7 replies to this topic

[Boskosauce]

So, I'm defragging a terabyte hard drive that has 69% used. It has said 'Remaining time: 1 minute' for about 30+ minutes already. Why isn't the remaining time accurate? Is it possible for you guys to work on making that a bit more accurate?

Also forgot to mention that currently, its at 54% complete. Still displays 1 minute.

[jm34harvey]

Boskosauce,

Based on a neighboring thread, I'm guessing that the 1 minute is the time remaining for defragging the files and the time remaining to defrag the free space isn't included in the estimate.

My guess should prompt a reply.  Especially, if I'm wrong!

John, Wizened Web Wizard Wannabe

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." — Albert Einstein

[Keatah]

In all of 40 years of working with computers, the time remaining progress bars are rarely accurate and consistent. Especially when a utility is progressing head first into a pile of user data. You never know what will happen next!

[Super Fast]

Boskosauce, on 22 September 2012 - 04:34 PM, said:

So, I'm defragging a terabyte hard drive that has 69% used. It has said 'Remaining time: 1 minute' for about 30+ minutes already. Why isn't the remaining time accurate? Is it possible for you guys to work on making that a bit more accurate?

This is because, there are several ways to calculate time remaining, but all of them are estimates. In general, Defraggler does get more accurate as it progresses through a defrag, because it has time to refine the calculation.

But it still is not totally accurate, because you may have a drive with thousands of tiny files, or hundreds of big files. How fast it completes depends on CPU speed, HDD speed, & # of files, sizes of files, amount of unfragmented free space, running in RAM (as opposed to Virtual Ram on HDD) etc...

Because users may be doing other things that gobble CPU time, or Windows may be making system restore points, running a backup, or there may be so little free space, or any number of other factors... It may be close to impossible to make it much more accurate.

Defraggler attempts to give you a rough estimate, but if it goes by file count, then if you hit directories with thousands of tiny files, the time may go up. If it goes by file size, some files may take longer than estimated because of above listed scenarios.

I don't know of a way, really, to give a 100% accurate reading. The first few minutes of running are normally the most inaccurate.

[Boskosauce]

The remaining time was at 1 minute for 8 hours straight. It never changed. It never went up. I don't think it HAS to be 100% accurate, just maybe semi-accurate and change every now and then. It did for the first half, but afterwards it basically went to crap.

I assume the remaining time could update more often? I really don't think it should have stayed at 1 minute for 8 hours straight.

I'm sorry for the late reply, I never got an email from responses.

[Gerry]

The time remainly to complete is hopelessly inaccurate.

[mta]

don't look at the time remaining, it'll drive you nuts.
either look at the location of the green 'files being written' block to get a feel for it or minimise DF and do something else - like walk away.

not a helpful answer i know, but as stated above, all progress bars should be taken with a grain salt.

sadly for you, Boskosauce, this should just have been a one-off and hopefully was the result of some out of the blue cirsumstance particular to your setup.

What happened the next time you ran DF?

[Super Fast]

mta, on 04 October 2012 - 06:18 AM, said:

don't look at the time remaining, it'll drive you nuts.
either look at the location of the green 'files being written' block to get a feel for it or minimise DF and do something else - like walk away.

Or, if your running Windows 7, minimize Defraggler & note how long the green bar takes to move to around 25% (Example). Estimate completion based on that.