Defragmenting and boinc stops my computer

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alo_dk

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Message 39766 - Posted: 24 Oct 2004, 19:35:17 UTC


Defragmenting is running nicely, while I write this, but no BOINC :-(.

I don't use overclocking.

Boinc 4.13 SETI 4.05 running on

PC:
AMD XP 2.4 Mhz 256 mb ram
Win 98 first ed.
(it's not a question about updating to XP-windows!)

Other pc data, look here:
http://setiweb.ssl.berkeley.edu/sah/show_host_detail.php?hostid=35570

Defragmentinting stops at 0% and the only thing that I can do is move the mouse arrow around the screen. No input or output.

CTRL-ALT-DEL givs me the blue screen(unstable system), but will not recover or even let me "soft reset".

Power off, is the only option.

When I restart, Scandisk always find lost files and chains in the seti folders.

If I exit BOINC, Defragmenting starts and runs as always.

Anders
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Profile Mac-Nic
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Message 39772 - Posted: 24 Oct 2004, 19:59:53 UTC - in response to Message 39766.  
Last modified: 25 Oct 2004, 3:36:41 UTC

>
> Defragmenting is running nicely, while I write this, but no BOINC :-(.
>
> I don't use overclocking.
>
> Boinc 4.13 SETI 4.05 running on
>
> PC:
> AMD XP 2.4 Mhz 256 mb ram
> Win 98 first ed.
> (it's not a question about updating to XP-windows!)
>
> Other pc data, look here:
> http://setiweb.ssl.berkeley.edu/sah/show_host_detail.php?hostid=35570
>
> Defragmentinting stops at 0% and the only thing that I can do is move the
> mouse arrow around the screen. No input or output.
>
> CTRL-ALT-DEL givs me the blue screen(unstable system), but will not recover or
> even let me "soft reset".
>
> Power off, is the only option.
>
> When I restart, Scandisk always find lost files and chains in the seti
> folders.
>
> If I exit BOINC, Defragmenting starts and runs as always.
>
> Anders
>****************************************************************************
Hi,

Defrag your HD while running Prog's that access this actual disk isn't a good idee.
For the best defrag results i do it this way :

Shut down the computer..
Boot in save mode.. (Edit: make this SAFE mode)
Run Defrag.exe /f

Greetz

"The FUTURE is only a PARTICLE away from the PRESENT and the PAST."
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alo_dk

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Message 39780 - Posted: 24 Oct 2004, 20:55:49 UTC

Dear Screblide,

I am not doing a beta test on Defrag.

I am using Defrag to test if SETI/BOINC is handling its files properly, useing "file locks" and stuf.. and it is not.

Anders.
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Profile Misfit
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Message 39790 - Posted: 24 Oct 2004, 21:47:27 UTC - in response to Message 39766.  

Before you defrag shut down any processes that are running. Any write operation to the harddrive will force the defrag to start over again. The same applies to scandisk.

If you really want to see a win98 system bog down and accomplish nothing just run defrag and scandisk at the same time.
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David Taylor

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Message 39802 - Posted: 24 Oct 2004, 22:37:43 UTC - in response to Message 39780.  
Last modified: 24 Oct 2004, 22:41:27 UTC

> Dear Screblide,
>
> I am not doing a beta test on Defrag.
>
> I am using Defrag to test if SETI/BOINC is handling its files properly, useing
> "file locks" and stuf.. and it is not.
>
> Anders.
>
Hi Anders

Defrag on win9x is not a good tool running on its own let alone with any other program running. How many times have we all seen the famous "DEFRAG HAS RESTARTED 10 TIMES, DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE" or words to that effect yet there is nothing else running. Windows just has to many background processes going on. If you really want to see how BOINC/SETI is handling then use some of the monitoring tools where you can check file handles, locking cache hits etc. Using defrag will eventually lead to a serious disk problem.

There are some good tools around (or were). It is a long time since I used win98 so I can't remember them off the top of my head but if you want to know more leave a message here and I will dig out my old notes and see what I can suggest.

Have fun!

<b><i>...only a fool never makes a mistake!<b><i>
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Profile Robert Sullivan, MD
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Message 39837 - Posted: 25 Oct 2004, 1:28:01 UTC - in response to Message 39780.  
Last modified: 25 Oct 2004, 1:29:09 UTC

> Dear Screblide,
>
> I am not doing a beta test on Defrag.
>

Ouch.
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Profile Paul D. Buck
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Message 40766 - Posted: 27 Oct 2004, 19:44:30 UTC - in response to Message 39780.  

> Dear Screblide,
>
> I am not doing a beta test on Defrag.
>
> I am using Defrag to test if SETI/BOINC is handling its files properly, useing
> "file locks" and stuf.. and it is not.

Anders,

If you run SETI (either version), or any other program that writes to the disk, scandisk will never complete. Because each time it writes to the disk, scan disk has to start at the beginning.

Using this program to tell if the files are locked is not a valid test. Scan disk will not tell you if the files are properly locked for writing or not. BOINC does not lock and hold the files open at all times. It shouldn't, and it doesn't. Having it open the files and locking them open just increases the probability that the file will be large when lost ...

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garyj

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Message 40893 - Posted: 28 Oct 2004, 5:09:57 UTC

Those of us that remember Win98 should also remember that defrag will never complete if you have an active screen saver running. If you have low memory and windows writes swap files, it will stop defrag. Walking past the machine with a strong cup of coffee will stop defrag.

Sorry, using defrag for anything other than safe boot defragging of the HD will tell you nothing, but will most certainly result in trashing your HD (or at least some of the files on it).
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