Dude Guyman

The solution to "my problem" is simple...get rid of the bad software that causes the problem...Defraggler, then reinstall Windows, which I just did. Then I ran Auslogics defrag tool twice, once in normal quick mode, then again with the optimize option. The first completed in about 40 seconds, the second in about 8 minutes. My used disk space was the same afterwards other than maybe a few bytes for a log file, nothing noticable. Again, Defraggler will not even complete, ever. It gets stuck in some kind of loop, making copies of files that it never is able to move/clear apparently (causing the eternal disk filling behavior). Forget that it fills my drive...it fails to even complete the defrag. Total failure on a clean, fresh, minimal install of windows. A Defrag utility just can't fail much worse than that.

Shadow Copy is disabled. I disable all that junk. System Restore, Shadow Copies, Windows Firewall, Defender, Security Center, Print Spooler, Readyboost, Superfetch, Windows Updates, Desktop Composition, User Account Control, Offline Files, Indexing, etc., etc., all off! No...it doesn't. Not on my rig. Not to mention other defrag utilities are actually able to complete (usually in 1-3 minutes since I never let my drive get in bad shape) and not get stuck in a loop.

"2. After you run Defraggler in Windows Vista, there is less free hard drive space available. When you run certain third-party programs (such as Defraggler), Windows Vista creates an automatic System Restore point for security reasons. This System Restore point takes up hard drive space. See this topic for more information on Windows Vista and shadow copies." NONSENSE! I JUST installed Vista 64 SP2. I have System Restore turned off and the service disabled AND disabled it in gpedit.msc. Got my main drivers installed, vcredist 2005, 2008, Windows Updates, just the basics, had not gotten to the usual third party apps like CDRW software, games, etc. Then I ran Defraggler 1.15.163 and it showed like 2% fragmentation. It ran until it reported 2 files left to defrag for about 60 Megs, showed 100% complete and 0% fragmentation and then it just kept going forever, stuck in a loop apparently. All the while my used disk space is rising, rising, and rising by the gigabytes. After it added 4 gigs or so I killed it, rebooted, did a chkdsk /f, ran Windows defrag, then tried Defraggler again. I did the same thing and added another gig or so of used space before I canceled it again. It never completed a defrag and ruined my Windows install. Now I get to go start all over and reinstall Vista from scratch to get my 5 or 6 gigs of drive space back. Gee, thanks a lot Piriform. What an absolute crap program.