Disk Defragmenting - Useful ?

[#1]

Quote from: Crucibleofevil

Under Linux there isn't a defrag utility - there wouldn't be a a noticeable improvement by running one!

Not necessarily true, althought ext3 is resistant to fragmentation, it can still get fragmented.  You are right, in that there is no ext3 defrag utility - although there is one planned for ext4.
B.

[#2]

Vista runs defragmentation automatically; there is no need to intervene.  As a Computer professional myself, I would suggest you get someone who knows about computers to look yours over as you seem to have multiple problems.  You might have to pay money for this or you might have a friend that knows about computers.  Even if you have to pay to get your computer fixed, it's a better option than abandoning to the scrapheap.     

[#3]

I'm very doubtful about the quality of IT specialists in my area.
A friend's partner convinced my DP he could fix any laptop issue spent over 3 hours and succeed only in advising me that McAfee was the main cause of my slow system.  Prior to mass availability of wireless broadband, we were ripped off by £40 for an "IT" guy who used a broadband cable which was about 20m long when we only need around 10m of cabling from the main telephone socket into the bedroom above.
I have called one in who assisted me a few years back with another machine but he was as I've stated in the other post unable to resolve the wi-fi issue. At least he doesn't charge if he cannot complete or solve the issue.
The machine is less sluggish now thanks to the help of many on here. The battery still dies without warning and wi-fi still doesn't work but at least overall performance is improved.

[#4]

Just was trying to speed up laptop again.
Thought I'd add for others.
Click on windows icon on desktop (Start button)
In search box search for Command Prompt then follow advice from Maurice.
Confirm action and in system configuration menu choose start up tab then untick.

[#5]

Quote from: Interested

I'm very doubtful about the quality of IT specialists in my area. A friend's partner convinced my DP he could fix any laptop issue spent over 3 hours and succeed only in advising me that McAfee was the main cause of my slow system.  Prior to mass availability of wireless broadband, we were ripped off by £40 for an "IT" guy who used a broadband cable which was about 20m long when we only need around 10m of cabling from the main telephone socket into the bedroom above. I have called one in who assisted me a few years back with another machine but he was as I've stated in the other post unable to resolve the wi-fi issue. At least he doesn't charge if he cannot complete or solve the issue.

Hi
Don't be put off by the bad experiences and lack of decent IT guys in your area. You will find someone soon who is like gold dust. They do exist in every town but being the true 'geek' they don't tend to shout about themselves.
Mechanics however are a very different story. I've had so many of them tell me they can do a job and then fail miserably.

[#6]

Your Dell is about the same age as my own, although I run a Vostro 1700.
I suppose that it all depends on usage, but mine is running more or less as good as the day that I bought it and I have never touched the registry except to take out remnants of programmes that I know have definitely been deleted.
I didn't know that Vista defrags continually but I do manually set it going every 2 to 4 weeks.
Also use disk cleanup and CCleaner daily (the registry part of it about every month).
Like others, I use Revo Uninstaller which is great although you have to remember not to allow shut down of the computer before it has finished scanning.
That CPU sounds as if there is a real problem - mine hovers at 2 when it is not doing anything.
Could it be due to your security programmes or have you done all the malware checks?
Personally, I like a good reinstall and 18 months is not bad at all although others may disagree.
Regarding Crucible's comments about Linux, I can't find anything to clean up in Ubuntu and feel as if I ought to be doing something but don't know what - can't get out of Windows mode!

[#7]

Quote from: poppy

Personally, I like a good reinstall and 18 months is not bad at all although others may disagree.

I'm with you to a great extent extent, though it very much depends on what is being done to the system and by who.
2 to 3 years in most cases I'd say, less if there are lots of "under age" users.
My current main system was last rebuilt in June 2006 and is in dire need of a rebuild, with various bits that don't work quite right. The only reason I haven't is that I'm replacing it in Oct/Nov with a new box running Windows 7. 
I've got the box already, happily running the x64 release candidate and the full W7 product is on pre-order from Amazon.

[#8]

As I wasn't aware of the auto defrag I checked my system (Vista 64 bit) and I must have disabled it at some point - but this result is somewhat surprising.
Note that it only checked the C: drive and all my data and games are on another drive plus my swap file has it's own dedicated partition.
Note the date of the last defrag.

[#9]

Yes, HP, I'm waiting for W7 too. Mine is on order from PC World.
Would probably have done a reinstall of my current Vista otherwise just to have a nice fresh system but not worth it now so will wait and probably make a mess of things! 
BTW Interested if you do decide to give up on the lappy, don't forget that there are loads of ghoulish Linux users laying in wait for deceased and dying laptops!

[#10]

Quote from: poppy

BTW Interested if you do decide to give up on the lappy,

Not me, you must be thinking of someone else. Don't like laptops much and don't use them generally (though I have 3 old ones for various good reasons).

[#11]

I will install Windows 7 as well but on a separate hard drive in a dual boot configuration with Vista just in case some programs and drivers aren't happy

[#12]

Oh the joys of Windows users!!!!
One of the very ghoulish nixers very interested in rejected XP devices to convert into something better !!
colintivy

[#13]

I've got a rather big 1GByte Linux machine - it tries it's best to use most of that memory as a cache - but mostly fails.
So I seem to have unused memory.
Current using 67% memory and 7MBytes of swap space - that's with GIMP, iPlayer and a couple of other things running.
If anyone in North London has anything with 512MB or more to give away, I would be interested.

[#14]

Quote from: Oldjim

As I wasn't aware of the auto defrag I checked my system (Vista 64 bit) and I must have disabled it at some point Note the date of the last defrag.

Cheers Oldjim. I checked for defrag using your picture and it's enabled and ran last week.
My laptop got a worm which ate my registry cleaner a fortnight ago but fortunately got no further, the laptop then spent a week or so being sluggish. Had a 4 day unused holiday. Now sluggishness is much reduced.

[#15]

You learn something new every day