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Defragmenting Your Hard Drive |
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Defragmentation is a sub-process involving two major processes in administering your computer systems: disk compression and file fragmentation. It is a highly beneficial process that is available as a tool in your operating systems. Before, defragmentation was only available through Symantec's Norton Speed Disk Utility until Microsoft integrated it in their Disk Operating System (MS-DOS). Through MS-DOS, versions 6.0 and higher, defragmentation was used as a command known as DEFRAG.
Disk optimization, a process which streamlines physical locations of a file in a volume on your computer, was finally stabilized in 1975, and in accordance with this development, it integrated disk defragmentation into its process. During the late 1970s, there were a few companies who offered defragmentation utilities and disk optimization as two separate methods. However, Peter Norton, an American software author and publisher, published the Norton Utilities for DOS which included the disk defragmenter. When Norton sold his creations to Symantec in 1990, license for the DEFRAG utility was granted to them. As a result, Microsoft together with Symantec, offered the DEFRAG utility to its customers and have been developed to varying levels ever since. Today, Microsoft's Disk Defragmenter is the most used disk defragmentation utility in the market.
Defragmentation is currently available in Microsoft's Windows Operating System as Windows Disk Defragmenter. The process involves reducing the instances of fragmentation in file systems. Although it may appear that defragmentation is an easy process, it is, in fact, a complex process.
Just like you can with desktop computers, you can also create a backup of the data on your laptop as well. You can use online services, back it up remotely, or use several other methods to ensure that you keep all of your data. Preserving your data is something you should really look into, especially if you have business material on your laptop.
The Fragmented Hard Drive
Fragmentation occurs when your hard disk drive (HDD), the non-volatile storage device in your computer which stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces, has been in use for quiet a while. In short, fragmentation occurs when your HDD is overused. An HDD that has been in use over time will create virtual holes or gaps, and because of these gaps, your system will take much longer time to process its tasks. Now, you have a fragmented drive.
Basically, you store all sorts of files into your computer. Documents, photos, videos, images, audio, and whatever it may be, Windows will store these pieces together sequentially. As much as possible it will organize data on its own for faster and easier use. However, in time, you do all sorts of processes with your data -- you add, move, or delete them altogether. These processes eventually fill up your HDD.
When this occurs, gaps will suddenly appear all over your HDD's stored files. Because of these gaps that Windows reads, it will be in a panic state, and it will start randomly storing your files in different locations. As what was mentioned before, Windows organizes itself, or it organizes your files for easier reach and faster processes. Because your files are kept in all different places, Windows has to look for them in your system and then reassemble them as a whole before it accomplishes a task -- a longer process that makes your computer work slower.
When this happens, you are left with not much choice but to do what's most logical: defragmenting your computer.
The Benefits of Defragmenting Regularly
There are two major reasons why you should defrag your hard drive regularly: to speed up your computer and to avoid physical failure of your HDD. It is essential to defrag your system regularly as important processes and performances are both accomplished by your HDD. To speed up your computer, all files, fragments, or data must be within reach of your HDD. During processing (reading and writing), the HDD's head moves between fragments (or data) and waits as the disk platter rotates into position. Scattered fragments in your system slows down your computer as it looks for files you need. Defragmentation, however, keeps your file compact, intact, and compressed for easier reach.
To avoid physical failure of your HDD, it must work on a faster rate to reduce the amount of "scratching heads". This physical representation of processing data becomes critical if the process slows down. Throughput, the amount of data processed in a given time (seek time), is greatly affected (rotational delay). Because the HDD moves so frequently, it produces more effort; thus, excessive scratching starts. Defragmentation helps to give your HDD a longer lifespan by letting it work faster. HDD gives more effort when processing some drives with extra 200GB space. But the task is reduced if you have a defragmented drive. Simply put, if a slow computer delays your work, so does the physical condition of your HDD.
Defragmenting a Hard Drive With Windows Defragment Utility
Windows Disk Defragmenter rearranges files stored in your HDD to speed up various tasks. It maximizes transfer rate and minimizes head travel time to optimize the time it takes to read and write your files to and from the HDD. To defrag your hard drive using the Windows Defragment utility, follow these steps:
1. On your desktop, click the Start button in the Taskbar. Choose All Programs and then click Accessories. Choose System Tools and then click Disk Defragmenter. The Disk Defragmenter window will appear.
2. Before going through the actual process of defragmentation, let Windows analyze your system if it needs to be defragged. Click the Analyze button on the lower left hand of your Disk Defragmenter window. It will show you a message if it needs to be defragged.
3. If it needs to be defragged, start defragging by clicking the Defragment button. It will show you a map with color-coded symbols of your hard disk. At the lower right hand of your Disk Defragmenter window, the complete percentage of the process will be shown.
Expect the whole process to take much longer time if your system has bigger issues. To speed up defragmentation, make sure there are no other programs running.
Setting Up a Schedule for Regular Hard Drive Defragmentation
For convenience, Windows Defragment utility can be scheduled to start on its own. You can set up a schedule by following these steps:
1. On your desktop, click the Start button in the Taskbar. Choose the Control Panel and click it to open. Choose Scheduled Tasks and then click Add Scheduled Tasks.
2. The Add Scheduled Tasks Wizard will prompt you to click Next then Browse for a program to schedule. Select defrag.exe then click open. The wizard will prompt you to type in a description for the task.
3. After typing your task description, click Next to set time. You may set it to everyday, weekdays, or whichever you desire.
4. Click Ok if you are done.
If you are currently in the process of defragging your computer, there will be instances where it will appear to be inactive. Do not worry as it takes time to really defrag a system. Anyway, the time spent for defragging will benefit you and your computer ultimately.
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