How to Defragment a PC Hard Disk

Over time, files and applications become scattered in various places on your hard disk. Disk Defragmenter brings these scattered pieces together to improve speed and help prevent errors.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer Mice
• Hard Disks
• Microsoft Windows

1. Close all applications. Disable screen savers, anti-virus utilities and other constantly running programs.

2. Open the Start menu and choose Programs, then Accessories.

3. Click on System Tools.

4. Click on Disk Defragmenter.

5. When the Select Drive window appears, click on Settings.

6. Check both "Rearrange program files so my programs start faster" and "Check the drive for errors."

7. Click OK to defragment drive C: (the physical drive).

8. Run the program once a month or so.

Tips & Warnings

• Run ScanDisk beforehand for best results. This is best done by restarting the computer in MS DOS and typing "scandisk" at the C:\> prompt. Return to Windows afterwards to defragment your hard disk.
• If you're having difficulties, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to make sure you haven't left any applications running. Highlight each application in the screen that appears and click on "End Task" to close the application.
• Windows NT requires you to install a third party disk defragmenter such as Diskeeper.
• Run Disk Defragmenter after installing or downloading new software.
• Read and follow any warning message Disk Defragmenter gives you.

[wowe]

on 12/12/2007 The last time i checked my fragmentation graph it was almost too late to control, as they call it, the disease had spread over the whole drive, just realised it when there was too much lagging. After running a diskcleanup and so many hours, it got completed, the PC performed much better after that. My two cents would be to run this task more frequently to avoid piling up of fragments and prevent performance slowdown.

[rmckim]

on 2/6/2007 A common ommision in this how-to: ALWAYS press F8 just prior to starting Windows. Next choose SAFE MODE. Last, enter Windows and proceed with the defrag. Doing defrag in SAFE MODE will eliminate all OS interruptions and the drfrag will not constantly have to restart during the process. It will proceed without interruption from start to finish, eliminating comments like: "Why does defrag have to restart all the time?"

RMD

on 11/22/2005 Double click My Computer; RIGHT click the c: drive; left click Properties; click the Tools tab. There you have both Scandisk (Error Checking Status) and Defrag. Click Check Now for Scandisk. Put a check in Automatically Fix Errors. Run Defrag afterwards.