Freeware MFT Defragmenter

[snip]prevent your MFT from fragmenting[/snip]
That's not what I'm asking.  I know how to do that.   What I want to do is defragment an MFT that is already fragmented without deleting and rebuilding the volume.

jkdefrag will do the job: http://www.kessels.com/JkDefrag/

here's a nice frontend: http://www.emro.nl/freeware/

I read the description and forum for jkdefrag and couldn't find any information on defragmenting the MFT.  Can ajundra provide a specific link it will do that?

Personally, I don't think there are any free defragmentors out that will do the MFT.  PerfectDisk and Diskeeper (two of the most popular defragers) both will defrag the MFT but I think that feature is excluded from even their demo versions.

you're right. it does only free up mft space. microsoft reports the online mft defragmentation as a new feature of the builtin defragmenter in windows xp and above. see here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/01/12/xpkernel/default.aspx  and here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/227463/  and here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/87c978af-6356-3a4f-8d5d-95e96dccac7f.aspx

"The file is the master file table (MFT) on an NTFS volume. Because the first fragment of the MFT cannot be moved, the MFT is typically contained within two fragments when sufficient space is available on the volume. If the MFT is contained within three or more fragments, Disk Defragmenter looks for free space where the MFT might fit. If sufficient free space exists, the MFT is moved as a whole (minus the first fragment). If space is not available, the MFT is not defragmented."

ajundra,

How can I make the MFT into just one fragment?

>> you won't notice the difference between one and two fragments.

I agree with ajundra.  Here's the websites for the two defragmentors I mentioned that have boot time MFT defrag:

http://www.raxco.com/products/for_the_consumer.cfm
http://www.diskeeper.com/diskeeper/home/home.asp

I didn't abandon this question.  I'm still waiting for an answer.

Old Questions like this will hardly attract any new attention. I suggest you close this one by following the instructions in my Link above, then start a new Question, or open a "pointer" Q with minimum points and the words "Pointer Question" in the title, and with a link to this Q.

Please post here if you are opening a pointer Q so I'm in the picture.

Thanks,
rindi,
EE Cleanup Volunteer

jackmcbarn,

Have you decided what you want to do with this Q?

rindi,
EE Cleanup Volunteer

I'll post a pointer.

The pointer is at http:_22665423.html

Typo.  http:Q_22665423.html

As no one has reacted yet it doesn't look as if there is a free such utility. I suggest you closing the Question.

Sorry,
rindi,
EE Cleanup Volunteer