Moving sectors of a USB Flash Disk

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by nima1024, Mar 16, 2014.

  1. nima1024

    nima1024 MDL Member

    Sep 18, 2010
    240
    42
    10
  2. Mutagen

    Mutagen MDL Addicted

    Feb 18, 2013
    580
    123
    30
    When I attempt to view the link you supplied, my Malwarebytes Pro pops up, stating it has protected me from
    "ads.propellerads.com" - don't know if this is a false positive or not - just letting you know.

    RMPrepusb will make ISO files contiguous, but I don't know for certain if it would solve your particular issue.
     
  3. nima1024

    nima1024 MDL Member

    Sep 18, 2010
    240
    42
    10
    Yes, it's false positive.
    It is only an advertising company, else, the image upload center is clean and very fine.

    RMPrep can not make files contiguous because I'm trying to copy a large file on a small USB disk and it gives me error of there is not enough space to be able to defrag selected files.
    USB disk has only ~600MB free space and this is not enough for defragging a large 4GB file.
     
  4. Mutagen

    Mutagen MDL Addicted

    Feb 18, 2013
    580
    123
    30
    #4 Mutagen, Mar 16, 2014
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2014
    Find somewhere else to temporarily place the files - a hard drive or perhaps burn to DVD - then format the flash drive. Then copy the files back to the USB flash. Start with the largest file and finish with the smallest. I'm "kind of sure" that may work.

    Update - I've done a search on defragging USB flash drives. It appears a flash drive, like a SSD, doesn't see a performance improvement from defragging. Is that why you wish to do so?
     
  5. nima1024

    nima1024 MDL Member

    Sep 18, 2010
    240
    42
    10
    But you forgot a thing.
    MFT section in the USB Flash drive is getting automatically expanded as long as you add more files to the USB, so it's completely dynamic and can not be copied to somewhere else and then re-copied again.

    The problem is that MFT table is located at about middle of the all USB Flash disks.

    For example in a 8 GB flash disk, the content of it is like below:
    - 3GB free space.
    - MFT
    - 4.7 GB free space.

    So you can only have 3 AND 4.7 GB files contiguous, if you copy a 6 GB file, then it won't get contiguous in anyway, unless you be able to change MFT tables section some way.
     
  6. s1ave77

    s1ave77 Has left at his own request

    Aug 15, 2012
    16,104
    24,378
    340
    Hmm ... using an Easy2Boot usb pen drive to install Windows from an install ISO on that drive, never faced a problem.

    Why you need the file being 'contiguous'?
     
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  7. nima1024

    nima1024 MDL Member

    Sep 18, 2010
    240
    42
    10
    Because it is a very important requirment for BIOSes to be able to install Windows from ISO files.

    And of course I use Easy2Boot, too.

    But my problem is that my USB Flash drive is 'smallish' in comparison to ISO size.
     
  8. Mutagen

    Mutagen MDL Addicted

    Feb 18, 2013
    580
    123
    30
    Thanks for educating me on MFT tables and their operation. Too bad there isn't some hack to place the MFT tables at the end of the flash drive. With MFT starting at the end and data starting at the beginning, one could have contiguous files until the two met (at which point the drive would be full). And if Easy2Boot can't do it, it probably can't be done.

    And such a hack would probably involve the OS itself, or possibly at a lower level.
     
  9. steve2926

    steve2926 MDL Member

    Nov 13, 2010
    114
    50
    10
  10. taviruni

    taviruni MDL Senior Member

    May 8, 2010
    261
    248
    10
    Best way is exFAT format, there is not MFT table in the middle of the drive when just formated, then when you erase a file it is created to keep track of erased sectors.