Over time, data
files become fragmented, split up and spread out
over different parts of your hard drive. Defragmenting gathers the fragments together so
that one file sits in one location. This makes
it easier for your computer to find the data
that makes up the file, thus speeding up
performance.
Windows has a
built-in tool, called Disk Defragmenter. What
Microsoft fails to mention is that Disk
Defragmenter will not work if there's any other
hard-drive activity at all. So, if there are any
processes running on your computer, like
screensavers or background programs, Disk
Defragmenter grinds to a halt and restarts as
soon as they kick in.
Steps to
use Disk Defragmenter:
1. Start > All
Programs > Accessories > System Tools then click
on Disk Defragmenter
2. Select the Hard Drive you want to defrag. In
our example we only have (c:\), the more hard
drives your computer has the more Volumes will
be listed.
Once you selected
the drive, then you can select the Defragment
button.
It is recommended
that you use the Disk Defragmenter at least
every two months
