/ System Tools: Defragmenter

System Tools: Defragmenter

Celeste Stewart The Microsoft Windows operating system comes with several useful tools for keeping your computer running properly. One of these tools is the Defragmenter utility. The defragmenter works by reorganizing the files on your disk so that the operating system can access all of the pieces easier.

Over time, your files become fragmented which makes Windows have to work harder in order to find what it needs. For example, if you started out with a small file, Windows places the file in an area of the hard disk where it will fit. But what if you add to the file and it outgrows its allotted space? Windows breaks the file into smaller pieces and makes a note of where all of the related pieces are located. The next time that you need the file, Windows gathers all of the pieces and opens the file.

As more files are fragmented across the hard drive, you can see how hard the operating system has to work. An extremely fragmented disk is an extremely inefficient one. By running the Defragmenter utility, you can improve performance.

To launch the Defragmenter, go to the Start button, click on Programs, click on Accessories, click on System Tools, and choose Disk Defragmenter. Depending on your operating system, you may see a visual display of the fragmented drive or a screen like this:

In this case, the Defrag utility is set to run automatically on a schedule which is a terrific way to keep your disk organized. This option is available in the Windows Vista operating system.

Before you click the Defragment Now button, it’s important to note that defragging a hard drive can take several hours and that interruptions will disrupt or halt the process. While Microsoft says that you can run other programs during defragging, it’s best to defrag when the computer is not in use. Make sure to close all programs and disable your screensaver. In addition, you may want to disable any scheduled scans such as virus or spyware scans during the defragmenting process. This is because when the screensaver or another automatic process kicks in, the defragmenter is interrupted.

Once you have all of your preparations, start the defragmenter process and then step away from the computer for a few hours. You might peek at it from time to time to make sure that nothing has interrupted it. If it is still progressing as expected, allow it to continue. If it looks like it has started over from the beginning, that’s a sign that something (like a screensaver) interfered with the process. In this case, you may be in for an endless loop of starting and stopping and restarting. Take the time to figure out what’s interfering with the defragmenter and temporarily disable it.

Finally, once the disk has been defragmented, go back and restore any processes that you temporarily disabled. Your drive should now be better organized and you should notice a performance boost.

Run the Defragmenter at least once a month, if not more often. If you have Windows Vista, set up a schedule for regular defragging.

Want even more control of the process? From a command prompt, type in: defrag.exe. This option generates detailed reports as well as offers other advanced defragmenting tasks.