CPU/Fan going nuts since using SmartDefrag

Hello MajorGeeks!

I'm running a 2.5 year old laptop (XPSP3, 120GB HDD, 1.5GB RAM) that is heavily used for web design, photo storage and lots and lots of Photoshop. I recently purchased an external drive to transfer all my photos/design files to (and begin storing them there from now on). Did a major clean-out and then planned to defrag. I'd never used anything besides Windows Defrag before and at the recommendation of the forum here, I tried Smart Defrag.

After running Smart Defrag, I immediately noticed my CPU/fan going nuts, and during the simplest tasks, like opening Firefox or something mundane like that. Two times now, it's run so fast and hot, it nearly crashed the system (once while using Google Earth, once while playing a flash game online - other programs running were Thunderbird and AVG, Online Armor in background).

I'm really afraid that my computer is going to burn up now! I don't quite understand what Smart Defrag has done to my hard drive - despite the fact that my 1.5MB of RAM is a bit low for all that I do, before I used Smart Defrag (and before I dumped all the files to my external) the laptop had no problem running many resource hungry programs at once (think Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Firefox, Thunderbird, file browser, etc, plus background utitilities) without barely even a whisper from the CPU.

I ran "defrag only", then at the recommendation of the "analyze" function, I ran "fast optimize". After that is when I noticed the erratic CPU behavior. Despite the fact that "analyze" kept recommending "fast optimize", I tried "deep optimize" hoping that would solve my problem. If anything, it is worse now. It is almost like the defrag took my most commonly used files and placed them in the slowest part of the HD.

I've started a thread on the Iobit Support forums with no responses. I would love to know if I have done something wrong or what I have missed. I'm so dissatisfied with the Smart Defrag that I'm about to try Windows Defrag again just for the hell of it. I figured I should pick brains here before doing that. Please let me know if I might provide any more information to help...

Thanks!

PS. As I sit here and type this, I have this window open (one Firefox tab), Thunderbird, AVG and Online Armor in background and AVG is running the daily scan. The fan has been running non-stop since the scan started, with several "wind-ups" that sounded like it was going to smoke it was spinning so fast! Please help!

 

First off, your laptop should shut down if it gets too hot, so no worries there.

Perhaps SmartDefrag did mess up the placement of your files. Windows Defrag should fix that. Regardless, you should back up all files before doing anything else.

It is a possibility that your experiencing a piece of hardware dying and the symptoms did not surface until the relatively stressful process of defragging happened. Don't neccessarily blame SmartDefrag for something that may be just coincidence bad luck.

You can run this to test your hardware:
http://majorgeeks.com/Passmark_BurnInTest_Standard_d4234.html
This will push your computer to the limit in the attempts to detect hardware issues. Once again, back up your files before running this program.

Post back with your results.

 

Hello Senlis, thanks so much for the speedy reply.

I do hate to single out the SmartDefrag like that, but it seemed the most likely culprit given the chain of events (even though the thought of cpu or ram failure has certainly been looming in the back of my mind).

I did a little more cleaning and then I tried the BurnInTest program. I have never used any benchmarking program before and I didn't see much for instructions, so I deselected certain misc. test items (printer, cd drive, network, etc) and ran the first test at 50% for the selected items. It passed. Immediately ran a second 15 minute test, this time with cpu and ram jacked up to 75%. Passed. Ran a third test at 90%, again a pass. I have logs for all three tests if you're interested.

So...the case for SmartDefrag isn't looking good. Do you think that it really could have caused this? Should I run the BurnInTest again at 100%?!?

I didn't try Windows Defrag yet, but is that really the best next step to put things back in order? I mean, can it really re-arrange things back to where it was comfortable running before? I apologize for all the questions, I just like to have a good understanding of what is going on!

This laptop is my livelihood right now so I sincerely appreciate any advice and explanations/theories you have to offer! I hope to get a better laptop for my photo & web work in the near future but until the $ is right, I am doing my best to keep this one alive and well!

Thank you!

 

I think it might be important to get some baseline temps "before" running any burnin testing and then monitor the temps as you do it otherwise you maybe stressing some hardware while it is already in a impaired or vulnerable state!

EVEREST Free Edition 2.20 is normally a good starting point.

Did this program offer a "save point" (registry, etc) before offering this fast/deep optimise option?

You may want to CCleaner Slim 2.25.1025 and remove SmartDefrag and then use CCleaners Registry cleaner (very safe Reg Cleaning app but please make sure you use the save registry option before you fix all issues) to remove all traces of it.

Arguably Windows defrag is the best defragger in the market place and is one of the best products MS have ever developed. I have used others but all this hype about performance gains, etc. are negligible at very best (and in your case maybe actually causing an issue) and are certainly not "quantifiable" for the average system user.

 

Its funny this post was made, just 2 days ago I used smart defrag myself, and the next morning I woke up to my cpu running at 80 degrees and the fan sounding like a hair dryer.
I never thought of it being smart defrag until now, as, I have never had any problems before I used it.
Since then, I have changed my fan thinking that was the issue, NOPE!, I ended up running the cpu fan off the system fan plug on my mobo, as it is now, the fan will not even run when i'm in the bios let alone the OS when plugged into the cpu jack on the mobo unless the temp reaches 80, then it will only kick on enough to cool it to 75 and shuts off again.

I have done a reg clean etc etc, but, i'm thinking damage done now.

Sooooo I have made a backup of all data, and getting ready to to do a clean install with win server 2008 (something i've allways wanted to use).
I found some great tuts on how to make Win Server 08 a workstation for home, and thnaks to being empoyed at a gov't facility, I have a free legit copy of server 08 standard ed

 

OK guys, sorry to ask so many questions, but what should I do next? I've already uninstalled SmartDefrag - I never want to touch that again. I am VERY disappointed that MajorGeeks endorses it.

I already use CCleaner - awesome little program. I run it about once a week, also just ran it after I got rid of SmartDefrag and some other extraneous crap.

Should I run some temp tests? Or should I just run Windows Defrag? I'm totally surprised you all are saying such good things about Windows Defrag - the way it was bad-mouthed in the Malware forum, I thought for sure I was doing myself (and laptop) a favor by NOT using it and trying something else.

At this point, I just want my smooth, quiet, cool running laptop back. I nearly always use MG for advice on programs to use (and I remove malware for locals using the malware removal procedure and forum) and I have lost a little bit of faith in MG after this problem. Maybe MG should think again about endorsing this SmartDefrag product.

Oh yes, no, I don't think SmartDefrag offered any "back-up" option. I had just finished backing up everything to my new external, plus backed up Reg with Ccleaner, etc, etc, so I didn't think much of it.

I'm about to go run Windows Defrag. I'll wait a few (until my husband gets off the system and goes to work) to see if anyone replies first...

Thanks!

 

If the problem was caused by smartDefrag, it would probably be a software issue.

Try using a windows restore point to go back before you used it.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Corporal Punishment, I've never had any "fan monitoring" software that I am aware of. I'll have to check on the BIOS.

Since I was last here, I did a system restore and then I ran Windows Defrag. I haven't really tested the system with anything major to see what happens yet since I've been trying to keep myself busy with stuff away from the puter while it was defragging again!

Hmmm....I'm on a Toshiba Satellite A105-S4094. Wonder what MoPaR has?

 

Acer-T135
AMD Sempron 3100+
Gigabyte kv8- mobo
2 gig ddr
ati hd 3650 512mb agp
wd 500 sata, seagate 250 sata

Not likely we have the same system, and its is most likely one of them rare cases in which this happens. Granted I will not trash SmartDefrag as it is a very good program, no doubt in my mind, just not for my system maybe, then again, it could be mere coinsidence... either way I'll get sorted out no problem.

 

After System Restore and then a Windows Defrag, everything seems to be in tip top shape. I tried working on some really large stuff in Photoshop to test the system (much larger file than was giving it problems before) and things acted great.

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

 

IMHO Windows defrag does a great job and all you will ever need (unlike thier Media Player, MSN, etc, etc). Glad to hear you got it sorted.

 

I agree and I only use mine about once every 3months at best or if I have installed several big files (normally a game, etc).