations where this file is stored are loaded by the kernel when the system boots and stored in
memory. These disk locations are then used to write the dump file should it need writing. If Diskeeper were to
move this file, then the system failed, the dump file would be written over other files or in space considered to
be free space. This could result in a very corrupted disk.