Solved Does defragmentation or a MSE scan stop when the display is turned off

[Kodika]

I recently used Windows Vista's disc defragmenter to defragment my hard drive. Having consulted various forums, I discovered that it does not work when the computer goes to sleep so I was careful to disable sleep mode. However, my computer is normally programmed to turn off the display after 10 minutes. As the defrag. can take several hours I did not want to leave the display on while it was doing its work. However, when I came back to the computer and reactivated the display, it was unclear whether the defrag. had re-started or continued. I would not have thought that turning off the display should interrupt the defrag. but I would be grateful for clarification on this point.

Also. is there any difference if I have a screensaver enabled as compared to just having my Power Settings set to turn off the display (ie. a black screen) when I schedule a defragmentation or a MSE scan overnight? I have read that modern monitors in laptops do not need screensavers these days. Is that correct?

If a defrag. or scan is stopped for any reason, does it remember how much has been completed and then re-started from that point, or does the whole process have to start from the beginning again?

 

[Shadowjk]

When the display is turned off it literally means that the display is turned off. All process are continued and therefore your A/V scan or defragmentation will continue. Think of turning the display off as an 'eco' friendly screensaver as you will.

Screensavers were originally created to avoid screen burn. This was made on older monitors when the same image was displayed for a prolonged period of time. To avoid the damage you would set a screensaver which kept the display refreshing and avoiding any long term damage. Today they are more of an aesthetic look rather than to prevent damage to your machine.

If your defrag or scan is stopped due to an unknown reason then you would most likely have to restart the process however if your machine went into sleep or hibernate mode then the scan or defrag process will continue from when the system went to sleep.

Hope This Helps,
Josh!

 

[Kodika]

Thanks Josh for a very speedy and clear reply to my queries. Your assistance is much appreciated.

 

[Shadowjk]

No worries, I will get this thread to marked as solved however please don't hesitate to post back with further queries

Josh