Tutorial 1: Defragging Your HDDs

Over time, the files and folders stored on your computer’s hard disk drives (HDDs) become “fragmented” as information is deleted from or saved to numerous locations on opposite sides of the HDD in a disorderly fashion.  Eventually, these “fragments” of data retrieved from the HDD decrease your computer’s overall performance as you save, change, and delete more and more information.  In severe cases, HDD fragmentation may cause programs to “shut down entirely.”¹  Therefore, you must neatly organize, or defrag, the data on your computer’s HDDs on a regular basis to ensure optimum performance.  Otherwise, your computer will work harder to access the files and information you need, thus costing you precious time and resources.

Versions of the Windows operating system (OS) prior to Windows Vista (i.e. Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 98) required the user to defrag the computer’s HDDs either manually or via a complicated procedure through the Control Panel.  However, if you own a PC enabled with Windows Vista (or newer), Microsoft has simplified the task of defragmenting your computer’s HDDs.

To access the Disk Defragmenter program in Windows Vista:

1.      Click the Start Button in the lower left corner of your taskbar. 

2.      Type the word “Disk” in the Start Search window above the Start Button.

3.      Select Disk Defragmenter under the “Programs” header of the menu.

4.      If prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or 
   click the Continue button to provide confirmation.

5.      The Disk Defragmenter window will appear.

At this stage, you have the choice of whether to run the Disk Defragmenter on a schedule, modify the defragmenter’s run schedule, select the HDDs you wish to defrag (if your computer contains more than one HDD), or manually force the defrag procedure by selecting the appropriate button.

To run the Disk Defragmenter on a schedule, as recommended by Microsoft, simply check the box adjacent to the statement “Run on a schedule (recommended).”

Once you have selected to run Disk Defragmenter on a schedule, you may select a convenient time for the program to run by selecting the Modify schedule… button located in the Disk Defragmenter window.

After selecting the Modify schedule… button, the Disk Defragmenter: Modify Schedule window will appear allowing you to select how often (daily, weekly, or monthly), on what day (Sunday – Saturday), and at what time (12:00 AM – 11:00 PM) you would like the Disk Defragmenter program to run by clicking on the appropriate drop-down menu button.

I have selected to run the Disk Defragmenter program on my laptop each week on Wednesday at 1:00 AM.

Once you have selected your schedule, click the OK button to save your schedule and return to the Disk Defragmenter window.  The Disk Defragmenter window will now display your schedule, along with the date/time of the last and next scheduled procedures.

If your computer contains multiple HDDs (perhaps even an external HDD for storage), you can choose which drives you would like to defrag by clicking the Select volumes… button.

After clicking the Select volumes… button, the Disk Defragmenter: Advanced Options window will appear.  This window allows you to select which HDDs will be defragged once the program runs by checking the boxes adjacent to the individually listed drives.

I have selected the Disk Defragmenter program on my laptop to defragment my internal HDD (C:) and my 500GB external HDD (G:).

Once you have selected the disks to defragment, click the OK button to save your selection(s) and return to the Disk Defragmenter window.

Finally, if you wish to manually force the defrag procedure rather than wait for the scheduled run time, select the Defragment now... button in the bottom right corner of the Disk Defragmenter window.

After clicking the Defragment now… button, the Disk Defragmenter: Defragment Now window will appear.  This window allows you to select which HDDs to defrag immediately by checking the boxes adjacent to the individually listed drives.

As illustrated earlier, I have selected the Disk Defragmenter program on my laptop to defragment my internal HDD (C:) and my 500GB external HDD (G:)

Once you have selected the disks to immediately defragment, click the OK button to save your selection(s) and return to the Disk Defragmenter window.  The Disk Defragmenter window will now display your defragmenting status.  (Please note that the defragmentation process may take between a few minutes and a few hours to complete.  However, you may also cancel the procedure at anytime by selecting the Cancel defragmentation button in the bottom right corner of the Disk Defragmenter window.)

Fortunately, my computer completed the defragmentation process in approximately 10 minutes, rather than a few hours!  However, unlike previous versions of the Windows operating system, Vista does not provide a Disk Defragmenter Analysis Report, such as the one displayed in Professor Olson’s lecture on Disk Utilities. 

The overall size of HDDs is rapidly increasing.  In fact, consumers can now purchase internal HDDs with storage capacities in excess of 2TB.  With this immense amount of data storage space available, computers must work hard to collect fragmented data across these larger HDDs.  Therefore, you should ensure your storage media is working efficiently.  By establishing a consistent schedule to defrag your computer’s HDDs, you may actually increase the useful life of your storage medium.

Although some IT professionals claim that today’s operating systems are capable of eliminating the need for defragging, Microsoft recommends that users defrag their computer’s HDDs on a regular basis.¹  So, establish your defrag schedule today by accessing the Disk Defragmenter program (as listed above) to maintain your computer’s optimum speed and performance.

Works Cited

¹http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-defragmenting-a-computer.htm

^*All screen shots are original work.