You maybe have noticed that your computer is capable of neat working speed while processing different tasks. But the speed of a brand new computer greatly differs from the same PC after 2-3 months of work. That is very simple. Each data file on the hard drive is a single block that PC addresses when it is needed.

As you add new files and programs on your PC, the hard drives start to fill up. And future file deletions cause small empty areas among the usable data appear.

What is happening

So in these 2-3 months we have computer starts to save information in those empty data holes that causes many programs and files to break into little pieces. The data is fragmented and stored in many different areas of the hard drive.

Of course computer knows all the paths and addresses but it surely takes a bit more time to access data and therefore the work becomes slower. This process reminds me of a bookstore run by a disorganized proprietor. The books there are stocked just as they come - without any reason.

Solution

To solve this problem you must simply get yourself a program to defragment your hard drive. This is a process that reunites all the data into big blocks and gathers the free space into one block. Of course data retrieval becomes faster and easier for the PC. Disk Defragmenter can also create a log file in order to reveal the programs you run more often.

All these frequently used files may be placed in a single location on your hard disk that will reduce the time needed to start those programs. Disk Defragmenter is windows built-in program, so you can easily find it by clicking on the Start button, then choosing Programs, Accessories, System Tools.

Depending on your PC and your hard drive capacity defragmenting the hard disk can take time. After you do this you will get a little faster working speed if the disk was very fragmented. The defragmentation of the hard drives should be put on a regular basis. If you use your PC intensively than using it once a month will be a plus.

For advanced users defragmentation process should come along with the cleaning up the computer (of course cleaning comes first). It should become a monthly ritual, no matter you need it or not. If you want to see your computer more organized - removing unused files and programs will do the job for you.

However you can face some problems while defragmenting your hard drives. First of all it could simply hang.

In that case ensure that your anti-virus and other programs are turned off during the defragmentation process. You can find and shut them down using windows Task Manager. Most bothersome programs that interrupt the defragmenter can be found in the System Tray, usually it is the group of icons at the bottom right of your screen, by the clock. Right click on them and select "close" or "exit".