XP pro won't backup or defrag.

Hi. I tried to perform a system back up, ie start/programs/accessories/sys tools/ backup and nothing happens. Also I tried a system defrag last night, it started to defrag and after about 3 mins it said it had finished, but to me it looked the same as when it started, plus usually it takes for ever to defrag normally. Then if i start the defrag again it says that it needs to be defraged, and i acn do this over and over again and it does the same thing. Does anyone have any ideas what I should do, please bare in mind that I don't know a lot about computers!

 

What OS are you using?

 

Hi, Windows Xp pro!

 

Sorry, I saw that after I posted that.

First get your defrag working, and then worry about backup. (The backup utility on XP is a huge pain)

First things first...have ran a chkdsk? If not, do this first, and then try to defrag again.

Note. I'm assuming that you have installed sp2. Is that correct? If not do that first.

To chkdsk: My Computer>right click C>properties>Tools>Check Now
Reboot

What happens after running chkdsk, and then trying to defrag?

 

Hi, I ran the chkdsk, then tried the defrag but still has the same problem, it reaches 11% and then ends? any ideas!

 

Do a sfc /scannow first :Note" space after sfc. Have your cd ready when asked for.Then boot into safemode and defrag.

 

That's weird. You do have SP2...right? You're updated? Chkdsk completed? The only thing left that I can think of is to do a Disk Cleanup, and then defrag. If that doesn't work I'll ask an IT friend.

Fingers crossed!

 

Start\Run\sfc scannow

 

Do you have the minimum space needed for the defrag- 15% atleast?
Try Defragmenting in safe mode, that might stop the restarting. Or else try some third party tool, heres a good one-( its not the paid version)
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=1207

 

Good afternoon. Ok, I have done the disc cleanup, I have 25% free disc space.
I tried the /scannow thing but i don't know what i am doing, a Windows File Protection screen has come up and when I put the XP sp2 disc in i get a Welcome screen asking what do i want to do,> Install Windows XP. >Learn more about the setup. >Install optional Windows components. >Perform additional tasks. >Check system compatibility. Do i want any of these?
Also i can't see in my book what a safe mode is?

 

so much for the responce

 

After typing in sfc /scannow do not insert the cd until a window open's asking to do so.Also this scan will take several minutes to finish do not interrupt.

 

Hi jujet84. Ok the sfc /scannow has ran, so when you say reboot in safe mode, do you mean hit the restart button?

 

No actually, i do not think that the windows defragmentor does not work in safe mode. But i dont know for sure as i have used diskeeper for quite some time to keep my system defragmented and that does not work in safe mode. But it is still worth a shot. To get to get to safe mode, you would restart your pc just as always then keep pressing f8 while starting up and you will have a start up option at system start. From there select safe mode and press enter. However I do not think it will work in safe mode as the service for it is not running. If that does not work reboot and try it in normal mode. (Just restart and let the system boot as you always do) Try it there and if it is still behaving strangely i would say it is time to do a windows repair. Here is somthing i copied from ms knowledge base on how to do this:
1. Insert the Windows XP CD into your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer.
2. When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message appears on the screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.

Note Your computer must be configured to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. For more information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, see your computer's documentation or contact your computer manufacturer.
3. You receive the following message on the Welcome to Setup screen that appears:
This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft Windows XP to run on your computer:

To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.

To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.

To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.
Press ENTER to set up Windows XP.
4. On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.
5. Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.
6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to reinstall Windows XP. After you repair Windows XP, you may have to reactivate your copy of Windows XP.

good luck
-the new tech guy

 

I want to thank you all for your help with this problem. It still wouldn't defrag so I opted to install Diskeeper and that seems to be doing the job as we speak!
So, can anyone suggest how to get over the backup problem that I'm having, XP won't even show the backup page?

 

Maybe a part of windows is corrupt so maybe you may need to the do the repair install using the instructions in my previous post. Ps you will need to go back and reupdate windows and reload diskeeper. Also move any files out of the my documents folders.
-the new tech guy

 

Hi, I carried out the Repair Install as you suggested, but has made no difference to either the XP defrag or backup. Do you have any other ideas?

 

This is a long shot.

When you click analyze it will give you a report. Look under the column %Free Space. Is your percentage above, or below 15% of free space?

I'd be surprised if you didn't have enough free space to defrag.

I'd still wait on the backup utility. Why would you want to backup settings that inhibit your ability to defrag? Something is wrong with your computer right now, and it's easier to focus on one thing at a time (at least that's my opinion).

Hang in there. Someone will figure it out.

 

Silvius...I just saw your post about the 15% free space.

 

Hi krit86lr, what you said makes sense about backing up as thing now stand. As for the free space, it shows 24% free space!

 

Well lets clean out the hd so we can rule out that. If you have like four java updates in your ad/remove you can uninstall all but the latest version of it to save space, if you have bot ms framework 1.1 and 2.0 you can uninstall 1.1 to free space. Then you can just uninstall any programs and delete any files you dont need. Then run this command: start,run, "cleanmgr" (one word with no quotes). Then try to defrag again and tell us what happens.
-the new tech guy

 

OK i did that, then tried the defrag, when i click the analyse it says that you should defrag this ammount, I then click defrag and it starts and reaches about 12% and ends at that. If i analyse again it says that i should defrag and the same thing will happen all over again!

 

Hi "the new tech guy": After everything that BlueMonsoon has done...is it possible that something could still be wrong with his Windows Server 2005? I don't know how to check it, but it's the only other thing that I could find at MS support.

Also, if he doesn't have full admin permission would defrag even start? Maybe he's a limited user?

Do you think that any of these avenues are worth investigating?

P.S. I love your picture. Thanks for the laugh. : )

 

Hi, BlueMonsoon. Will you do me a quick favor?

(click) start
(click) run
(type) cmd
(type) net start WUAUSERV (press enter)

What did it say?

 

It is not windows server 05, the user is running windows xp professional service pack 2. Yes i would make sure the account has administrative access permissions but i have a strong feeling that windows is corrupt somewhere or there is a registry problem. If the administrator thing does not turn up anything I beleive that will be our next avenue.
-the new tech guy

 

Hi krit86lr, this screen come up. C:\WINNT\system32\cmd.ex
Microsoft Windows XP Version 5.1.2600
<c> copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft corp.
C:\Documents and Settings\Windows>

 

Hi, I wasn't sure if I did that right, so I typed that command in at that screen and it just said:- The requested service has already been started. More help is available by tping NET HELPMSG 2182

 

Awesome. That's a good thing, and answers 3 questions for me.

Close the cmd screen.

 

You're doing a good job.

Just hang tight because the new tech guy wants to check your registry.

 

Alright do you have any registry cleaner for your pc? Most you have to pay for but i would like to scan and clean up some stuff if there is a problem anyway. If you have registry mechanic i would like you to run a scan and fix what it finds. If you do not i would like you to download the program ccleaner here: http://www.majorgeeks.com/CCleaner_d4191.html
run the registry scanner and clean what it finds. Oh and maybe it wont hurt to run the cookie cleaner too cause that is what it is mainly used for. If you want to make a backup go ahead and do that too incase somthin goes crazy we can reload that and undo what we did. So Please run a registry cleaner and let us know your findings and if it helps you at all.
-the new tech guy

 

Hi, I think we have a time difference with me being in the UK!
Yes I do have Registry Mechanic, TuneUp Utilities 2006, XP Repair Pro, CCleaner and RegEdit. I have run them on a regular basis, but they have no effect on this problem, it's still the same and ends at 12% compacting?
Last night I installed Diskeeper and ran it over and over until it said that it didn't need any more defraging. I then unistalled it and checked what the XP defrag would say and do. It said that it was heavily fragmented and needed defraging. When I ran it, it ran up to the 12% completed as i said before and ended, I then analyzed again and it said the same thing and needed to be defraged and the same thing will happen each time?

 

Curious--------- could you open up My Computer then rite click on Local Disk (C:\) go to Properties/Under Tab/General what file system does it show

 

Hi jujet84, it is showing file system as "NTFS"

 

That's good--- I was thinking maybe that the Fat 32 File system had been installed instead,thus causing the slow responce on your defrag.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

Ok one other thing to check
Win XP users have a "boot defrag" option that places boot files next to each other on the hard drive, thus speeding up startup.
Boot defrag should be enabled by default, but to make sure,drill down to the

Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOTWARE \ Microsoft \ Dfrg \ BootOptimizeFunction
and look in the Name column on the right side of the window.
Check that the Data value for Enable is set to Y. If it is, close Regedit. If not, right-click on Enable and choose Modify. Change the value to Y, choose OK, and close Regedit.

 

Go to Start/Run/type regedit/enter

 

OK this is what I found there:-
(Default)...(Value not set)
Enable...... Y
Lcn End Location... 555490
Lcn Start Location... 0
Optimize Complete... No
Optimize Error....Insufficient free Space

 

Not set ehh--Ok do as it says --HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Dfrg \ BootOptimizeFunction
and look in the Name column on the right side of the window.
right-click on Enable and choose Modify. Change the value to Y, choose OK, and close Regedit.Then do a reboot and try defrag again

 

Ok have done that, rebooted, ran defrag and still diong the same. Checked in the Regedit and Default is still showing "Not Set".

 

Question--are you the adminstrator of XP Pro and are you applying these changes under adminstrator.If not the settings will not apply.

 

I don't know, I think so, it's my computer, I installed XP on the computer. How do i find out?

 

Do you remember when installing--- whether when asked to install password for administrator was installed.
In other words did you create an account for administrator.
After booting up do you have to enter a password.

Go to Start\Run enter control userpasswords2 "note" space between control and user.
Under users, is it checked "users must enter a password etc and under users what names are there

 

Hi.The box users must enter... is unchecked.
User Name................................Groups
Administrator.............................Administrator.
ASPNET....................................Users.
Windows...................................Administrator.

That's how it's shown!

 

Sorry, the other part of your question, when i installed XP i don't remember putting in a password, also when i start up or reboot i don't have to put in a password either, it just starts up?

 

Ok --your not using norton are you

 

No my anti-virus is PC-Cillin

 

Quote--From the tech man
To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.

To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.
Press ENTER to set up Windows XP.
4. On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.
5. Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.
6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to reinstall Windows XP. After you repair Windows XP, you may have to reactivate your copy of Windows XP.
good luck
-the new tech guy
Time for a repair

I would like you to also to read and understand the directions here,pic's are included.
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxppro/installxpcdrepair/indexfullpage.htm

 

Hi, OK i have read all at the link and this is the same that happened at the repair install the new tech guy recommended. Do you think i should do it again?

 

Hi jujet84,

Could component services > computers > my computer > dcom config > defrg ntfs engine

If you r click you can select properties, and I was wondering that if the settings aren't set to default...could that cause this type of problem? I know that some of MS's updates conflict with customized settings, but I don't know if this is one of them.

B- don't do this until someone confirms that it's an appropriate course of action please.