Scandisk and Defrag Interrupted?

Infopackets Reader Ed M. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I can't seem to run Disk Defrag, ScanDisk, or Norton Disk Doctor on my system because other programs are actively running in the background and keep interrupting the process. How can I find out what is running in the background and stop it? I have asked this question numerous times to Microsoft and they don't seem to know the answer. I have tried 'CTRL + ALT + DEL' on my keyboard to bring up the Windows Task Manager, I get a list of programs -- but I do not know which ones are safe to delete? Can you help? "

My response:

Many users have emailed me in the past and swear by a utility called 'EndItall2' to stop all extraneous services from running in the background. I've been told it works great for Scandisk and Defrag, as well as CD Burning (so sessions won't be interrupted). From the PC Mag web site:

" EndItAll2 lists all the programs running on your system and lets you decide which ones to close down. The processes necessary for basic system operation are protected from termination, though. From the remaining processes, you can choose which to close, which to kill (close down forcibly), and which to protect. " (Source / more info: pcmag.com)

Enditall2 is now considered a 'premium download' and requires 'free registration' via the PC Mag web site. However, a number of web sites are hosting this utility as a direct download (like the one below). Tip: to find more hosts, simply type in 'enditall2' in Google.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~dlrichtm/enditall2/EndItAll2.zip

Alternative defrag utilities

If you're specifically looking to defrag your drive and would like an alternative solution, try Diskeeper Lite. It's freeware and works with Win9x/ME, NT, 2000 XP.

" Diskeeper Lite is a short version introduction to full-featured Diskeeper. Diskeeper Lite can only analyze fragmentation levels and run manual defragmentation on one disk volume at a time. All time and money saving 'Set It and Forget It' scheduling, system management functions and network controls are shown and explained, but rendered inoperative. This tool will show you how easy the full version is to install and operate across any size network. Diskeeper Lite will help everyone in their selection of the right automated defragmentation software for their homes and/or business sites. "

The direct download link is:

http://www1.execsoft.com/dklite.exe

If you're running Win9x, you can also try a 'trick' by replacing defrag with Microsoft Defrag for Windows ME. There's an article from sandyLee.net which explains step-by-step instructions on how to replace your current defrag with WinME's, and also includes a link to download WinME defrag. Many Win9x users have written in and sworn by this method.

RE: I have tried 'CTRL + ALT + DEL' -- which ones are safe to delete?

A little while back, I wrote a review on a killer utility called "WinTasks Pro". It's a Task Manager on steroids, and tells you information about the processes that are running on your machine, plus it lets you set process priorities (which can give you extra power for processes that need it, like gaming online). It's also a great utility for intercepting suspicious activity (like Spyware) that may be running on your machine. It can even tell you which processes are attached to which dependencies (.DLL files)! You can read the review here -- an informative an highly interesting read:

WinTasks 4 Professional Review