Running the Disk Defragmenter will speed up hard
disk access, therefore speed up your PC.
The way it works is that it reduces the number
of file fragments on the hard disk, placing all
the parts of a single file in one area, perhaps
next to each other. The disk then does not need
to 'jump' all round the file system to read one
file.
A simple example, using colours as files in the
file system. Here we can see three files, red,
blue and green...
The red file gets deleted...
Now a purple file is added, leaving two spaces
free...
Now, the green file gets deleted, leaving three
more spaces...
So where can a yellow file which is 4 spaces
go? here...
We now have a file in two fragments, if the blue
file now gets deleted...
And a different size red file using 4 spaces
added ...
We now have two files with two fragments each.
Imagine this is happening all of the time, on
many files. Each time a file must be read, the
part of the hard disk that reads the data must
find each fragment of the file, rather then read
the file in one line.
Using the Disk Defragmenter, the same three files
might end up looking like this...
So each file is in a line, with no fragments.
You can imagine the time that can be saved by
reading the files in one line, rather than reading
parts of the file all over the place!
Of course the Disk Defragmenter does more than
just this, it optimises where the files are on
the disk for files that are needed more often,
therefore speeding them up.
If you plan to have a 'spring clean' on you PC,
which might include uninstalling unused software,
remember to run the Disk Defragmenter after you
have finished tidying up.
The Disk Defragmenter is located here...
Start > Programs > Accessories >
System Tools > Disk Defragmenter
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