To Defrag or Not to Defrag Your Hardrive?

Defragmentation can be a mystery even to the busiest of computer users. What is it? What does it do? When should it be done? It's actually not that big of a deal.

First of all, what you need to know is that PC's often do not store files in one piece on the hard drive. The files are often broken up (or fragmented) all around the drive, so that they can fit the space available at the time. As more and more files are saved, re-saved or moved within the file system, more become fragmented, causing the computer to operate slower when accessing a file.

In order to get more speed out of your computer, you can perform a defrag, (or Defragmentation), using a special program included with your operating system. The defrag attempts to put all the fragmented files together on the hard drive, thus speeding up the operation of the system.

So how it is done? In Windows systems, you can find your Defragmentation program under "System Tools" in the Accessories portion of your Start Menu. Once you open up the program, it is usually as easy as clicking the "Defragment" button, to start the process. Depending on how much you use the computer, the size of the hard drive, and the amount of files on the disk, the process can take from a few hours, up to a couple of days.

Before you defrag the drive, most people suggest that all files should be backed up, all open programs shut down, and the disk is checked for errors. (use CHKDSK on Windows for this task) There should also be a constant source of power present before this process is started, since the hard drive can be damaged if the computer is shut off in the middle of the operation. (if power is an issue, get a battery backup device)

How often should a defrag be done? Well, it all depends; if the computer is used constantly, everyday, a weekly Defragmentation is recommended. For most users, a monthly defrag should suffice.

For more information on Windows defragmentation check out this article on Wikipedia.