My Vista Disk Defragmenter Is Slow

Defragmentation is often part of the system's scheduled maintenance.

Disk Defragmenter is a software tool included in Windows that helps increase performance speed by rearranging files. The performance of Disk Defragmenter is dependent on the hardware of the machine, specifically the RAM, processor and size of the hard drive. A large hard drive may take several hours to defrag, while a smaller one may take only minutes. The frequency of defragmentation also plays a role. Computers that are defraged often will drefrag quicker.

Instructions

1. Turn off the computer, wait 30 seconds and turn it back on. Doing this will clear the computer's cache and make it run faster. A normal reboot will not be as effective.

2. Close any programs that run after system startup. For example, many messaging programs, such as Skype, Yahoo and Windows Live, will start automatically after the computer loads. Close all of these programs; they usually can be found in the taskbar. The less system resources being used, the faster the defrag will go.

3. Run Disk Defragmenter. Click "Start Menu," "Program Files," "Accessories," "System Tools" and "Disk Defragmenter." Defrag the hard drive.

4. Wait and do not use the computer until the defragmentation process is finished. Using the computer during this time may cause the process to fail and start again. Users who are experiencing slow defragmentation while still using their computer should cease using it. Run the Disk Defragmenter at night or during hours when the computer will not be needed.

References

• Windows: Improve Performance by Defragmenting Your Hard Disk
• Microsoft: Features of the Windows Vista Hard Disk Defragmentation Utility
• Vista Revisited: How to Schedule the Disk Defragmenter in Vista