Hello dear readers, there is a very useful thing, which serves to speed up and comfortable work in windows environment besides, there is another interesting operation called system defragmentation. In this article I will tell you what it is and show you how Right carry out this operation without wasting extra time!
What is defragmentation and how does it improve computer performance?
Any HDD has and each file system consists of having different size depending on the type of file system. To be placed on a hard disk, not one, but several clusters are required. When a file is written to disk, the file system produces free clusters, but they are not always issued sequentially. Because of this, videos, music, games begin to slow down, because... the file system begins to search for files throughout the hard drive, and consequently the disk resource is reduced.
That's why defragmentation The disk is used to organize the contents of clusters, which speeds up the work of programs.
For a clear example, I will give the following example. Each of us listens to music and when a song is played, the player begins to search for the desired song, and if the clusters were ordered, the player would find it three times faster! Interested? Then let's see how to do it more correctly!
We will defragment the hard drive using two special free utilities Defraggler And Norton Utilities. And then I will tell you a few secrets for high-quality defragmentation.
How to defragment a computer
Free Defraggler program, how to use?
One of the best free programs disk defragmentation is Defraggler. When you launch it, this window opens.
Its interface is very simple, it is completely in Russian, so you should not have any difficulties. It's very easy to use. Select the disk and click analyze to find out whether defragmentation is needed or not. Then the defragmentation button. The utility can also check the disk for errors.
Norton Utilities
I noticed this program a long time ago, probably in 2004. It was much simpler then. The most important thing that pleased me about this program This is defragmentation. When you launch it, you can select the disks you want to defragment.
There is also a program Contig to defragment individual files, but I don’t see the point of this, so I advise you to use the above utilities.
Secrets of proper defragmentation.
1. Defragmentation must be done when there is a large moving files and also after installing and updating widows. If you are a quiet user and you do almost nothing on the computer, then defragmentation is enough to do once a month.
2. When defragmenting, you need 15% of free disk space, otherwise it will be partial.
4. To speed it up, you can remove junk on your computer in advance.
5. Close all possible programs.
Good afternoon!
Whether you want it or not, to make your computer work faster, you need to carry out preventive measures from time to time (clean it of temporary and junk files, defragment it).
In general, I can download that most users very rarely carry out defragmentation, and in general, do not pay due attention to it (either out of ignorance, or simply because of laziness)...
Meanwhile, by doing it regularly, you can not only speed up your computer a little, but also increase the service life of the disk! Since there are always a lot of questions regarding defragmentation, in this article I will try to collect all the main things that I myself encounter quite often. So...
FAQ. Questions about defragmentation: why do it, how often, etc.
1) What is defragmentation, what is the process? Why do it?
All files on your disk, while being written to it, are written sequentially in pieces onto its surface, often called clusters (many have probably already heard this word). So, while the hard drive is empty, file clusters can be nearby, but when there is more and more information, the scattering of these pieces of one file also increases.
Because of this, when accessing such a file, your disk has to spend more time reading the information. By the way, this scattering of pieces is called fragmentation.
Defragmentation is aimed precisely at collecting these pieces compactly in one place. As a result, the speed of your disk and, accordingly, the computer as a whole increases. If you have not defragmented for a long time, this may affect the performance of your PC, for example, when opening some files or folders, it will begin to “think” for a while...
2) How often should you defragment the disk?
Quite a common question, but it’s difficult to give a definite answer. It all depends on how often you use your computer, how it is used, what drives it uses, what file system it has. In Windows 7 (and higher), by the way, there is a good analyzer that will tell you what to do defragmentation, or not (there are also separate special utilities that can analyze and notify you in time that it’s time... But about such utilities - below in the article).
To do this, go to the control panel, in search bar enter “defragmentation” and Windows will find the required link (see screenshot below).
3) Should I defragment? solid state SSD disks?
No need! And even Windows itself (at least new Windows 10, in Windows 7 - this can be done) disables the analysis and defragmentation button for such disks.
The fact is that an SSD disk has a limited number of write cycles. This means that with each defragmentation, you reduce the life of your disk. In addition, SSD drives do not have mechanics, and after defragmenting, you will not notice any increase in operating speed.
4) Is it necessary to defragment the disk if it contains files? NTFS system?
In fact, there is an opinion that the NTFS file system practically does not need defragmentation. This is not entirely true, although it is partly true. It’s just that this file system is designed in such a way that defragmenting a hard drive under its control is required much less frequently.
In addition, the speed of operation does not drop as much due to strong fragmentation as if it were on FAT (FAT 32).
5) Is it necessary to clean the disk of junk files before defragmentation?
It is highly advisable to do this. Moreover, not only clean from “garbage” (temporary files, browser cache, etc.), but also from unnecessary files(movies, games, programs, etc.).
If you clean up the disk before defragmenting, then:
- speed up the process itself (after all, you will have to work with fewer files, which means the process will complete earlier);
- you will do more fast work Windows.
6) How to defragment a disk?
It is advisable (but not necessary!) to install a separate special. a utility that will deal with this process (about such utilities below in the article). Firstly, it will do it faster than the built-in Windows utility, secondly, some utilities can defragment in automatic mode without distracting you from work (for example, you started watching a movie, the utility, without disturbing you, defragmented the disk at this time).
But, in principle, even the standard one, built into Windows program, does defragmentation quite well (although it does not have some of the “goodies” that third-party developers have).
7) Should defragmentation be done not on system disk(i.e. on one that does not have Windows installed)?
Good question! It all depends again on how you use this disk. If you only store movies and music on it, then there is not much point in defragmenting it.
It's another matter if you install, say, games on this disk - and during the game, some files are loaded. In this case, the game may even begin to slow down if the disk does not respond to it in time. As it should be, with this option, it is advisable to defragment such a disk!
How to defragment a disk - step by step steps
By the way, there is universal programs(I would call them “harvesters”) that can carry out complex actions to clean your PC of junk, remove erroneous registry entries, configure your Windows OS and defragment it (for maximum speed!).
1) Cleaning the disk from debris
For example, I can recommend CCleaner. Firstly, it is free, and secondly, it is very easy to use and there is nothing superfluous in it. All that is required from the user is to click the analyze button, and then clean the disk from the found garbage (screen below).
2) Removing unnecessary files and programs
At worst, you can use the standard utility built into Windows (to open it, use the control panel, see the screenshot below).
3) Start defragmentation
Consider running the built-in Windows defragmenter and the disk (because by default it eats me of everyone who has Windows).
First you need to open the Control Panel, then the System and Security section. Next, next to the “Administration” tab there will be a link “Defragmentation and optimization of your disks” - click on it (see screenshot below).
An alternative way to run defragmentation in Windows
1. Open “My Computer” (or “This Computer”).
3. Then in the disk properties, open the “Service” section.
4. In the service section, click the “Optimize disk” button (everything is illustrated in the screenshot below).
Important! The defragmentation process can take quite a long time (depending on the size of your disk and the degree of fragmentation). At this time, it is better not to touch the computer, not to run resource-intensive tasks: games, video encoding, etc.
The best programs and utilities for disk defragmentation
Note! This subsection of the article will not reveal to you all the capabilities of the programs presented here. Here I will focus on the most interesting and convenient utilities (in my opinion) and describe their main differences, why I chose them and why I recommend trying them...
1) Defraggler
A simple, free, fast and convenient disk defragmenter. The program supports all new Windows versions(32/64 bit), can work both with entire disk partitions and with individual files, supports all popular file systems(including NTFS and FAT 32).
By the way, regarding defragmentation of individual files - this is, in general, a unique thing! Not many programs can allow you to defragment something specific...
2) Ashampoo Magical Defrag
To be honest, I like products from Ashampoo- and this utility is no exception. Its main difference from similar ones of its kind is that it can defragment a disk in background(when the computer is not busy with resource-intensive tasks, which means that the program is running will not constrain or interfere with the user in any way).
What is called - once installed and forgotten this problem! In general, I recommend paying attention to it to everyone who is tired of remembering defragmentation and doing it manually...
3) Auslogics Disk Defrag
This program can carry system files(which need to provide the greatest performance) to the fastest part of the disk, due to which your Windows OS will run somewhat faster. In addition, this program is free (for ordinary home use) and can be configured to automatic start during PC downtime (i.e., by analogy with the previous utility).
I also want to note that the program allows you to defragment not only a specific disk, but also separate files and folders on it.
The program is supported by all new Windows OS: 7, 8, 10 (32/64 bits).
This is one of the fastest disk defragmenters! Moreover, this does not affect the quality of defragmentation. Apparently, the program developers managed to find some unique algorithms. In addition, the utility is completely free for home use.
It is also worth noting that the program treats data very carefully, even if something happens during defragmentation. system error, a power outage or something else... - then nothing should happen to your files, they will still be read and opened. The only thing is that you will have to start the defragmentation process again.
The utility also provides two operating modes: automatic (very convenient - set it up once and forget it) and manual.
It is also worth noting that the program is optimized to work on Windows 7, 8, 10. I recommend it for use!
Hello!
Defragmenting a disk is very simple and it, of course, does not cost 1000 rubles. But not every disk needs to be defragmented. First things first...
Which disk should be defragmented:
It is necessary and possible to defragment only the HDD drive. Now new computers are equipped with disks made using a different technology - SSD. Defragmentation is strictly prohibited SSD drives! If you are using Windows 8 or a newer version, the system itself will detect the SSD drive (it will be written “Solid State Drive”). If you are using Windows 7 and older versions, determine what SSD drive not so easy without special software. Download and run special utility(download, no viruses). In the program window you will immediately see what kind of disk you have. If it says SATA, such a disk can be defragmented, if it is SSD, under no circumstances can it be defragmented!
How to defragment a disk:
Well, defragmenting a disk is very simple. The only problem is that this can take a long time, so start the procedure when you do not plan to use the computer.
1. Click on the "Start" button, write "Defragmentation" in the search bar, click on "Disk Defragmentation".
2. In the window that appears, select a disk from the list and click “Disk Defragmentation”; the process may take a long time. If it says “Fragmented - 0%” next to the disk, then defragmentation is not needed. You can also do a disk analysis before defragmentation; this is a quick procedure and allows you to accurately determine whether defragmentation is needed. To start the analysis, click on the "Analyze disk" button.
If you need clarification, I will be happy to help! Good luck to you!
Each of us has ever heard that defragmentation hard drive(HDD) allows you to gain performance benefits. What is this - old wives' tales or a real method?
Most of our society, be it a high-class IT specialist or some seven-year-old Vanya, knows: follow a few simple rules, and your computer will always work normally. These rules also include disk defragmentation, which we began to perform from the very moment mechanical hard drives appeared. However, does it really help keep your computer in working order or is defragmentation just another myth on the list of “what to do with your computer to make it work better”?
Getting ready for the test
For the purity and safety of the experiment, I used the VirtualBox program. I used it to create a virtual partition under Windows control XP SP3 14.9 GB in size. Next I installed everything Windows updates, existing as of February 8, 2010. Then I installed MS Office 2007 with all updates and uninstalled it. Then I copied a lot of photos onto the disk, then put some of them back. I deleted what was left (about 2000 photos in total), then reinstalled MS Office 2007 and all updates. I copied the photos to disk again and deleted them again. Next, I used the Fragger program to fragment the space that remained (in total, according to Fragger, the disk was fragmented by 5706 MB). Then I installed defragmenters and did it in VirtualBox backup copy so that all programs have the same starting conditions.
Now I needed to find a performance meter to compare. After much searching, I settled on the free HDTune program. Despite the limited functions, unlike its paid counterparts, the program will give us the 4 parameters that we need: Minimum reading speed, Maximum reading speed, Average reading speed and Average response time.
I personally did not time each defragmentation, because I started each of them before bed and the time was not important. Looking ahead, I will say that, in my opinion, this is the safest. Since defragmentation is a process during which it is undesirable to use the computer (and sometimes even impossible), and which is best done about once a month, it is better to run it when, for example, you go somewhere or go to bed.
Just before the start, a thought occurred to me: what if VirtualBox will have an impact on the test results? I checked if the reading speed is different outside the shell and inside it. Based on the results, I decided that the winner of the tests inside the shell would be tested by me on my HDD outside of VirtualBox (which I had already recently defragmented with MyDefrag) to see, firstly, whether anything would improve and, secondly, whether there would be a difference inside and outside (especially after such full-scale preparation).
At the time of testing, the version of VirualBox is 3.0.12r54655. HDD model - ST3250410AS with installed Windows XP. Where necessary, I will also indicate options within the programs for maximum benefit.
Defragmenters
- Windows XP Default Defragmenter
Results inside the shell
First, I measured the “control” values. I received them immediately after Windows installations XP SP3 and all updates. They will represent the values in the "fresh" stage of the system, which everyone has gone through and misses like a long-lost brother. The results are:
As a standard for defragmentation, I took the defragmenter built into Windows XP. The results were more than impressive. The data turned out to be even better than that of the “fresh” Windows XP. This gave me hope that other programs would do at least as well, because, if you believe the statements of the developers, they are all superior to the defragmenter built into the system.
Third party defragmenters
Now that I had an excellent set of samples, I began the rest of the tests. After each recovery, I defragmented the disk, rebooted it and took measurements. First, I tested my own defragmenter, which I had been using before starting the tests. Will it remain my favorite? Let's see. Options: Monthly Defragmentation.
The results are surprising. Such a big increase compared to the built-in defragmenter in everything except response time (in this parameter it ended up being the best, slightly spoiling the statistics for third-party programs).
The next candidate was found by me by chance while surfing slickdeals.net. Puran Defrag is one of those programs that has changed its status from “paid” to “freeware”. I decided to see what we were offered to pay money for. Options: Optimize Your Entire System with Puran Intelligent Optimize.
I carried out the subsequent test on the program that I used even before MyDefrag - Auslogics Defrag. I changed it because it didn't seem as fast to me. Will the test confirm this? Options: Delete temporary files before defragmentation, Move system files to the beginning of the partition, Defragmentation and optimization.
Finally, latest program I was advised by a forum member from Overclockers.com with the nickname C627627. I had never heard of Vopt before, but its free nature convinced me to add it to my test list and check its effectiveness. Options: Close Layout, Move backup files to the beginning of the section.
Results outside the shell
Before running a series of tests, knowing what repeatedly deleting and restoring fifteen gigabyte chunks of the hard drive would do to my drive, I ran the test outside of the VirtualBox shell to check the impact of the tests on my HDD (remember that I defragmented my drive earlier using MyDefrag). Here are the results:
It can be seen that, although it is scanty (except for Min. Reading speed - the increase here is as much as 47.4 MB/sec!), there is an effect. Defraggler has confirmed his victory!
Summary statistics
Min. Reading Speed (higher is better)
Max. Reading Speed (higher is better)
Wed. Reading Speed (higher is better)
Response Time (lower is better)
Results
According to the test results, there is a solid grain of truth in the “grandmother’s tale”, because the result is surprising. Even using the built-in defragmenter in Windows, you can achieve a huge increase in HDD performance.
It is worth noting, however, that the results on other machines, real or virtual, may differ. But even so, I can recommend two third party programs, which showed the best results with a difference of only plus or minus 0.1 Mb/sec.
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 hard drive failure, 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. operating room Windows 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. Various 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 are wondering how to defragment a disk in Windows 10 or earlier versions operating system, then this is 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 the hard drive/drives 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 large hard drives or drives that are installed on servers, while others are good for home use. Below we suggest considering a couple of 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 free version 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 tool. hard optimization disk from Windows and in the Defraggler application.
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