when I try this, it's rejected as an invalid parameter:

The vssadmin command can only be run as administrator. Open a command prompt by going to accessories, then RIGHT-click on the "Command Prompt" and select "run as administrator".

I think there should be a space between the word "shadows" and the backslash, but I'm not sure about that.

That's with XP and I'm logged in as an administrator.

What's going on?

It seems that the Microsoft web site may be lying to me.

Because when I try this, it's rejected as an invalid parameter:

vssadmin delete shadows/for=ForVolumeSpec

It says that you can use a drive letter, but it acts like I typed it wrong.

No error here:

Was this with downloads?

Don't do a hard shut down!

It is safe to stop JkDefrag at any time. A soft reboot (select reboot from the Windows menu) is perfectly safe. A hard reboot (power off) is a bit dangerous, but safe if your disks are NTFS.

I can't guarantee a file won't be corrupted. It's even possible that Chkdsk or NTFS deletes the file as "orphaned".

Don't do a hard shut down! Now don't cry to us if you have MFT errors. Sorry.

Cannot help you more, ATM.

That's exactly what I get with a fresh install, except the MFT is also taking up *all* the beginning too.

This problem stems from Windows Setup, because the beginning of the HDD is taken over by temporary files, then Windows Setup deletes them after Windows is mostly installed, AFAIK. Thus, you have a big area of free space in the beginning!

Especially Windows 2000.

I dunno why. Looks like a sorting algorithm issue.

At least about 90 percent of files being at a far away part of the HDD, *EVEN* with a reformat and reinstall is a known issue, especially with Windows 2000.

It's got to be related to Windows Setup creating a lot of temporary files and then deleting them, but after the Windows installation is mostly done.

after more than two hours torturing my HD I had no choice than physicaly shuting off my computer as my keyboard, my mouse and any programs became unusable)

LOL that reminds me of a 486 back when we still had Windows 3.1 and when Smartdrv.exe wasn't loaded.
 

You appear to have a fair amount of unnecessary programs running!

Please close them, otherwise, there likely are going to be alot of skipped files!

If it's STOP: 0x00000050 PAGE_FAULT_IN_NON_PAGED_AREA

-OR-

STOP: 0x0000004E PFN_LIST_CORRUPT

Then likely the RAM chips kicking the bucket.

If it's STOP: KERNEL_INPAGE_ERROR, then likely a bad HDD.

With a bad HDD, Windows may seem OK, but when you run more stuff, it crashes.

Appears to possibly be a Vista problem, thus I'm going to be on the look out for that if I can complete the installation of Vista Home Basic, which shall be by next week.

For some files still being fragmented, you're required to close Symantec applications and try again.