How Important is it to Defrag my Computer's Hard Drive

Introduction:

It comes with our mind on “How Important is it to Defrag ourcomputer’s had drive?”

If you have never defragged your computer then most likely yoursystem is running slow or even freezing up. Everyone wants to know how to maketheir computers run longer and fast and that is the main reason we have thisarticle to let you to know that just because you are experiencing computerproblems, it does not necessarily mean that you have to run out and purchase awhole new system.

Most people never take the time to learn that they system needs certainmaintenance and instead when it freezes up, they become upset at it. Howeverthis is just a sign that your system requires maintenance to get back inworking order.

You can easily run a free PC scan on it on several sites including third partysoftware’s that will help us to find out if your system is performing at itsbest.

So you may be wondering why is it so important to defrag my computer? Well thehard drive in our computer is composed of several disks or platters. When datagets written on the hard drive, it is written in a continuous fashion. As youcontinue to delete and add files bits and pieces are left on your hard drive.They remain on it until you run a defrag on your system.

Now you may be thinking well I do not know anything about computerdefragmentation. Well you know more than most people about this now. Mostpeople do not take the time to take care of their computers that way that theyshould be taken care of; and therefore they do not last long enough.

This is always what you want to do before you run out and purchase a new systembecause the one that you are working with is old. You should easily be able toget around 4-5 years with a PC. Of course it also depends on what type ofsystem that it is.

I highly recommend that before we defrag our system we need to back up all yourimportant files to make sure that you do not lose anything in the process. Ipersonally did not back up my files and did not lose anything that I did notwant to but it is better safe that sorry.

Computer fragmentation is very helpful especially in maximizing the disk resourcesthat we have in our computer.

How to Defrag YourComputer?

Defragmentingyour Windows XP hard drive

1.  Todefragment your hard drive in Windows XP, open My Computer andright-click on the C: drive. Select Properties, then click on theTools tab and select Defragment Now...

2.  TheWindows Disk Defragmenter program will open and all drives are listed inthe top window pane.  Since the program is going to be arranging files onyour hard drive, it is important that no files are being accessed during theprocess, or the program won't be able to move them.  Close all openprograms. 

3.  TheC: drive is where operating system files and programs are installed bydefault, so make sure that it is selected, then click Defragment. Whilethe program is running, it is recommend that you not use your computer. Thetime is takes to run the defragmenting process is dependent on the size of yourhard drive and amount of fragmentation. 

While theprogram is running you will see a graphical representation of the blocks offiles on your hard drive being moved and the fragmented segments joined together. Usually the less gaps of free space between the contiguous segments the better,but as long as the fragmented files are put together into contiguous segments,it will help your computer's performance.  

4. Once the process is complete, the graphic should display most of the contiguousfiles on the left and the majority of the free space on the right. Close the DiskDefragmenter window and resume using your computer.