How To Speed Up your Computer by Defragmenting your Hard Disk

If you have a computer, you will notice that your computer’s performance slows down after some time. One of the reasons why a computer may slow down is because of fragmentation. Fragmentation occurs when the files stored in your hard disk are moved and rearranged into different volumes. This happens because whenever you use, transfer, or open a file, your computer will store it in the nearest part of your physical hard drive. This means that some files may be separated into different volumes on the same disk. This slows down your computer because it will then have to search through different parts of the hard disk in order to find the file. Here’s how you can use the defragmenter to speed up your computer.

* Use the Disk Defrag Utility in Windows. First, you can use the built in disk defrag utility that comes with your computer. If you are running a Windows XP computer, you can access this by clicking on the Start Button, and then going to the list of programs installed in your computer. In the Accessories folder, you will find the System Tools. In the System tools, you should be able to find the Disk Defragmenter. Click on its icon to open the disk defragmenter.
* Scan. Now, you will need to scan your computer. The disk defragmenter will have a button labeled as scan. Click on this button, and the computer will automatically check the selected drivers for defragmentation. Usually, you will also find a graph on the screen that shows in red all of the fragmented files, and in blue all of the contiguous files. If the program tells you that more than ten percent of all files are fragmented, this means that you need to begin defragmenting.
* Defrag. To start the defrag, simply click on the Start Defrag button. Keep in mind, however, that all other programs should be closed when you are running the defragmenter. Otherwise, the files that are kept open will not be moved because they are being used by another program. Remember that the defrag process will actually start moving the file pieces and will make them contiguous. Because of this, the defrag process can take hours.
* Schedule. As much as possible, you should regularize your disk defragmenting. This way, you will not have to spend long, long hours just waiting for the disk to finish defragmenting since you will be able to start defragging while the fragments are still manageable.
* Download a third party disk defragmenter. Finally, you should also consider using a third party defragging utility. Although Windows comes with its very own disk defragmenter, remember that there are many others out there, some of which have features and functions that the bare Windows defragmenter utility does not have. Try the Smart Defrag utility, which you can download from the Iobit website or from CNET.


Because defragging is heavy on the hard drive, be sure that you only do it every now and then. With these steps in mind, you should be able to speed up your computer by defragging the files that are stored in your hard drive.