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Disk Defragmenter was scheduled using another program

Anonymous
2013-06-08T14:18:07+00:00

So I've recently learned in Computers 101 that defragging your hard drive from time to time (or when the PC's running slow) is a good maintenance task.  My laptop's running kind of slow, so I figured I'd run a defrag.  In Windows 7 Home Premium, I hit the Start button, type "defrag", and choose Disk Defragmenter.  And I get the following pop-up:

"Disk Defragmenter was scheduled using another program

Disk Defragmenter is currently using customized settings created by another program.  Before you can modify the schedule, you must remove the customized settings."  Followed by two buttons: [Remove settings] [Cancel]

Well, okay, so maybe I've set up automatic defrags in some program and then forgot that I did so.  But it would seem that what I want to do is go modify what's set up in the other program.  EXCEPT WHAT PROGRAM IS IT???  I so wish Disk Defragmenter would have given me a clue where to look...  Anybody got any pointers?

Thanks much,

Jeff

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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Anonymous
2013-06-08T14:29:05+00:00

Open Windows explorer or My Computer.

Right-click on your hard drive, select Properties then select the Tools tab.

Click on Defragment now...  [this does not actually start it running] and it takes you to the normal dialog that controls defragging. 

Please note that Windows 7 normally just defrags in the background and you don't really notice it.  You can check it in Task manager if you like. 

If you never leave your PC idle then you will not get any automatic defragging.

Defrag for Windows 7 is not the same as it was for previous versions.  Because of the speed of modern hard drives, defrag just puts fragments into big lumps.  It does not attempt to eliminate fragments entirely.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-06-08T17:53:35+00:00

    Nowadays, antivirus programs also do disk defragmentation as a part of PC tuneup. If you are using Norton 360 or McAfee Total Protection, they have a feature called PC tuneup which does this defragmentation. So, if you open Disk Defragmenter, you get the error message you posted in your query.

    Aha!  Avast! Antivirus is the culprit!  And also, apparently I don't need to.  (go figure)  Thanks y'all!

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-06-08T14:58:58+00:00

    Nowadays, antivirus programs also do disk defragmentation as a part of PC tuneup. If you are using Norton 360 or McAfee Total Protection, they have a feature called PC tuneup which does this defragmentation. So, if you open Disk Defragmenter, you get the error message you posted in your query.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-04-22T16:08:18+00:00

    Merv,

    The automatic defrag only takes place whilst the computer is idle.  So if your computer is only switched on when you need it & then switched off again, automatic defrag will never run.

    I found the same.  I just set up my own task in Task scheduler to run it -

    %windir%\system32\defrag.exe  C: D: E: /H 

    You can look up the switches to use in a Command prompt window by entering 

    Defrag /?

    I started off running this task weekly but eventually just set it to run daily [normally under ten minutes & I hardly notice that the computer is busy doing it] & I also set it to run asap if a scheduled start is missed.  It seems to me that this would be a suitable solution for your situation as well.

    The TS task must be set [see its General tab] to use an Admin account and Run using highest privileges.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-06-08T14:51:46+00:00

    Well shucks.  I did so, and I got the exact same popup window with the same message.  My fear is in removing the settings, then it might never be automatically scheduled again, but since the &$%& thing isn't telling me in which program it's scheduled...  Got any advice?  T.I.A.

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