What does defragmentation mean? How do you know if your hard drive is fragmented and needs defragmentation? How long does the process take?

Defragmentation

Defragmentation- the process of updating and optimizing the logical structure of a disk partition in order to ensure that files are stored in a continuous sequence of clusters. After defragmentation, reading and writing files speeds up, and therefore the work of programs. Another definition of defragmentation is: redistributing files on a disk so that they are located in contiguous areas.

Long files occupy multiple clusters. If writing is done to an empty disk, then clusters belonging to the same file are written in a row. If the disk is full, it may not have a solid area large enough to accommodate the file. However, the file will still be written if there are many small areas on the disk, the total size of which is sufficient for recording. In this case, the file is written in several fragments.

The process of breaking a file into small fragments when writing to disk is called fragmentation. If there are many fragmented files on the disk, the read speed of the media decreases because it takes time to find the clusters in which the files are stored.

Defragmentation is most often used for file systems such as File Allocation Table for Microsoft Windows, since programs that work with them usually do not provide any means to prevent fragmentation, and it appears even on a nearly empty disk and a light load.

File systems

• Also, the GNU/Linux operating system often uses the mv file move command, which can read files from one partition and write a defragmented version to another, and then move the files back. For example, the following example defragments all files in the /home/user folder (/mnt/user is the mount point of the empty partition)

Notes

Links

• Oliver Diedrich Tuning the Linux file system Ext3 (English). Heise Media UK Ltd. (October 27, 2008). Retrieved November 13, 2008.

Wikimedia Foundation.

2010.

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This occurs due to the fact that after the first deletion of a file that previously occupied a certain space on the media, there remains space that is not filled with anything. New files fill the subsequent space. Thus, it turns out that a kind of gap appears between the files. It is impossible to see it without special software.

Defragmentation, in turn, allows you to organize files on the media and after the procedure is completed, they will be stored exactly one after another, without any gaps. It is worth noting that there are several types of defragmentation, these are: complete (after the procedure is completed, the files will be located as close to each other as possible) and partial defragmentation (there may be spaces between the files). It is not necessary to defragment the disk if there are not many spaces between blocks (files).

Defragmentation programs

To defragment the disk, special software is used, which is available in all versions of Windows operating systems. To do this, just open “My Computer,” right-click on the drive you want to defragment and select “Properties.” Next, you should go to the “Service” tab, where you can see several items: “Disk Check”, “Disk Defragmentation”, and also “Backup”. To start the defragmentation procedure, you need to open the appropriate section and click on the button to start the procedure.

In addition, specialized software, such as the Auslogic Disk Defrag program, can be used for the same purposes. The key feature of this program is a fairly simple and intuitive interface that even a novice PC user can handle. All you need to do is download this program on the Internet (distributed), install it and run it. When the program window opens, you should select the partition that will be subject to defragmentation and start using the Start button. The process itself can take from half an hour to several hours, depending on the contamination and capacity of your hard drive.

Good morning! Whether you want it or not, to make your computer work faster, you need to carry out preventive measures from time to time (clean it of temporary and junk files, defragment it).

In general, I can say that most users very rarely carry out defragmentation, and in general, do not pay due attention to it (either out of ignorance, or simply because of laziness)…

Meanwhile, by doing it regularly, you can not only speed up your computer a little, but also increase the service life of the disk! Since there are always a lot of questions regarding defragmentation, in this article I will try to collect all the main things that I myself encounter quite often. So …

FAQ. Questions about defragmentation: why do it, how often, etc.

1) What is defragmentation, what is the process? Why do it?

All files on your disk, while being written to it, are written sequentially in pieces onto its surface, often called clusters (many have probably already heard this word). So, while the hard drive is empty, file clusters can be nearby, but when there is more and more information, the scattering of these pieces of one file also increases.

Because of this, when accessing such a file, your disk has to spend more time reading the information. By the way, this scattering of pieces is called fragmentation.

Defragmentation is aimed precisely at collecting these pieces compactly in one place. As a result, the speed of your disk and, accordingly, the computer as a whole increases. If you have not defragmented for a long time, this may affect the performance of your PC, for example, when opening some files or folders, it will begin to “think” for a while...

2) How often should you defragment the disk?

Quite a common question, but it’s difficult to give a definite answer. It all depends on how often you use your computer, how it is used, what drives it uses, what file system it has. In Windows 7 (and higher), by the way, there is a good analyzer that will tell you what to do defragmentation , or not (there are also separate special utilities that can analyze and notify you in time that it’s time... But about such utilities - below in the article).

To do this you need to go to control Panel, enter “defragmentation” in the search bar, and Windows will find the desired link (see screenshot below).

3) Do I need to defragment SSD drives?

No need! And even Windows itself (at least the new Windows 10; this can be done in Windows 7) disables the analysis and defragmentation button for such disks.

The fact is that an SSD disk has a limited number of write cycles. This means that with each defragmentation, you reduce the life of your disk. In addition, SSD drives do not have mechanics, and after defragmenting, you will not notice any increase in operating speed.

4) Do I need to defragment the disk if it has an NTFS file system?

In fact, there is an opinion that the NTFS file system practically does not need defragmentation. This is not entirely true, although it is partly true. It’s just that this file system is designed in such a way that defragmenting a hard drive under its control is required much less frequently.

In addition, the speed of operation does not drop as much due to strong fragmentation as if it were on FAT (FAT 32).

5) Is it necessary to clean the disk of junk files before defragmentation?

If you clean up the disk before defragmenting, then:

• speed up the process itself (after all, you will have to work with fewer files, which means the process will complete earlier);
• make Windows run faster.

6) How to defragment a disk?

It is advisable (but not necessary!) to install a separate special. a utility that will deal with this process (about such utilities below in the article). Firstly, it will do it faster than the utility built into Windows, and secondly, some utilities can defragment automatically, without distracting you from your work (for example, you started watching a movie, the utility, without disturbing you, defragmented the disk at this time).

But, in principle, even the standard program built into Windows does defragmentation quite well (although it does not have some of the “goodies” that third-party developers have).

7) Should I defragment a disk other than the system disk (i.e., the one on which Windows is not installed)?

Good question! It all depends again on how you use this disk. If you only store movies and music on it, then there is not much point in defragmenting it.

It's another matter if you install, say, games on this disk - and during the game, some files are loaded. In this case, the game may even begin to slow down if the disk does not respond to it in time. As it should be, with this option, it is advisable to defragment such a disk!

How to defragment a disk - step by step steps

By the way, there are universal programs (I would call them “harvesters”) that can carry out complex actions to clean your PC of junk, remove erroneous registry entries, configure your Windows OS and perform defragmentation (for maximum speed!). You can talk about one of them .

1) Cleaning the disk from debris

Windows cleaning programs -

For example, I can recommend CCleaner. Firstly, it is free, and secondly, it is very easy to use and there is nothing superfluous in it. All that is required from the user is to click the analyze button, and then clean the disk from the found garbage (screen below).

2) Removing unnecessary files and programs

By the way, it is advisable to remove programs through special utilities: (by the way, you can use the same CCleaner utility - it also has a tab for removing programs).

At worst, you can use the standard utility built into Windows (to open it, use the control panel, see the screenshot below).

3) Start defragmentation

Let's consider running the disk defragmenter built into Windows (since by default it eats me of everyone who has Windows :)).

First you need to open control Panel, then section system and safety. Next, next to the tab “ Administration" there will be a link " Defragmentation and optimization of your disks"- go over it (see screenshot below).

An alternative way to run defragmentation in Windows

1. Open “My computer” (or “This computer”).

3. Then in the disk properties, open the “Service” section.

4. In the service section, click the button “ Optimize disk"(everything is illustrated in the screenshot below).

Important! The defragmentation process can take quite a long time (depending on the size of your disk and the degree of fragmentation). At this time, it is better not to touch the computer, not to run resource-intensive tasks: games, video encoding, etc.

The best programs and utilities for disk defragmentation

Note! This subsection of the article will not reveal to you all the capabilities of the programs presented here. Here I will focus on the most interesting and convenient utilities (in my opinion) and describe their main differences, why I chose them and why I recommend trying them...

1) Defraggler

A simple, free, fast and convenient disk defragmenter. The program supports all new versions of Windows (32/64 bit), can work with entire disk partitions and individual files, supports all popular file systems (including NTFS and FAT 32).

By the way, regarding defragmentation of individual files - this is, in general, a unique thing! Not many programs can allow you to defragment something specific...

2) Ashampoo Magical Defrag

To be honest, I like products from Ashampoo- and this utility is no exception. Its main difference from similar ones of its kind is that it can defragment a disk in the background (when the computer is not busy with resource-intensive tasks, which means that the program is running and will not hamper or interfere with the user in any way).

What is called - once installed and forgotten this problem! In general, I recommend paying attention to it to everyone who is tired of remembering defragmentation and doing it manually...

3) Auslogics Disk Defrag

This program can move system files (which need to be the fastest) to the fastest part of the disk, thereby speeding up your Windows operating system somewhat. In addition, this program is free (for normal home use) and can be configured to start automatically when the PC is idle (i.e., similar to the previous utility).

I also want to note that the program allows you to defragment not only a specific disk, but also individual files and folders on it.

The program is supported by all new Windows OS: 7, 8, 10 (32/64 bits).

4) MyDefrag

Developer's website: http://www.mydefrag.com/

MyDefrag is a small but convenient utility for defragmenting disks, floppy disks, USB external hard drives, memory cards, and other media. Perhaps that’s the only reason I added this program to the list.

The program also has a scheduler for detailed launch settings. There are also versions that do not require installation (it is convenient to carry with you on a flash drive).

5) Smart Defrag

This is one of the fastest disk defragmenters! Moreover, this does not affect the quality of defragmentation. Apparently, the program developers managed to find some unique algorithms. In addition, the utility is completely free for home use.

It is also worth noting that the program treats data very carefully, even if during defragmentation some system error occurs, a power outage or something else... - then nothing should happen to your files, they will still be read and opened. The only thing is that you will have to start the defragmentation process again.

The utility also provides two operating modes: automatic (very convenient - set it up once and forget it) and manual.

It is also worth noting that the program is optimized to work on Windows 7, 8, 10. I recommend it for use!

Hello, dear friends! Many people have probably heard more than once about such a thing as Dictionary of business terms computer disk

But from my own experience I know that almost no one or very few users do it. The reason is simple - they don’t know why this long and tedious process is needed, that is, what determines the need to use it in general.

Today I will tell you why this defragmentation is needed and how (and with what programs) it can be performed, where and why.

So, let's get started.

Why is defragmentation of computer disks necessary?

How often should you defragment hard drives?

It all depends on how intensively you use the hard drive: copying, installing, deleting, transferring, etc., etc., information, but personally I recommend defragmenting it at least once a month.

Sometimes this process should be set to use on a schedule, that is, a script (or program) defragments on the fly, say, once a day. This may be necessary on systems where files are frequently processed, for example, file servers of large companies.

How to defragment a hard drive?

In the most Windows There is a built-in defragmenter, which, in general, can also be used. However, I do not recommend doing this for the simple reason that it copes with defragmentation rather poorly, which is why the final performance suffers. Therefore, I recommend using third-party programs, and there are quite a few of them.

What is the difference between defragmentation programs?

Different programs have different analysis algorithms and, accordingly, the quality of subsequent defragmentation. Due to sometimes weak algorithms, not all defragmenters (as well as the built-in one) are able to well identify the fragmentation of files, the location of fragments of these files, and also adequately put them in order, collecting them together.

In general, it’s not a matter of third-party program capabilities (such as scheduled defragmentation, etc.), but rather the quality itself.

Personally, I use a powerful defragmenter O&O Defrag Free, or, when you’re too lazy to install, something simpler, like Defraggler. I wrote about both in detail in the articles “Program for defragmentation” and “”.

Afterword

Now you know why defragmentation is needed and how to do it. I will touch on this topic more than once, telling you about good (especially Russian and free) defragmentation programs.

As always, if you have questions, additions, or anything else like that, please write in the comments to this article.

Stay with me ;)

Surely, many users have heard such a concept or term as. However, in practice, for some reason, almost no one does it. And the reason here is very simple. The thing is that most users do not know or do not understand why this long and rather tedious process called disk defragmentation is necessary.

And let's try to understand this issue.

Text version.

What is disk defragmentation?

The fact is that when writing files to a new hard drive, the files are written in sequential pieces, they are also called clusters. However, after some time - after copying, transferring, deleting folders, files, etc. – these pieces of files (clusters) end up scattered throughout the hard drive, forming voids. The so-called file fragmentation occurs.

The files themselves are NOT damaged, it’s just that their pieces (clusters) end up far from each other and scattered in different cells of the hard drive. Then, when re-accessing the recorded files, while the file is being read by the hard disk head, it has to search for all fragments of the file across the entire surface of the disk, which noticeably slows down the work.

Disk Defragmenter is the process of collecting and transferring all pieces of files (clusters) scattered throughout the hard drive to a close distance from each other. Disk defragmentation is the reverse process of fragmentation.

Why is disk defragmentation needed?

Disk Defragmenter necessary to speed up the hard drive. In addition, after defragmentation, all data is moved to the beginning of the hard drive, and free space is located at the end, which also speeds up data access.

Disk Defragmenter allows you to load programs and files faster. The speed of writing data to disk also increases, for example, when installing new programs or after uninstalling previously installed ones.

To keep your computer running at optimal performance, defragment your disk at least once a month, or at least once a month.

Programs for disk defragmentation.

You can defragment a disk using the system’s own tools (the operating system has a built-in defragmenter), or using third-party programs, for example, Defraggler, O&O Defrag Free etc. There are quite a lot of such programs.

By the way, it is best to use third-party programs to defragment the disk, because... Defragmenters built into the operating system cope very poorly with defragmentation, which affects the final performance of the system.

To use the built-in defragmenter in the Windows 7 operating system, you must follow these steps: Start – All Programs – Accessories – System Tools – Disk Defragmenter. For the Windows XP operating system, you must perform the following steps: Start – Programs – Accessories – System Tools – Disk Defragmentation. After this, a special program will launch in which you can select the desired disk, analyze it and defragment it, and, if necessary, set up subsequent defragmentation processes on a schedule.

As for third-party defragmenters, I repeat, you can use the program, etc. For example, I use the program. This complex has in its arsenal not only tools for cleaning the system of debris, but also for defragmenting the disk.

Although I recommend using a separate third-party disk defragmenter program. Such programs defragment disks with better quality and at a higher level than built-in defragmenters of operating systems and other complexes.

Well, in principle, I’m not complaining about the work of the program yet Auslogics BoostSpeed. You can see how this program works in the video tutorial in this post.

That's basically it. I hope that I was able to explain to you in detail what it is and why it is needed. If you have any thoughts or thoughts on this matter, please share them in your comments.