scheduled defragmentation in Vista not working

Hello,
I am running Windows Vista Home Premium and have noticed that even though Vista does comes with an automatic disk defrag tool that is enabled by default. However, it does not work at all. I have changed the default time that it is run so as to be sure that I have the computer turned on / running but still it does not run. I set the defragmenter to a schedule by opening it from the start>accessories>system tools as well as by trying to do so in the task scheduler. I then close the application but when I open it back up it states "Next Scheduled Run: Never" and the section for the Last Run: is the last time that I manually ran the disk defragmentation tool and the box for run on a schedule does have a check mark in it. In the task scheduler the last run time always just states never.

I have been searching for information on this problem but have never been able to find out why it does not seem to work and I have tried changing the scheduling to all sorts of different settings with no luck. I don't mind running it manually and I have also installed auslogics disk defrag tool as well. I would just like to know why it is not working properly and if there is a way to fix it (since I do sometimes forget to run the program weekly).

I have had this laptop for almost a year now and it has never run on the scheduled.

Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

You clearly know your Task Scheduler well so that is an odd one. Only thing I can think of is if the laptop is on battery. The default settings will stop it from running in this state, but that can be changed of course.

 

Nope, it is not on battery. I leave the laptop plugged in whenever running the disk defrag as well as when I have turned it on in order to let it run the scheduled task but it just does not seem to run it on the schedule.

For whatever reason, if I go to the start>accessories and select disk defrag it states the next scheduled run always states never and scheduled defragmentation is enabled and will be run at the next scheduled time.

If I go to the task scheduler the defrag status is ready but the last run time always states never. I just don't understand this and can't find any information anywhere on why it will not run on its own when it is enabled.

I have even changed the settings to have it run on a schedule making that schedule for something like an hour from when I set the schedule and left the pc running but it does not run.

 

I realize that the defrag doesn't need to be run so frequently but I have been just setting it to daily or weekly to see if the scheduled defrag would work but it doesn't no matter what I have done. I just run it manually but would really like to know why it does not run on the schedule as it should.

Thanks

 

Vista scheduled defrag is very buggy, either it works when it should, doesn't work at all or defrags when it shouldn't ...

Go with DomLuc's suggestion, recently updated and renamed MyDefrag, it's good

 

Thanks for the information. I was thinking that maybe there was a problem with my laptop since I really couldn't find any information stating a bug with the defrag program.

I had read that using auslogics or smart defrag were a better alternative but never was able to find out why. Is this JkDefrag a better program than using the MS defrag program?

Thanks so Very Very Much

 

All 3 are way better than the MS version because they work when they should and are faster, more efficient and much less likely to cause problems.

 

another defrag tool i have always used is defraggler it was rated as one of the best by PCmagizine. I've never used it with vista but i assume it would work fine.

 

Thanks for all the help and information. I did just check and defraggler is also vista compatible. And thanks for explaining why one should use a different defrag program then the one from Microsoft. I could never find out just why until now. Now all I need to do is figure out which one I like best since it would seem that all of those mentioned here are much better than the preinstalled ms defrag program.

Thanks Again!