Disk Defragmentation: A quick fix to improve your PC speed

Disk defragmentation is a process associated with the hard disk of your computer and is designed to consolidate files within your hard drive to improve the speed and performance of your PC. Disk defragmentation becomes a necessity to get rid of fragmentation of hard drive and files. Fragmentation of hard drive takes place when you save, edit or delete files. Fragmentation leads to slowdown of the system because the changes saved in your files also get saved at various other locations of the hard drive. While you open the same file, the system needs to look into all those locations and paths before the file gets opened.

You can begin disk defragmentation by using the dedicated utility tool Disk Defragmenter offered with Microsoft Windows. While you run this tool it consolidates and rearranges the fragmented data files stored at various locations of the drive which is different from the original location. By defragmenting your hard drive you free up plenty of drive space occupied by these fragmented files responsible for slowing down your PC. Defragmentation is a usual maintenance process undertaken by many firms to keep their systems fast and less occupied.

Disk defragmenter is a utility tool that comes with all versions of Microsoft Windows OS including Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 with minor pluses and minuses. When you launch this tool your hard disk is rearranged and combines the fragmented files to free up space in the drive. This in turn makes your system fast and efficient. Disk defragmenter in Windows can be run with a pre-defined schedule and you are not required to run it again and again. Also you can change the pre-schedule settings as per your convenience. The process of disk defragmentation can be understood in following simple steps.

· Click the ‘start’ menu

· Click the ‘Programs’ icon

· Click the ‘Accessories’ icon

· Click the ‘System Tools’ icon

· Find the disk defragmentation program and open it

· Click the ‘Analyze’ button.

This will analyze your hard drive.

After this you should do according to the result screen. If the result screen suggests that there is no need to defragment your hard disk then you are not likely to be benefited from defragmentation. But if the screen result suggests that your hard drive needs disk defragmentation then click on the ‘defragment’ button.

When the tool finishes analyzing the disk you can see the percentage of fragmentation in the last run column. Your disk is fragmented if the percentage is more than 10 percent.

Once you clicked the ‘Defragment’ button and allow the program to finish its job. The process of defragmentation can take anywhere from 30 minutes to even several hours so be patient and let it take place completely. The duration depends upon the size of the drive, degree of fragmentation, the speed of processor, the amount of your operating memory etc.

Once the program is completed you need to close the program window. If you come across any error messages do remember to make note of the error. You are advised to print the log of this whole process so that you can use it in future for the purpose of hard drive repair and maintenance.

Even after following the prescribed stages of disk defragmentation you may come across some technical glitches that can be better tackled by experienced tech support. The expert tech support personnel can guide you through the entire process of disk defragmentation which otherwise can become a complex task for you.