why does disk defragmentation take so long?
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You must have a high capacity. Do it once a week to keep it straightened up.
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I would re-boot the computer and try it again. Also, do you have your defrag set so that it will do it at a certain scheduled time? That would help, also, because then, you wouldn't have to manually do it. You just need to program it in your scheduled tasks, which you can access from your control panel.
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Go to the Control Panel option on your start menu and choose performance and maintenance.  There should be an option for freeing up space on your hard drive.  It is call defragmenting, and does not remove programs or file.  It only rearranges them to make them more organized and take up less space.
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Try defragging the hard drive.
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Introduction\nIt's essential that an operating system be able to maintain your disks at peak levels of reliability and performance. The Windows® 2000 operating system does this through a built-in system tool called Disk Defragmenter. Disk Defragmenter was developed through a collaborative effort between Microsoft Corporation and Executive Software International. Read on to learn more about disk fragmentation and defragmentation, and how Disk Defragmenter supports the maintenance of disk efficiency.\n\nTop of page\nTypes of Fragmentation\nFragmentation is caused by creating and deleting files and folders, installing new software, and downloading files from the Internet. Computers do not necessarily save an entire file or folder in a single space on a disk; they're saved in the first available space. After a large portion of a disk has been used, most of the subsequent files and folders are saved in pieces across the volume. (In this discussion the terms disk and volume are used interchangeably.) When you delete files or folders, the empty spaces left behind are filled in randomly as you store new ones. This is how fragmentation occurs. The more fragmented the volume is, the slower the computer's file input and output performance will be. There are two main types of disk fragmentation: file fragmentation and free space fragmentation.\n\nFile Fragmentation\nA file with all its parts stored in one location on a disk is described as "contiguous." If a file is not contiguous, it's fragmented; broken into pieces that are scattered throughout the disk. All Windows NT® and Windows 2000 file types—File Allocation Table (FAT) and NTFS file system (NTFS)—are susceptible to fragmentation.\n\nFile fragmentation has a negative effect on disk performance because the disk head requires more time to move around to different points on the disk to read scattered file parts. This is a primary reason for the gradual degradation of system performance—and the specific cause of longer reads and extended reboots.\n\nFree Space Fragmentation\nA partially full disk contains unused space, known as free space. Ideally, this space would be available in a few contiguous portions of the disk. And while it's good to have free space, it's not good if it's fragmented. Free space fragmentation refers to file space that's broken into small pieces, rather than joined together. This type of fragmentation results in slowed performance because of the time it takes for the disk head to move to different points on the disk to find free space and then write the file. Fragmented free space also increases the possibility of file fragmentation; when a file is larger than the space it's being written to, the file fragments.\n\nTop of page\nAnalyzing Defragmentation\nDefragmentation is the process of rewriting non-contiguous parts of a file to contiguous sectors on a disk for the purpose of increasing data access and retrieval speeds. Because FAT and NTFS disks can deteriorate and become badly fragmented over time, defragmentation is vital for optimal system performance.\n\nFragmentation Analysis Study\nHow fragmented can a system get? In June 1999 the American Business Research Corporation of Irvine, California performed a fragmentation analysis and found that, out of 100 corporate offices that were not using a defragmenter, 50 percent of the respondents had server files with 2,000 to 10,000 fragments—and another 33 percent had files that were fragmented into 10,333 to 95,000 pieces. In all cases the results were the same: Servers and workstations experienced a significant degradation in performance.\n\nGood Housekeeping\nEven a new computer system will experience disk fragmentation because loading the operating system results in both file and free space fragmentation. You can test this by loading the operating system onto a new machine, and then run the analysis function of Disk Defragmenter (explained below).\n\nFor t
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Sounds like the program is conflicting with something on your puter and you might need to delete it.  Do you defrag regularly? Here some things to try. \nOne should do a  disk cleanup everyday and defrag two or three times a week if the computer is used moderately. Try this. \nYou may need to do a Disk Cleanup..and be sure you have all the boxes checked.... \nDefrafg your C drive or what ever is your \nmain harddrive... Make sure you have selected the C Drive.... This is called a Disk Defragmenter... \nGo to : Start... \nprograms.. \naccessories... \nsystem tools..\nDo this often... \nTry the System Restore which takes you back to a time when your computer was working good. Go To: \nstart\nprograms\naccessories\nsystems tools\nsystem restore\nThis process is completely reversable. And does not remove your personal files.  Just go back one checkpoint at a time until your puter is working good again.\nE
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as you load more and more stuff onto your pc, there is more and more stuff that windows has to search through to find the files it needs to start up.\n\nI would consider getting an application which can defrag your startup files and place them at the start of the drive.\n\nThere could be a corrupted driver that ste startup struggles to process which could slow the whole thing down. Defrag the drive and see if it starts up any faster. the Defrager built into windows XP does an aokay job but i might want to consider something better like O & O DEFRAG.\n\nhttp://www.oo-software.com/en/products/oodefrag/pro/\n\nor Iolo's system mechanic 6 also has a whole host of features to fixup some problems\nhttp://www.iolo.com/sm/index.cfm\n\nUnfortunatly, i know of know free, better defraging alternatives to MS Defrag.\n\nOn a lighter note you might want to see what's starting up and in what order.\nhttp://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/LoadOrder.html\n\nIf you know how you should disable some of the unnesasary stuff that runs during startup. Goto START > RUN and type in MSconfig. Click on the STARTUP tab, and uncheck the items that you think/know are not neccasary for starting up.\n\nI hope that helps.
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Try..\nDeleting temporary files\nDisc cleanup\nDefrag\nIf it still runs slow get an expert to look at it.
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Periodically, Mac OS improves the startup ability of programs, which, I think, is defragmenting some of it's internal tables.  I think there are some third party defrgmenting tools too.\n\nYou know, defragmenting on a PC isn't like it was 10 years ago.  Now, when you defragment under XP, is doesn't defrag EVERY file - it doesn't even try too.\n\nActually, the BEST way to defrag any machine (PC or Mac) is use a third party partition copy routine, copy the entire contents to a spare drive and then swap drives _ yes it's a lot of work, but you have a perfect image backup to store in the event of a failure...
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YOU SHOULD NEVER FILL A DRIVE UP THAT MUCH -- ANYTHING OVER 90% CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS / DATA CORRUPTION.\n\nTHAT BEING SAID, SINCE IT IS SO FULL, EVEN 3RD PARTY DEFRAGS WONT WORK BECAUSE IT HAS NOWHERE TO MOVE THE DATA TO.  YOU NEED TO MANUALLY DELETE / MOVE THINGS -- THAT IS THE ONLY WAY -- SORRY\n\nIF IT IS MUSIC OR MOVIES THAT HAS FILLED IT UP, BACK UP A BUCH ON A BLACNK CD OR DVD AND THEN DELETE\n\nBUY A BIGGER HDD, THEN REINSTALL THE BACK-UP FILES
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Over time, files and applications become scattered in various places on your hard disk. Disk Defragmenter brings these scattered pieces together to improve speed and help prevent errors. \n     Steps: 1.  Close all applications. Disable screen savers, anti-virus utilities and other constantly running programs.   \n2.  Open the Start menu and choose Programs, then Accessories.   \n3.  Click on System Tools.   \n4.  Click on Disk Defragmenter.   \n5.  When the Select Drive window appears, click on Settings.   \n6.  Check both "Rearrange program files so my programs start faster" and "Check the drive for errors."   \n7.  Click OK to defragment drive C: (the physical drive).   \n8.  Run the program once a month or so.     \nTips  Run ScanDisk beforehand for best results. This is best done by restarting the computer in MS DOS and typing "scandisk" at the C:&#92;> prompt. Return to Windows afterwards to defragment your hard disk.    If you're having difficulties, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to make sure you haven't left any applications running. Highlight each application in the screen that appears and click on "End Task" to close the application.
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Use O&O Defrag\n\nIt will run in the background and not bother you, the program defrags ur hard drive while ur computer is idle.
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Defragmenting , closes gaps in your hard drive , your supposed to do it monthly .... errm wen u delete things off your computer , it leaves space on ur hard disk , like rubbin out so u defragment to close the gaps and make your computer run faster :) i fink ... thts wat me dad told me... howay the lads
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One way could be to perform a disk and hard drive defragment. This should be a standard action carried out by all users about once a month. It can be found under application and system tasks, in the start menu.\n\nIt basically clears a "route" to your hard drive and processor so that data is found and in your case transferred quicker.
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Do you have an up to date anti virus prog installed ?\nHave you anti spyware programs installed.?\nDo you know how to Defragment your computer ?\nDo you know how to use disc clean up ?\n\nIf you answer No to any of these questions then  there is a big possibility you have either a virus or spyware or overloaded hard drive.that is causing these problems.
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how often do you defrag the computers (once a week)\n\nand once a month - check disk - to repair any defective sectors
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There's a brilliant program called Ccleaner. I use it so it must be idiot proof.\nwww.ccleaner.com\nDefragment the hard drive, go to Start - Accessories - System Tools - Defragment.\nAlso, try storing big files like images on a separate partition, or preferably a separate drive such as an external hard drive. Pc's do slow down as you start to use them and I think to an extent its unavoidable.