If your PC is performing well below par, then defragging your hard drive is certainly something you should consider. A successful defrag can potentially improve the overall speed and performance of your system, in addition to hardware longevity. The purpose of the defragmentation process is to correct the fragmentation of your hard drives data.

Is there a good free defrag utility for Mac akin to Defraggler for Windows?

The hard drive is basically the device that is used to store all your personal data. Microsoft autoupdate for mac problem. So when a user saves a file, that data is stored on a free location on the hard drive. However, it’s not uncommon for files to be broken up into smaller pieces, for example when a user reopens a file and makes modifications to it, the resulting changes may prevent the file from fitting back into the same physical location. As a result, the computer will fragment the file and save it in several pieces in different locations across the hard drive. Why Defrag Your Hard Drive? A fragmented hard drive adversely affects system performance, which a defragmentation is designed to fix. A successful defrag could potentially optimise hard drive, RAM and OS performance.

A fragmented file slows down system performance, because of the additional resources required to locate and load those files. Applications will also take more time to load. The head, (which is a component inside the hard drive) may become stressed and worn out, as a result of the additional work it is required to do.

Which is why, defragging your hard drive can potentially extend its life. Once a hard drive starts to fragment, the process tends to fester, adversely affecting the speed in which common tasks are carried out. Opening, closing, modifying, installing and uninstalling applications also contribute to it. How Does It Work?

The simplest way of describing it would be to say, a fragmented file is like a book with all its pages scattered around a home. When a hard drive is defragged, it’s the equivalent of all those pages being found and put back into the book in the appropriate order.

The defragmentation process locates all of the files and stores them sequentially on the hard drive. When Should You Defrag? The defragmentation process can be very time consuming. The time it will take to defragment your hard drive, depends on a number of different factors, such as the size of your hard drive, the amount of system resources (RAM + swap file + processing power), and the number of files fragmented on the hard drive.

The best time to defrag your hard drive is when you’re not using it, for example, at night or during the early hours of the day. Closing all programs prior to running the defragmentation process, helps speed up the process.

Using an SSD Drive If you have an SSD (Solid State Drive) installed inside your computer, then you should refrain from defragging your hard drive, this is to avoid any excess wear and tear on the drive. Fortunately, Windows 7 and 8 are already designed with this information and thus will automatically disable defrag on such drives. If you’re running a much older operating system such as Windows Vista, then you will need to disable any scheduled defrags, for those using Windows XP with an SSD, my immediate recommendation would be to upgrade to at least Windows 7. How to Defrag Your Hard Drive To defrag your hard drive, you will need to use a specialised defragmentation tool. Fortunately, Microsoft Windows comes with its own preinstalled defrag tool. To use it, simply do the following: • First, boot into your computer with the appropriate administrative privileges – an admin account, not a standard user. • When the OS finishes loading up, click on Windows Key + R, then type dfrgui (Windows XP: dfrg.msc) and click on OK.

• This will load up Disk Defragmenter, from here click on one of your Drives, then click on Defragment Disk (Windows XP: Defragment]. Note: The Disk Defragmenter tool will indicate to you whether or not your hard drive(s) are heavily fragmented and in need of a defrag. However, this information can also be acquired by clicking on your drive, then Analyze Disk. Using Windows 7/8/8.1/10 If you’re using one of the latest operating systems, such as Windows 7 and up, then your system will already be configured to run the Disk Defragmenter tool on a regular basis. You can check whether or not a schedule has been set on your computer by doing the following: • First, follow steps 1 – 2 of How to Defrag Your Hard Drive. • Once the Disk Defragmenter tool loads up, under Schedule, you should be able to see the time and day the program is configured to automatically run.