Manual mode (Services) query

[CurlyWhirly]

I don't like to leave my Diskeeper hard drive defragmenting tool running automatically as I'm not sure if will slow down hard drive access so I have set it to the Manual setting in the Services section of XP (below)

This has been bugging me for ages and so I thought I would ask this question.

As the Diskeeper service is set to Manual mode then how come when I launch the application, I get this error message?

In order to get the application working, I have to go into the Services section and click on Start as shown in my first screenshot.

Is this normal as I thought that the application should launch when clicking on the Diskeeper shortcut as opposed to having to go into the Services section everytime you want to run it?

Also would it be better to leave Diskeeper running in the background or is this not advisable?

I have always run Diskeeper in this way and am curious if there's a better way?

Thanks.

[andsome]

I use Diskeeper 10, and have NEVER seen the message above. As far as I aware, if Diskeeper is set to run in the background, it backs off if other programs need the resources, although in practise if I use this mode, I do detect the very slightest fall off in speed. When I double click the desktop icon, the program window opens, but no scanning starts until I select a drive to scan and tell it to defragment. I have two permanent hard drives which always show up, plus a plug in drive which shows up if it is switched on. The only time that I get a message that defragmentation cannot start, is if the program is in background mode, and I have just set up a boot time defragmentation. If a background scan attempts to start in these circumstances, then a message that the scan cannot start comes up. This can only be corrected by closing down and allowing the boot time defrag to start, or going back into the program and cancelling it.

I hope this helps. If there is anything else that you need to compare and you also use version 10 let me know. :D

[CurlyWhirly]

I use Diskeeper 10, and have NEVER seen the message above. As far as I am aware, if Diskeeper is set to run in the background

I have never set Diskeeper to run in the background and I prefer to run it once a week manually.

I think this is the reason why you have never seen the message not to mention the fact that I'm still using version 9 as I didn't like the look of the version 10 interface.

As far as I am aware, if Diskeeper is set to run in the backgroundit backs off if other programs need the resources, although in practise if I use this mode, I do detect the very slightest fall off in speed

This is the reason why I don't have Diskeeper running in the background!

The only time that I get a message that defragmentation cannot start is if the program is in background mode, and I have just set up a boot time defragmentation. If a background scan attempts to start in these circumstances, then a message that the scan cannot start comes up.

I've never run Diskeeper in this mode and I've just checked and version 9 doesn't seem to support this mode, oh well never mind.

Thanks for the feedback by the way.

[Michael___]

I think that is going to continue to be an issue for you as long as you set the service to manual. Some applications seem to just expect the service to be running and will not attempt to start a service before loading the user interface.

You could write a batch file that loads the service and then launches the user app. You could then run the batch file instead of clicking on the shortcut to the app.

The batch file would make use of the "sc" command in WinXP. It would go something like this....

sc start diskkeeper
cd C:\Program Files\Diskkeeper\
diskkeep.exe

Pretty simple batch file, but it should work.

Mike

[CurlyWhirly]

I think that is going to continue to be an issue for you as long as you set the service to manual. Some applications seem to just expect the service to be running and will not attempt to start a service before loading the user interface.

Thanks for the explanation as to why the application fails without going into Services and manually starting Diskeeper.

You could write a batch file that loads the service and then launches the user app. You could then run the batch file instead of clicking on the shortcut to the app.

The batch file would make use of the "sc" command in WinXP. It would go something like this....

sc start diskkeeper
cd C:\Program Files\Diskkeeper\
diskkeep.exe

Pretty simple batch file, but it should work.

Thanks for the info and I will have to do a little googling to find out how to write a batch file as I have never written one.

[Michael___]

Thanks for the info and I will have to do a little googling to find out how to write a batch file as I have never written one.

It's a piece of cake for a simple batch file like this one. All you do is create a text document and make sure that you have file extension views turned on in your settings and then enter your commands into the text file. After you save it, then change the extension from .txt to .bat. Then the machine knows that when you double click on it that you want it to run the commands listed in the file.

Just adjust those few commands to match your system, for example the correct name of the service and the program exe and correct path and such, and you should be all set.

One other tip...

When you run your batch file, open a command prompt by going start and then run and typing cmd. Then browse to your batch file and run it from that prompt. Otherwise if there are any errors, the command window will open and close so quickly you won't be able to read the errors.

Good luck.

PS....

This might help

http://www.computerhope.com/batch.htm

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

I have Diskeeper 9, and the diskeeper service is set tot automatic. No problem this way.

[andsome]

I use Diskeeper 10, and have NEVER seen the message above. As far as I am aware, if Diskeeper is set to run in the background

I have never set Diskeeper to run in the background and I prefer to run it once a week manually.

I think this is the reason why you have never seen the message not to mention the fact that I'm still using version 9 as I didn't like the look of the version 10 interface.

As far as I am aware, if Diskeeper is set to run in the backgroundit backs off if other programs need the resources, although in practise if I use this mode, I do detect the very slightest fall off in speed

This is the reason why I don't have Diskeeper running in the background!

The only time that I get a message that defragmentation cannot start is if the program is in background mode, and I have just set up a boot time defragmentation. If a background scan attempts to start in these circumstances, then a message that the scan cannot start comes up.

I've never run Diskeeper in this mode and I've just checked and version 9 doesn't seem to support this mode, oh well never mind.

Thanks for the feedback by the way.

Don't get me wrong, I don't normally run it in auto mode, but have tried out everything in the program. I normally just double click the desktop icon to open the program window, highlight the drive I want to defragment, and then click defragment. No warnings appear. If you have boot time defrag facility, you would be surprised at how much it speeds the computer up if it is run occasionally.