Best Defragging Options On Old Computer?

I have an old computer with a 125 GB system drive and a 500 GB external drive where I keep my videos and documents and most of my programs. I'm planning to defrag with Auslogics Disk Defrag Professional for the first time.

Which of the options in the Auslogics manual would be best: optimization by Prefetch Layout, by Access Time, by Change Time, or by Disk Zone? (I'm intrigued by Disk Zone.)

I ran chkdsk on C. It showed "recovering lost files" under stage 2, I believe.

I couldn't get Windows to do a boot chkdsk on F. So I ran Kerish Doctor, and very early on it gave me this:
https://malwaretips.com/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimagizer.imageshack.com%2Fimg922%2F241%2Fzil1FV.png&hash=e8ad5c30c0f7b27b3d3039a11edd4a5f
Subsequently WinPatrol began periodically showing this message:
https://malwaretips.com/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimagizer.imageshack.com%2Fimg923%2F6664%2FDbSbP0.png&hash=690c8d28e6e47038a308edf1d2776138
Then I ran System Mechanic's module. It began to undertake what looked like a real five-phase chkdsk.
https://malwaretips.com/attachments/system-mechanic-deleting-bad-file-jpg.144350/
It ended this way:
https://malwaretips.com/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimagizer.imageshack.com%2Fimg922%2F2206%2F27WBIW.png&hash=5d237877649f1a79f11a93daa1fc6e2e
It did not as far as I'm aware do analysis on the next restart, nor was F actually locked. I then ran Disk Doctor of Auslogics BoostSpeed.
https://malwaretips.com/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimagizer.imageshack.com%2Fimg922%2F7555%2FYMpZw7.png&hash=17b96994a20f4feae3682c0feea3def5
It completed the scan but simply told me "Disk has errors".
https://malwaretips.com/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimagizer.imageshack.com%2Fimg924%2F7716%2FbEVEUn.png&hash=a9a4454dcacaf578d5a28e71dec1c088
Then I ran Disk Check from Amigabit.
https://malwaretips.com/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimagizer.imageshack.com%2Fimg923%2F7328%2FsZJOSj.png&hash=33f6744cb791cd502dad59af51be3a76
https://malwaretips.com/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimagizer.imageshack.com%2Fimg922%2F2517%2F1mtkw7.png&hash=9a39d71d633116ae4aed3ef559672e2b
I ran chkdsk again with Amigabit and got this:

The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is TOURO.
WARNING! F parameter not specified.
Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.
CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
File verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 3)...
Index verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 3)...
Security descriptor verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
Usn Journal verification completed.
Correcting errors in the uppercase file.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the
master file table (MFT) bitmap.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the volume bitmap.
Windows found problems with the file system.
Run CHKDSK with the /F (fix) option to correct these.
488383487 KB total disk space.
428330772 KB in 360461 files.
182860 KB in 62202 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
760791 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
59109064 KB available on disk.
4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
122095871 total allocation units on disk.
14777266 allocation units available on disk.
​

I saw in Auslogic's Analysis report that a lot of my fragmentation was in the recycling bin, so I took a few things out of it and emptied the rest.

An earlier defrag of C that aborted for unknown reasons:
https://malwaretips.com/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimagizer.imageshack.com%2Fimg923%2F1985%2FJ9jyBY.png&hash=33e03a69cdd7a79d4534c4917a637928
This was the analysis before that aborted defrag. As I said, I have since emptied my Recycle folder.
http://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/2855/Huv6ZK.png

Here's the program's recommendations for me after answering a few wizard questions:
https://malwaretips.com/attachments/addp-recommendations-for-me-png.144507/

So I am heading toward a defrag of C after which I will try to get a better chkdsk of F, after which
I will defrag F.

Auslogics also wanted to defrag the registry files in a boot defrag. What do you think about that? I've never done it.

By the way, understand that with these utility programs, I only utilize them once every now and then. I don't run them realtime, I don't do registry cleaning with them, and I never ever touch the One-Click stuff.


Computer: DELL Dimension 2400
CPU: Intel Pentium 4-2667 (Northwood, D1)
2666 MHz (20.00x133.3) @ 2658 MHz (20.00x132.9)
Motherboard: DELL 0G1548
Chipset: Intel 845GEV (Brookdale-GEV) + ICH4
Memory: 2048 MBytes @ 166 MHz, 2.5-3-3-7
- 1024 MB PC3200 DDR-SDRAM - Kingston K
- 1024 MB PC3200 DDR-SDRAM - Kingston K
Graphics: Intel 82845G/GL/GV Graphics Controller [DELL]
Intel i845G(L) Integrated, 64 MB
Drive: WL120GPA872, 117.2 GB, E-IDE (ATA-7)
Drive: HGST HTS545050A7E380, 488.4 GB, Serial ATA 3Gb/s <-> USB
Drive: SAMSUNG CD-R/RW SW-252S, CD-R Writer
Sound: Creative Technology SB Live! Series Audio Processor
Network: RealTek Semiconductor RTL8139 PCI Fast Ethernet NIC [A/B/C]
Network: Broadcom 4401 10/100 Integrated Controller
OS: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Build 2600
Antivirus: ESET Smart Security 9.0.408.0
Firewall: ESET Smart Security 9.0.408.0
Default Browser: Maxthon

 

Data from the Auslogics Report on my system:
WL120GPA872
Model: WL120GPA872
Serial Number: 9RXHLVWL
Device Type: IDE-device, hard drive
ATA Version: ATA-7
Current Mode: Ultra DMA mode 5
Cylinders: 232,581
Heads: 16
Bytes per Track: 32,256
Bytes per Sector: 512
Sectors per Track: 63
Addressable Sectors: 234,441,648
Buffer Size: 2.00 MB
ECC Bytes: 4
Temperature: 31 °C
S.M.A.R.T. Supported: Yes
S.M.A.R.T. Enabled: Yes

WL120GPA872 - S.M.A.R.T.
0x000001. Raw read error rate: OK: Value is Normal
0x000003. Spinup time: OK: Always Passes
0x000004. Start/Stop count: OK: Value is Normal
0x000005. Reallocated sector count: OK: Value is Normal
0x000007. Seek error rate: OK: Value is Normal
0x000009. Power-on hours count: OK: Always Passes
0x00000A. Spinup retry count: OK: Value is Normal
0x00000C. Power cycle count: OK: Value is Normal
0x0000BB. Reported Uncorrectable Errors: OK: Always Passes
0x0000BD. High Fly Writes: OK: Always Passes
0x0000BE. Airflow Temperature: OK: Value is Normal
0x0000C2. HDA temperature: OK: Always Passes
0x0000C3. Hardware ECC recovered: OK: Always Passes
0x0000C5. Current pending sector count: OK: Always Passes
0x0000C6. Offline scan uncorrectable count: OK: Always Passes
0x0000C7. UDMA CRC error rate: OK: Always Passes
0x0000C8. Write error rate: OK: Always Passes
0x0000CA. Data Address Mark errors: OK: Always Passes

HGST USB Device
Model: HGST USB Device
Device Type: USB-device, hard drive
ATA Version: SATA-2
Current Mode: Multiword DMA mode 2
Cylinders: 969,021
Heads: 16
Bytes per Track: 32,256
Bytes per Sector: 512
Sectors per Track: 63
Addressable Sectors: 976,773,168
Buffer Size: 8.00 MB
ECC Bytes: 4
Temperature: 28 °C
S.M.A.R.T. Supported: Yes
S.M.A.R.T. Enabled: Yes

HGST USB Device - S.M.A.R.T.
0x000001. Raw read error rate: OK: Value is Normal
0x000002. Throughput performance: OK: Value is Normal
0x000003. Spinup time: OK: Value is Normal
0x000004. Start/Stop count: OK: Always Passes
0x000005. Reallocated sector count: OK: Value is Normal
0x000007. Seek error rate: OK: Value is Normal
0x000008. Seek timer performance: OK: Value is Normal
0x000009. Power-on hours count: OK: Always Passes
0x00000A. Spinup retry count: OK: Value is Normal
0x00000C. Power cycle count: OK: Always Passes
0x0000BF. G-sense error rate: OK: Always Passes
0x0000C0. Power-off retract count: OK: Always Passes
0x0000C1. Load/Unload cycle count: OK: Always Passes
0x0000C2. HDA temperature: OK: Always Passes
0x0000C4. Reallocation count: OK: Always Passes
0x0000C5. Current pending sector count: OK: Always Passes
0x0000C6. Offline scan uncorrectable count: OK: Always Passes
0x0000C7. UDMA CRC error rate: OK: Always Passes
0x0000DF. Load/unload retry count: OK: Always Passes

Logical Disks : Local Fixed Disk (C - Volume Details
Disk Letter: C:
Volume Type: Logical Disk
Volume Serial Number: 3C414284
File System: NTFS
Total Bytes: 111.79 GB
Bytes Free: 41.01 GB
Bytes Used: 70.78 GB

Logical Disks : Local Fixed Disk (C - File System
File Compression Enabled: Yes
Volume is Compressed: No
Long File Names Enabled: Yes
Unicode File Names Enabled: Yes
Encrypted File System Support: No
Case Sensitive Enabled: Yes
Case Preserved Enabled: Yes
Persistents Enabled: Yes
Object ID Support: Yes
Reparse Points Support: Yes
Sparse Files Support: Yes
Disk Quotas Support: Yes

Logical Disks : Local Fixed Disk (C - Logical Information
Number of Clusters: 29,304,560
Free Clusters: 10,749,586
Used Clusters: 18,554,974
Bytes per Cluster: 4,096
Sectors per Cluster: 8
Free Sectors: 85,996,688
Used Sectors: 148,439,792

Logical Disks : Local Fixed Disk (C - Configuration Details
Bytes per Sector: 512 Byte
Total Sectors: 223.58 MB

Logical Disks : Local Fixed Disk (F - Volume Details
Disk Letter: F:
Volume Type: Logical Disk
Volume Name: TOURO
Volume Serial Number: 3E9E5B10
File System: NTFS
Total Bytes: 465.76 GB
Bytes Free: 56.28 GB
Bytes Used: 409.48 GB

Logical Disks : Local Fixed Disk (F - File System
File Compression Enabled: Yes
Volume is Compressed: No
Long File Names Enabled: Yes
Unicode File Names Enabled: Yes
Encrypted File System Support: No
Case Sensitive Enabled: Yes
Case Preserved Enabled: Yes
Persistents Enabled: Yes
Object ID Support: Yes
Reparse Points Support: Yes
Sparse Files Support: Yes
Disk Quotas Support: Yes

Logical Disks : Local Fixed Disk (F - Logical Information
Number of Clusters: 122,095,871
Free Clusters: 14,753,826
Used Clusters: 107,342,045
Bytes per Cluster: 4,096
Sectors per Cluster: 8
Free Sectors: 118,030,608
Used Sectors: 858,736,360

Logical Disks : Local Fixed Disk (F - Configuration Details
Bytes per Sector: 512 Byte
Total Sectors: 931.52 MB

 

Trying again on the null screenshots:

...I couldn't get Windows to do a boot chkdsk on F. So I ran Kerish Doctor, and very early on it gave me this:
http://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/241/zil1FV.png
Subsequently WinPatrol began periodically showing this message:
http://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/6664/DbSbP0.png
...It ended this way:
http://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/2206/27WBIW.png
It did not as far as I'm aware do analysis on the next restart, nor was F actually locked. I then ran Disk Doctor of Auslogics BoostSpeed.
http://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/7555/YMpZw7.png
It completed the scan but simply told me "Disk has errors".
http://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/7716/bEVEUn.png
Then I ran Disk Check from Amigabit.
http://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/7328/sZJOSj.png
http://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/2517/1mtkw7.png

...An earlier defrag of C that aborted for unknown reasons:
http://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/1985/J9jyBY.png

 

That's a system running Windows XP yes? Does it have Service Pack 3? Which edition is it - Home, Professional, Starter, Media Centre?
I had that exact Dell model which I bought about 15 years ago which worked pretty well for a long time after increasing ram to the max 2gb allowed.
I used to use MS Systinternals Config with the Power Defragmenter GUI. That worked well.
You could use another HD tool to scan the disk, such as HDD Expert, or one of the others from here:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/mg/sortname/hard_disk_drive_(hdd)_tools.html

 

Yes. Home SP3.

Thanks. I have a lifetime giveaway of Hard Disk Sentinel that well covers the ground of HDD Expert. I was interested there to download Foolish.IT CheckDisk. That should be very helpful.

Would like opinions as to which of the options in the Auslogics manual would be best: optimization by Prefetch Layout, by Access Time, by Change Time, or by Disk Zone?

 

I've never used Auslogics products so I can't comment.
I used O&O Defrag Professional on XP, Vista and 7 and used the 'COMPLETE/Access method' as described here: http://www.oo-software.com/en/docs/usersguide/ood14pro.pdf page 29
I don't know how that translates in Auslogics.

This is a good guide to how different defrag methods work:
https://blog.oo-software.com/en/which-defragmentation-method-is-the-best