Wintips&Tricks May 25, 2004 - Issue 6 Auto Defrag Methods By Vic Ferri 1. From a Bat File Defrag in both Windows 9x and XP can be easily run from a batch file which when clicked will automatically begin defragging your drive or drives, and exit when done. Here's how. Windows 95/98/Me This simple defrag bat file automatically defrags all your local drives. @echo off DEFRAG.EXE /ALL /F /P /NOPROMPT cls If you've never written a batch file, don't worry, it's a simple. Just open up a new notepad document, type the commands, then save the file with a .BAT extension. Note - make sure you are not hiding file extensions. If you're not sure, go to Folder Options and make sure there is no checkmark next to "Hide extensions for known file types" Notice the switches in the above command line /ALL - means all drives will be defragmented /F - means all files and free space will be defragmented. /NOPROMPT - means to defrag without any user prompts. In other words, defrag begins automatically without questions. Other switches you can use include. /U to defragment files only. /Q to defragment free space only. /CONCISE to have only the Hide Details view displayed (this is the default). /DETAILED to have the Details view displayed. /P - this one is for the old Windows 95 defrag and means System and hidden files will be optimized If it's only one drive you need to defrag, just omit the all switch and enter the drive letter. i.e. DEFRAG.EXE C: /F /NOPROMPT To end the defragging at any time, press Ctrl + C Windows XP Windows XP defrag does not have an ALL switch but this can be easily worked around by simply entering each drive in the bat file. It's only something you have to do once and then you will have a file that will defrag all your drives with a click and exit automatically when done. Let's assume you have 3 partitions you wish to include, c: d: and e: Open up notepad, enter the simple commands below, and save the file with a .bat extension. defrag c: -f defrag d: -f defrag e: -f Double clicking the file will defrag the drives in the order they are listed in the file and automatically exit when finished. The f switch is optional and is used to prevent any prompts that your free space is low To end the defrag at any time press Ctrl + C 2. Task Scheduling Defrag Windows 9x You can also automate defrag by configuring it in Task Scheduler to run at a set time schedule. To do that in Windows 9x, double-click My Computer hen open Scheduled Tasks and double click Add Scheduled Task. Click Next and Choose Disk Defragmenter.from the list Choose the time schedule and just follow the wizard. At the end, click "Open Advanced Properties for this task when I click finish" and enter your defrag options at the end of the defrag command line.. Example: C:\WINDOWS\DEFRAG.EXE /ALL /NOPROMPT to defrag all your drives without prompting. Windows XP In Windows XP, you can access Task Scheduler in your Accessories>System Tools folder or in the Control Panel (Settings>Control Panel>Scheduled Tasks) However you can't automate the XP defrag by simply choosing the defrag utitlity as the task to run. This will only open up the XP defragmenter and stay there waiting for user intervention. However, we can work around this XP oversight by scheduling a bat file to run the defrag. Just create a bat file as described earlier in this article. Then start the Task Scheduler wizard and when you get to the list of program choices, click the Browse button to find and select your bat file. 3. Customizing the Default Defrag Shortcut Windows 9x only You can also enter preferred defrag switches at the end of your Defrag shortcut command line. Click Start>Programs> Accessories>System Tools where you will see the Disk Defragmenter entry. Right click it, go to Properties screen, click the Shortcut tab, then click at the end of the command line in the Target box, enter the switches you prefer. For example, to have defrag automatically defrag your c: drive without any prompting, every time you start it, you would add C: followed by the noprompt switch C:\WINDOWS\DEFRAG.EXE C: /NOPROMPT Choosing Defrag would then begin defragging your c: drive automatically and exit after it finishes. 4. AutoRun Defrag from the Registry You can also place a command to start defrag in a run key in your registry. This key here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce (if the RunServicesOnce key doesn't exist, create it) Then in the right hand pane create a String value named Defrag. Double click it and assuming you want all your drives defragged, enter: DEFRAG.EXE /ALL What this will do is start defrag on reboot - but only once - as the name "RunServicesOnce" implies. The above can also be implemented automatically in Windows 98 by using Defrag.inf which is included on the Windows 98 CD For more registry tips, you may want to subscribe to Registry Answers //www.freelists.org/webpage/regtips vic If you have feedback, or a question or tip you would like to have considered for submission, send it to:: wintips@xxxxxxxxxx?Subject=feedback Help keep these newsletters free and save on printing supplies at the same time. Just bookmark and use this page for all your printing supply orders. http://www.personal-computer-tutor.com/printersupplies.htm ABC http://www.personal-computer-tutor.com/abc/ TechTrax http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMIssue.asp?ISI=0 To learn Windows from ground up in plain english check out the Newbie club ebooks http://newbieclub.com/?vic If this was forwarded to you and you would like to subscribe to Wintips&Tricks go here: //www.freelists.org/webpage/wintips To unsubscribe, click here and hit Send wintips-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=unsubscribe