The hard drive is one of the most important components of a computer, but not all users pay due attention to it. If the processor, video card, random access memory and other components, they can be replaced quite simply, whereas if the drive breaks down, the computer owner will lose all his data, which obviously no one wants. To avoid failure hard drive, you need to carefully monitor it and defragment it regularly.
What is disk defragmentation
The defragmentation process is very simple and very important, but many people forget about the need for it. It is the organization of files on the hard drive in such a way that the operating system can access them more easily and quickly when requested.
During work hard disk, new information constantly appears on it. The user downloads files from the Internet, installs programs and games, creates new documents and performs a number of other tasks. When information is stored on a hard drive, it takes up space on the hard drive. a certain amount of free clusters. At the time of deleting, changing, copying files, the clusters are cleared, but free space is formed between one and another file on the hard drive. Disk defragmentation is necessary to organize the files on the disk so that they follow each other sequentially, and there are no free clusters left between them.
Disk defragmentation on Windows is necessary because:
Some users know about the need to defragment, but do not do it. This is due to the fact that this process very lengthy, and organizing files on a large storage device can take up to ten hours. At the same time, the procedure time can be significantly reduced; to do this, it is enough to perform it monthly, as recommended by the manufacturers hard drives. The more often you defragment, the less data on the drive will have to be moved, and therefore this process will happen faster.
Important: Defragmentation should only be performed on hard drives with a rotating head, whereas on SSD drives it is useless. Defragmentation process solid state drive will only lead to a reduction in the number of rewrite cycles on it, but will not provide a performance increase.
How to defragment a disk
To defragment a disk, you need to run the corresponding process. The Windows operating system contains a special tool that allows you to defragment your hard drive. Unfortunately, it is not perfect, and in most cases it is more convenient to use third-party utilities. Different programs contain their own algorithms for defragmenting the drive. Below we will give an example of several such applications and tell you how to perform the work of organizing clusters using the system's tools.
Defragmenting a hard drive using Windows
If you're wondering how to defragment a disk in Windows 10 or earlier versions of the operating system, it's quite easy to do. To run the standard defragmentation tool you need to:
Please note that you can also configure “Schedule optimization” in this menu item. When selecting the appropriate item, you must specify the frequency of the process and HDD/disks that will be subjected to it. After this, the system will automatically defragment the drive according to the selected schedule.
Hard drive defragmentation programs
There are dozens of applications that allow you to defragment your hard drive. Each of them has its pros and cons. Some are better suited for working with large hard drives or drives that are installed on servers, while others are good for home use. Below we suggest considering a couple free programs For hard defragmentation disk.
The simplest and most convenient application for defragmenting your hard drive on home computer– this is Defraggler. The free version of the program, which can be downloaded from the official website of the developers, does not have wide functionality, but it copes with its main task.
The application is officially localized into Russian, and it allows you to defragment not only the entire disk, but also an individual program or folder. The program also provides an option for quick disk defragmentation.
Auslogics Disk Defrag Free is a free version of the application of the same name from Auslogics. You can also download it from the official website of the developers. The application is slightly more functional than Defraggler, and it does not have a Russian language, which makes it more difficult to work with. At the same time, the program has a number of functions that are not available in the official Windows hard drive optimization tool and in the Defraggler application.
Defragmentation
Defragmentation- the process of updating and optimizing the logical structure of a disk partition in order to ensure that files are stored in a continuous sequence of clusters. After defragmentation, reading and writing files speeds up, and therefore the work of programs. Another definition of defragmentation is: redistributing files on a disk so that they are located in contiguous areas.
Long files occupy multiple clusters. If writing is done to an empty disk, then clusters belonging to the same file are written in a row. If the disk is full, it may not have a solid area large enough to accommodate the file. However, the file will still be written if there are many small areas on the disk, the total size of which is sufficient for recording. In this case, the file is written in several fragments.
The process of breaking a file into small fragments when writing to disk is called fragmentation. If there are many fragmented files on the disk, the read speed of the media decreases because it takes time to find the clusters in which the files are stored.
Defragmentation is most often used for file systems such as File Allocation Table for Microsoft Windows, since programs for working with them usually do not provide any means to prevent fragmentation, and it appears even on an almost empty disk and a light load.
File systems
$sudo xfs_fsr -v /dev/sdX1- Also, the GNU/Linux operating system often uses the mv file move command, which can read files from one partition and write a defragmented version to another, and then move the files back. For example, the following example defragments all files in the /home/user folder (/mnt/user is the mount point of the empty partition)
Notes
Links
- Oliver Diedrich Tuning the Linux file system Ext3 (English). Heise Media UK Ltd. (October 27, 2008). Retrieved November 13, 2008.
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See what “Defragmentation” is in other dictionaries:
Eliminating intermittency that develops in the structure of disk data when some files are deleted and others appear. Dictionary of business terms. Akademik.ru. 2001... Dictionary of business terms
defragmentation- Optimization of the location of records on disk. Topics information Technology in general EN defraggingdefragmentation... Technical Translator's Guide
Comp. eliminating data fragmentation by transferring and organizing it on a hard drive. Performed using a defragmenter program. Increases the speed of data access and therefore computer operation New dictionary foreign words. by… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Operation consisting of effective placement physical structures files. Defragmentation places clusters of each file in one location on the disk, which reduces file access time. See also: Disks Files Financial Dictionary Finam... Financial Dictionary
Defragmentation Windows disk(English: Windows Disk Defragmenter) is computer program, part of the Microsoft Windows operating system and designed to speed up access (and sometimes increase the amount of usable space) with ... ... Wikipedia
This article lacks links to sources of information. Information must be verifiable, otherwise it may be questioned and deleted. You can... Wikipedia
Diskeeper ... Wikipedia
Auslogics Disk Defrag ... Wikipedia
Type Memory Tool Developer Maxim Mosienko, Enwotex Software Operating system Windows 9x, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista Latest version 7.1 (10/18/2008) License... Wikipedia
Defraggler ... Wikipedia
Books
- , Sinyak Arina Andreevna Category: Application software Series: KU000000849 Publisher: AST, Manufacturer: AST,
- The simplest tutorial on working on a computer for women, Sinyak Arina Andreevna, Operating system, defragmentation, formatting... It seems that to understand all this, you need to spend a lot of time. However, in reality, everything is not so difficult! This tutorial... Category: Operating systems and utilities for PC Publisher:
Defragmentation programs allow you to rearrange parts of files on your hard drive so that fragments of the same file are located sequentially. This allows the hard drive to read and write information faster.
In other words, defragmentation makes reading a file faster because the hard drive doesn't have to move the read head to do so. Disk controller software will allow you to read the entire file in one go, which will significantly increase the speed of the disk subsystem.
It should be noted that defragmentation and defragmentation software are only useful for systems with hard drives. When using SSD drives, no head movements occur and the controller of such a drive itself takes care of the placement of data blocks, without requiring external intervention.
Although each of the Windows operating systems comes with own program to defragment hard drives, using third-party free software is completely justified, as it allows you to complete this process better and faster.
Note: only free programs are presented here, which are usually enough to perform defragmentation efficiently. Links to programs can be found at the bottom of the article.
Screenshot of Defraggler version v2.20.989 in Windows system 8
One of the best free defragmentation programs. It can be either in a version for installation on a hard drive or in portable version. To reduce operating time, you can specify optimization not only of the entire disk, but also of individual folders.
Defraggler can start working when the computer boots, check the disk for errors, empty the Recycle Bin before starting its work, exclude pre-defined files from the defragmentation process, select rarely used files and move them to the end of the disk to leave its beginning for those files that are used often.
The company that released the program, Piriform, is also known to users for its other popular products - CCleaner (system cleaning) and Recuva (data recovery).
Defraggler can be installed on Windows 10, Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP operating systems, as well as on server families of Windows operating systems.
Screenshot Smart programs Defrag version 5 on Windows
The free program is great for the purposes automatic optimization files on a schedule. Automatic defragmentation settings even in free version in many ways superior to many competitors.
The program allows you to start moving hard disk blocks while the computer boots, thus gaining access to system or pinned ones during normal operation. Windows operation files.
Besides, Smart Defrag allows you to exclude individual files or folders on the disk from the defragmentation process, replace standard application Windows operating system, optimize applications only Windows interface Metro, skip files of a certain size.
In addition, in the settings you can specify the preliminary deletion of unused and temporary files of the operating system and browser Internet Explorer to free the disk. Cached data is removed to speed up the process and eliminate unnecessary and temporary data.
The program can be installed on computers running Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP operating systems.
Screenshot of Auslogics Disk Defrag version 6 on Windows 7
Auslogic's disk defragmenter software is available in two versions: an installation version and a portable version for distribution on removable media.
Settings allow you to transfer system Windows files and program libraries, as the most frequently used data, are in the areas of the disk that are read the fastest. This setting allows you to increase the overall performance of your computer by reducing system response time.
Like many other software, Auslogics Disk Defrag allows you to start the process while your computer is booting. In addition, the hard drive can be checked for errors using chkdsk, it can be optimized, folders and directories can be added or excluded from the process, background scans can be run, and temporary files can be deleted before starting defragmentation.
Auslogics Disk Defrag, even in its free version, works on almost all user versions of the operating system - Windows 10, Windows 8 and earlier.
Puran Defrag has its own data optimization engine - Puran Intelligent Optimizer (PIOZR). This engine, according to the manufacturer, intelligently moves files so that they are located as much as possible on the outer areas of the hard drives. At the same time, at the same speed of rotation of the disk spindle, the head manages to travel a greater distance per unit time and, by reading more data, ensures high performance of the computer.
Like many other programs on this list, Puran Defrag can defragment files and directories when invoked from the context menu right click mouse in the Explorer window. It can delete various temporary data before optimization to speed up its process; it can work while the computer is booting to access those files that are not accessible in normal mode.
In addition, the software has some specific settings and capabilities. So its work can be started according to a schedule by setting the number of hours of system inactivity after which it needs to be turned on, you can program disk defragmentation during the startup of the Screen Saver (screensaver).
In addition, you can start the process, for example, when you turn on your computer for the first time in a current day, or when you turn on your machine for the first time in a week or month.
Along with undeniable advantages, the program has disadvantages. So many researchers note that Puran Defrag tries to install a number of third-party programs during its installation.
Puran Defrag is compatible with many operating systems. And can be run under Windows control 10, 8, 7 and earlier.
Screenshot of the company's Disk Speedup program © Glarysoft.com
Disk Speedup is another free hard drive defragmenter program that can work not only on the entire volume, but also on separate files and catalogs on it. You can start the file optimization process after a specified number of minutes of system inactivity have passed.
The software has some specific settings. This way, you can exclude from processing files with fragments less than 10 megabytes, files consisting of more than 3 fragments, and larger than 150 megabytes. All these values are adjustable.
In addition, large, rarely used files, files of certain formats (for example, video, graphics, archives, etc.) can be sent to the end of the disk, thus leaving small and frequently used data at the beginning of the disk. Thus, you can count on the HDD head not having to regular work jump from one area of the disk to another too often, which will lead to an increase in the performance of the system as a whole.
Among other things, Disk Speedup can be launched during system boot, can exclude individual folders and files from processing, automatically turn off the computer when the process is completed on one or more disks, and work according to a set schedule.
Note: Disk Speedup tries to install some other programs from the manufacturer, but this behavior can be stopped during installation by simply unchecking the appropriate boxes in the installer dialog.
The program is declared to work on computers running Windows 8, 7, Vista and other operating systems, including server ones. Independent testers checked the operation of the software on a computer running Windows 10 - everything functioned without any complaints.
Free program from ToolWiz Software. It is characterized by a very fast installation process on a computer and a minimal interface. It is stated that this software can optimize the hard drive 10 times faster than standard Windows tool. Can move archives to a special slow part of the hard drive, providing small system files fast access.
The program shows the number of defragmented files on the disk, it really does its job very quickly, it can show the overall level of fragmentation, and it can schedule its launch at a later time.
While sometimes it's nice to have a tool that's lightweight and simple to perform a function without being cluttered with unnecessary buttons or settings, sometimes they're very necessary. So Toolwiz Smart Defrag is designed in such a way that almost nothing can be configured in it. If the priority is to find the easiest to use, but effective and quick program- this is one of the best options.
Works under Windows 8 and below.
WinUtilities DiskDefrag is not a completely specialized program. This is an optimization system that includes, among other things, a disk defragmentation module. However, it is a fairly simple and highly customizable tool.
All the usual features for this class of free programs are present here: work on a schedule, the ability to start while the system is idle, and the ability to control computer power.
In the settings you can set more than 10 behavior options: analysis only, analysis and moving rarely used files to the end of the disk, etc. In addition, you can control approximate time perform optimization, exclude folders and files.
Another feature of the software is the ability to select files and folders to move to a special area on the disk (the SpaceHogs area), where the program tries to place large and rarely used objects. Therefore, in manual mode, you can flexibly configure your computer so that it works as quickly as possible.
In the settings you can set the need automatic shutdown computer after the defragmentation process is complete.
The hard disk optimization module in the program can be found by selecting the menu item “Modules > Optimize & Improve > Disk Defrag”.
The program works perfectly in operating systems Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.
Free version software O&O Software has a simple and well-designed user interface. Even in the free version, it contains most of the features available from competitors - disk optimization, viewing all fragmented disks, checking the disk for errors.
In addition to the ability to run scheduled scans and fixes on a specific day of the week, O&O Defrag Free Edition can be programmed to start running when the screen saver starts.
For those who do not want to deal with the settings, it is possible to launch the settings assistant.
Some of the necessary features are missing in the free version and are present only in the paid version. Therefore, it may happen that when turning on some option, the user will receive a message that in order to obtain this option it is necessary to upgrade to a paid option.
Works under almost all common Windows operating systems. From Windows 10 to 8, 7, Vista. However, in reviews of this software, sometimes there are messages that it was not possible to fully launch it on a particular machine.
Screenshot of UltraDefrag version 7.0.0
The program is intended for both beginners and advanced users. Along with simple settings, there is an option for more complex actions, thus, regardless of the user experience, the program can be used equally effectively.
Most of the functions are similar to other software, but at the same time, if you need to defragment while the computer is booting, you must have basic skills in working with batch .bat files.
There is both a version of the program for installation on a computer and a portable, portable version. In addition, there is a version of the program for 32-bit systems and a version of the Windows defragmentation program for 64-bit Windows systems.
The developer states that the program is intended for Windows 8 and lower operating systems, but testing has shown that it functions perfectly in various versions of Windows 10.
A program created by a single programmer. Previously called JkDefrag. Like the previous option, it can work both in a simple mode for beginners or undemanding users, and provide complex configuration options to follow the user’s exact instructions.
The program can execute pre-created scripts containing defragmentation tasks. Scripts can be changed (created and edited) by the user himself. Moreover, during installation the program already contains a number of standard scripts. So she can work according to a schedule, analyze the hard drive, and allocate free space on it. The default settings are great for those who do not want to understand all this but want to use the program for its intended purpose.
Works under all Windows operating systems.
One way to improve work efficiency modern computer is a disk defragmentation program - an application that rationally distributes data across a storage device.
With its help, even an inexperienced user can speed up the computer.
And, if their size has increased, it may turn out that the new information will be placed not in the adjacent sector, already occupied by other data, but in another part of the hard drive.
As a result, the file takes longer to access and the overall program startup time increases.
All this happens gradually, but if the disk has not been defragmented for a long time, the operating speed may drop by 10–20 percent or even more.
Defragmentation is a process that allows you to move parts of files so that they are located contiguously.
This simplifies access to programs by reducing the distance traveled by the read heads of the hard drive. The best programs for defragmentation
Helpful information:
Defraggler
IObit SmartDefrag
The high-speed Russian program ensures that files are placed in one of the best ways, because it uses the most effective scripts.
Data is placed on the fastest sections of the disk, and the system runs much faster.
The main advantages of the application include high degree file security, which is not threatened even by a sudden accidental shutdown of the computer while SmartDefrag is running.
In addition, defragmentation can be carried out in three modes (simple, deep and optimized).
O&O Defrag
A well-known program is, if not the best, then at least one of the most popular.
It is often used by advanced users to move parts of files to places where they can work with maximum efficiency.
With the help of O&O Defrag, the performance of a desktop computer, laptop, and workstation can be restored.
The advantages of a defragmenter are:
- Special installers for embedding a custom script;
- Automatically configure defragmentation mode;
- High speed of analysis and optimization;
- Process charts;
- Expanded functionality when working on the network;
- Availability of a multilingual interface (there is also a Russian version);
- Support from everyone Windows types, starting from XP and Vista;
- Automatic selection of bit depth (32 or 64) for better work in the corresponding operating system;
- Special mode for mobile PCs (netbooks and laptops).
Windows Tools
If for some reason (for example, there is no Internet access, Windows is protected from installing third party applications or there is a possibility of infection with a virus) it is not possible to download the defragmentation utility, you can use standard program, which is built into operating systems.
To access it you need:
- Open the Start menu;
- Start dialing in search bar the word "defragmentation";
- Go to the corresponding utility that appears in the search results;
- Run disk defragmentation.
The same can be done if in the “Start” menu you first find the “standard” item and then “utilities”.
This method is suitable for Windows 7 and XP. And for Windows 8 and 8.1, you can open the search bar even faster by pressing the Win + Q combination.
Then the defragmentation utility is located in the same way and the process starts.
The need for manual defragmentation
Manual defragmentation is not always practical on some operating systems and with modern hard drives.
For example, SSD media not only do not need optimization, but even wear out from frequent use of this process.
Moreover, such disks will not work faster even after defragmentation.
In Windows 7 and later versions, the ability to defragment SSDs is disabled by default, and the standard utility runs automatically from time to time, which is quite enough to optimize the system.
Old versions of Windows require mandatory manual defragmentation. Although this problem can be solved by updating the system.
If this is impossible to do, you will have to use either built-in software or a third-party one - preferably one from the list of the most popular and free ones, since paid applications do not provide any advantage.
There comes a time when a computer owner begins to notice that his assistant is starting to work slowly and ineffectively. The desire to fix this inevitably arises. It is possible to increase performance by almost 65%. And this is not fantasy. Software developers have already provided for this. For this you need hard drive defragmentation. Let's figure out together what it is and why it is needed.
Hard drive fragmentation
A new computer has data written to its empty hard drive. They are of different sizes, but the recording proceeds in order - from file to file. The moment comes, and several files are erased, for example, located in the middle. Where to sign up new file, especially if it is larger than the available space. It is clear that the old size will not be enough. Of course, you can write it at the end of the queue, and the empty space remote file leave unused. But the system is configured in such a way that subsequent recordings use any free space located closer to the beginning. If a big data piece does not fit into the empty space, it is moved to the end of the full space.
The operating system of any computer itself analyzes the free space and divides the new large volume into logical parts. Actually, the process of dividing data into separate parts is called fragmentation.
If the data on a hard drive is highly fragmented, it takes a certain period of time for the computer to find the individual pieces and put them back together. It is this process that slows down the operating system.
Databases, protocols (logs) of programs and films recorded on a computer are the most severely fragmented. The film itself is not damaged, but all the parts are scattered across different sectors. As a result, reading is slowed down due to the fact that the hard drive head makes multiple movements to “read” the entire file. And this negatively affects the overall performance of the system.
Defragmentation brings the system in order
Under defragmentation This refers to the process of collecting individual parts into one designated place. In this case, fragments of one file scattered across the hard drive are collected. In addition, all recorded data appears at the beginning, and free cells at the end of the disk. This allows:
- speed up data access;
- load programs and files faster;
- increase performance in resource-intensive programs;
- increase disk writing speed.
Experienced users have appreciated the performance gains in their system. Because disk defragmentation, when properly configured, can improve performance. Usually everyone sets this process to use it on a schedule. For example, once a day when the machine is not in use. On servers of large companies, this process is performed on the fly, when the file structure is continuously changing.
How to get the system in order
All versions of Windows have a built-in disk defragmenter program. And starting from Windows versions XP, it is stable and works well.
IN Windows Explorer, in order to start defragmentation, just right-click on the icon of any disk. IN context menu there is a tab " Properties" When it opens, you need to go to the “ Service"and select the button there Run defragmentation....
After this, the program window will open.
If this program has never been launched or it was done a very long time ago, you need to select the button Analyze disk.
It will be better if these actions are performed with administrator rights. Otherwise, you may be required to enter a password.
When the system completes the analysis, then in the line “ Last launch» data will appear in percentages that characterize the fragmentation of the selected disk. If they exceed 10%, you need to defragment the disk.
If before analysis in the section " Disk» required disk is not displayed, it means there is some kind of error in it. You will need to first restore it, then run the defragmentation program again.
Except software methods There is another one - copying. All information from the selected disk must be copied to third-party media, for example, to a portable hard drive, and then back. Then all data will no longer be fragmented. It seems simple. But there are problems:
- You need media with a capacity no smaller than the selected disk.
- This operation cannot be performed on the system disk.
- On network folders this operation is not covered.
Defragmentation speed
The duration of the process is influenced by several factors:
- Hard drive capacity. If it has only 10 gigabytes, then it will take 3 minutes to process it. On a terabyte disk, and even if it has never been cleaned, this may take all day.
- Amount of RAM.
- CPU frequency.
Also due to the fact that different programs use different analysis algorithms, the time and quality of the process itself can also differ significantly.
Defragmentation will fail if file system different from NTFS, FAT or FAT32.
But on the other hand, if the process is running, work on the computer can not be interrupted.
So, a full cycle can take a significant amount of time, so it is better to defragment the disk on a schedule at night when it is not in use.
What are the advantages:
- The divided data is combined into one partition and fills the empty partitions of the disk.
- Improves computer performance due to faster reading/writing from the hard drive.
This is, in fact, why a complete disk defragmentation is needed.
Program launch frequency
In Windows 7, this process is already initially configured to automatic start on a schedule that occurs once a week. While the user is sleeping, the system itself defragments the disk. Well, what if Calculating machine is used to process a large stream of data that constantly makes changes, then the setting can be set to run daily.
Flash drives and solid-state drives (SSD)
For flash drives This is not recommended at all. Since during defragmentation a large number of “write/read” cycles occur, and for flash memory the number of such cycles is strictly limited. That is why such a process can affect the service life of the flash drive, it will decrease.
Is it necessary to do this with SSD drives. Since SSD drives are based on the same technology as flash drives, it is better not to perform such an operation with them. And Windows 7 already provides for automatic disabling of defragmentation when the system recognizes the SSD drive.
If, when analyzing an SSD drive, a large percentage of fragmented files are still observed, then it would be better to do the following:
- Copy all data to third-party media.
- Format the SSD drive.
- Return all data to it again.
Conclusion
Now you are familiar with such a “complex” and incomprehensible process as defragmentation. It became clear why the system needed it and how to implement it correctly. Don’t forget to start this process in a timely manner, and the computer will only thank you!
Video on the topic
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