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I have found over the years that I save time by doing a weekly (at least) Complete ScanDisk, followed by a Defrag. If the following process is followed, it will allow your programs, folders and files to open much more quickly and efficiently. Regularly following these suggestions will also help you avoid the frustration of seemingly endless waiting periods for your programs and files to open.

How to do a trouble-free ScanDisk and Defrag. (Windows 95 and Windows 98)

1. Close all open windows that you can close manually.
2. Close all of your other open windows by simultaneously pressing [ALT]+[CTRL]+[Delete], when the box pops up, choose "End Task". Follow this procedure for each of your open windows except "Explorer". (If you click "End Task" for "Explorer", or if you press "Shut Down", don't panic, your computer will shut down and you can restart it and make the best of the additional opportunity to properly close all of the open windows, once again...) Some of the windows will ask you to press "End Task" a second time, if they present you with this second dialogue box, just click "End Task" one more time...
3. After you have closed all of your open windows (following the instructions in #2, above), right click your "Desktop" and choose "Properties" from the list of choices that appears. When the "Display Properties" box pops up, choose the "Screen Saver" tab. Click the "Screen Saver" slide, and at the top of the list of screen savers, choose "none". Then click the "Apply" button.
   1. If you are using the Windows 95 Operating System, make sure both of the "Energy Savings Features of Monitor" check boxes are unchecked, unless they are greyed-out. (If you made any changes, click the "Apply" button once again.) Then click the "OK" button to close the box.
   2. If you are using the Windows 98 Operating System, press the "Settings..." button and make sure that all three settings in the "Settings for Always On power scheme" are all set to "never". (If you made any changes, click the "Apply" button.) Then click the "OK" button, and click the "Ok button on the "Display Properties" box to close it.
4. Now you should be ready to start your ScanDisk. Click your "Start" button and go up to "Programs", then choose "Accessories" from the "Programs" menu. Choose "System Tools" from the "Accessories" menu. Click "ScanDisk" on the "System Tools" menu. When the ScanDisk box appears, choose to do the ScanDisk on your "(C:)" drive. Click the button beside "Thorough", click the "Options" button and make sure the only choice that is chosen is the top one (leave the other areas unchecked). Click "OK". Make sure you have checked the box beside "Automatically fix errors". Press the "Advanced" button and choose the following settings:
   1. Display summary - Always
   2. Log file - Replace log
   3. Cross-linked files - Make copies
   4. Lost file fragments - Convert to files
   5. Check files for - Invalid file names (You can check the other ones, but I don't recommend it)
   6. Check host drive first
   7. Now click "OK" to close that box.
5. Click "Start". You can now go and do something else, because your computer will perform this task as quickly as it possibly can, but the time it takes will vary depending on how large your hard drive is and how fast your computer is. If the ScanDisk is having considerable difficulty in performing its tasks, it may restart the process a number of times. If it completes ten restarts, it will ask you if you want to continue receiving that particular dialogue box. I suggest you click the "No" button and let the computer continue with the task that you have asked it to perform. If you click "Yes", you will have to be right there to acknowledge it every time that dialogue box keeps popping up.
6. When the ScanDisk has completed its task on your "C:" drive, I suggest doing a ScanDisk on each of the other drives in your computer, if you have more than one. When all of your hard drives have been ScanDisked, choose the "Close" button to close the ScanDisk box.
7. Click your "Start" button and go up to "Programs", then choose "Accessories" from the "Programs" menu. Choose "System Tools" from the "Accessories" menu. Click "Disk Defragmenter" on the "System Tools" menu. When the Defrag box appears, choose to do the Defrag on your "(C:)" drive. Many people are convinced that your computer does a better job if you press the "Show Details" button, you get a better Defrag of your Hard Drive, but I am not convinced of that, so you can show the details or not, depending on how you feel that day. If you encounter the "Ten Restart" dialogue box, refer to #5, above).
8. When you have completed the Defrag on your "C:" drive, follow the same process for any other hard drives your computer may have. After you are done, choose the "Close" Button to close the Defrag box.
9. Right-click your "Desktop" and choose "Properties" from the list of choices that appears. When the "Display Properties" box pops up, choose the "Screen Saver" tab. Click the "Screen Saver" slide, and from the list of screen savers, choose whatever screen saver you wish to now use. Then click the "Apply" button. Reset whatever "Energy Saving Features" you wish to have (unless they are greyed-out) and press "Apply" and press "OK" to close the box.
10. Restart your computer, and enjoy a computer that now operates more efficiently.

If there are any errors or if there are sections that need clarification, please  click here  and let me know.

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