Guest Paracelsus Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 Calling All Highlander Mavens!!!...Just installed SystemsWorks2004. I would also like to install "Go Back", 'cause I've never been able to get System Restore to work. (It always says it can't complete the Restore). Anyway...I've spent most of last night and today, trying to get Go Back installed. I keep getting an "Insufficient Contiguous Free Space" error. :'( If I do a Re-try, it says the largest black of Free Space available is 894MB.While I understand that the Custom install allow one to designate a specific amount of disk space, the app recommends 10% of total. I have a 20GB drive the has 9.87GB of "Free Space".Have followed all the install recommendation: Closed all Running Apps (Even those in the Icon Tray) Turned off AVS Then, I even Restarted, did the above, and then: Disabled my DSL and shut down ZAP Ended many "Processes" not specifically required Ran several iterations of Defrag ( on different attempts, either the native Window app, which I understand is similar to Executive Software's Defrag... or, Norton Speed Disk Still unsuccessful :angry2:Even though I have System Restore disabled, I went to there and lowered the allocated disk space to minimum... Did this also with allocation for Temp Internet Files.What puzzles me is the Drive Map displayed by Speed Disk after the Defrags:What are all these little segments scattered throughout the Free Space. It's almost as though they are there to specifically segregate chunks of space. But as far as I know, I don't have anything else on my system that has options to allocate Free Space to it. These (I think, from the color code, they are "System Files") remain in the same place regardless of how many iteration of either Defrag utility I run.I use to have a Utilities Suite (I think it was McAfee's Nuts & Bolts) that had options in the Defrag tool for how you wanted to consolidate files... Frequently Used; Default; Consolidate Free Space; etc. But I don't have these options now.In order to try and keep this brief, these are the basic questions I have:1) Is there a tool (preferably free, or low cost) that allows one to consolidate Free Space??2) Would there be any problem in doing so?? Or is Free Space left in discrete chunks for a reason?? (I don't want to make things worse)3) Is there anything else I'm missing within the WinXPHome SysConfig Environment that is preventing me from accomplishing a more thorough Defrag??System:Dell Dimensions210020GB HD (9.87GB Free)1.1GHz Celeron512 RAMWinXPHome (SP1 & all Critical Updates)Norton SW2004ZAP (most recent update)TIA, for any thoughts and recommendations on this problem Caveats & Disclaimers: Please!! No dissertations on the relative merits of SystemWorks a/o Go Back Don't ask why XP System Restore won't function. I don't know why. It just never has, for me. I did Search for anything relating to this on the Forum, but didn't get any hits I thought of Googling this... But I have more respect for the advice of this Forum's Doyens, MVPs & Regulars My apologies for not Thumbing the ScreenShot. Haven't gotten around to learning that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 Welcome to the world of XP. Norton can't do the complete defrags like it could under Win98 because it doesn't have access to certain system functions while being XP compliant. I see similar parterns with Speeddisk even on FAT partitions. My fragments are allocated to directories and scattered everywhere.GoBack does indeed allocate a lot of space to it's recovery file. When I use to use it I reduced it from the 10% default. I have an 80GB hd. Try reducing it's size allotment until it fits. You don't have much choice.BTW there's a Sticky for how to create thumbnail links. It's not that hard once you know how. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimupnord Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 Speculation..Seems like maybe bad sectors on your hard drive like scandisk used to find and repair or block off?Have you tried the Check Disk utility?In My Computer Window, right click the drive.Properties,Tools Tab, Error Checking.There are check boxes for automatic fixing and for recovery of bad sectors.A caution from Windows XP Inside Out: caution --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Although the Check Disk utility is a useful tool and sometimes a lifesaver, it can cause you headaches if used indiscriminately. Once started, the Check Disk operation cannot be stopped except by pressing your computer’s power switch. On very large drives (60 GB and larger), the full disk check can takes hours or even days to complete.There is also a command line version of chkdsk.Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibe98765 Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 Well, it's clear that you need a better defragger. A lot of people like Diskeeper. And I use Raxco's PerfectDisk. Both will do a good job.Be aware that GoBack history will become useless whenever you do a defrag on your drives. You lose everything that was stored there. This is because GoBack tracks on a sector write basis. Defrag makes many changes to a disk. Since GoBack works at the sector level, not the file level, it can't exclude what is going on during the defrag. So all your history gets overwritten by the data from the defrag operation. Since I run an automatic defrag twice a week, I gave up on GoBack long ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paracelsus Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Have you tried the Check Disk utility?That's an excellent point, Jim! Alas... I forgot to mention that I ran a thorough ScanDisk during one of the numerous re-boots. All was clean & clear. No bad sectors. ScanDisk is also one the first things I do when I have something odd happening.Try reducing it's size allotment until it fits. You don't have much choice.I suppose you're probably correct, Ed. It just kinda Chaps My Hide to buy software for a specific tool and then not be able to take full advantage of it.But from what ibe98765 says, it may all be nearly moot anyway.I actuality, I've never had a problem that required a System Restore or re-Format. The solutions may have taken a bit longer that doing something like "Go-Back"...But in the long run, I've learned more about PCs by trying to overcome a problem. I may just blow this whole thing off Well, it's clear that you need a better defragger. A lot of people like Diskeeper. And I use Raxco's PerfectDisk. Both will do a good job.Be aware that GoBack history will become useless whenever you do a defrag on your drives. You lose everything that was stored there. This is because GoBack tracks on a sector write basis. Defrag makes many changes to a disk. Since GoBack works at the sector level, not the file level, it can't exclude what is going on during the defrag. So all your history gets overwritten by the data from the defrag operation. Since I run an automatic defrag twice a week, I gave up on GoBack long ago.Interesting, ibe98765!!!I had ever known that, I'd forgotten Wonder if that's also why System Restore has never worked for me??From the old days of Win3.1, Defrag has always been one of the things I do first when I have peculiar things happen.And since I'm always playing with different software, installing/un-installing, etc., I tend to Defrag about once a month.Diskeeper is the name I was trying to remember. That's the one from Executive Software. I use on several NT systems in my Lab. I have it on good authority that the native WinXP Defragger is based on Diskeeper's. It's possible that Diskeeper itself may de a better job.Basically, I ran Speed Disk because the WinXP Defragger kept showing all the free space as though it were integral... Yet GoBack continued to state that it couldn't find 2GB of contiguous space! Only Speed Disk showed these pesky system files scattered everywhere.I'll take a look at the others you mentioned.Thanks to all for the ideas!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 You may not like to hear this Paracelsus, but I think you would be better off not worrying with GoBack.It only works well to return minor 'settings' that accidentally get changed and you want to go back to yesterday or something like that. Or to maybe get back in to salvage some data in expectation of reinstalling the OS.A good timely, and timed backup would work better for that.If you ever REALLY need to go back, it is often due to some corruption or hard drive issue anyway, and it will not work right under those conditions anyway.And in exchange for all that false security, it unnecessarily slows the computer.My recommendation ... give it up LOL!Just my two cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paracelsus Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 If I ever don't like reading your views on any PC related topic, Fran...I'll be ready for the Loony Bin!! And I ain't quite there yet After reading ibe98765's reply, I'd come to the conclusion that this was more trouble than it's worth...Especially hardly worth allocating 2GB of otherwise useful HD space for something that is of minimal value.Like I said...Most of what this self proclaimed "Cyber Neanderthal" has learned about PCs has been through brute force, trial & error, beat-it-into-submission, troubleshooting And believe me!!...I learned the hard way. My first home system was a Packard-Bell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 I heard that Paracelsus! :thumbsup:Yes, the school of hard knocks is quite a teacher LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 I suppose you're probably correct, Ed. It just kinda Chaps My Hide to buy software for a specific tool and then not be able to take full advantage of it. You'll be able to take advange of it the only difference might be that instead of it saving a months worth of restore points it might only save a weeks worth.And if you do defrags frequently the older restore points are a waste of space anyways as ibe98765 has already pointed out.When I use to use GoBack, before I upgraded to XP and System Restore, I found it useful for short term restores. ie Before I would install a piece of sw, I'd set a restore point, install the sw, try it, and if I found I didn't like it I would do a GoBack Restore. The time between setting the restore point and the actual restore was usually 24 hrs. It's basically the same thing I do with XP's System Restore. And even with it I cut back on the amt of disk space it allocated and even turned it off for some partitions, like my Data partition and Email partition. The space allocated holds 3 restore points and that's fine for me. I also periodically do images of my partitions to a removeable drive. And I would never recommend GoBack or even System Restore as an alternative to a hd backup periodically.BTW My first home desktop was a Packard Bell also, and before that I had a Packard Bell notebook. At work we had IBMs. I couldn't wait to upgrade from a 8086 to a 386 and extended memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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