What is hard disk defragmentation and is it needed. Disk defragmentation on Windows: why you need it and how to do it. To work with it you need

All file systems store information in clusters that are small in volume, therefore, to accommodate any file, not one cluster is required, but a rather large number of them. When writing a file, the OS provides the required number of free clusters, but it is not at all necessary that the allocated clusters be located sequentially. Of course, when initially copying files to new hard disk they will be written into adjacent clusters. But after a while, when the file size increases in the process of editing them (when at a certain stage, the specific file there will not be enough clusters to write it) or when writing large files to an already full disk, which simply does not have the required number of adjacent free clusters, the files will be fragmented. Over time, the number of fragmented files, as well as the degree of their fragmentation, increases. This process occurs most quickly when actively overwriting files (with frequent saving and deleting files, moving files and folders, active installation / uninstallation of applications), as well as when working with a disk that is more than half full. Fragmented files remain fully functional, but reading them slows down, because each time you open such files, the system is forced to search for all the fragments of the file, which slows down its response time. In addition, severe disk fragmentation (due to the increased use of read heads, which require many moves across the disk to read all parts of the fragmented files) can shorten its life. Therefore, periodically it is necessary to resort to the disk defragmentation process. To defragment disks, you can use the built-in Windows utility program Windows Disk Defragmenter, invoked by the Start\u003e Programs\u003e Accessories\u003e System Tools\u003e Disk Defragmenter command. This program is based on the legacy commercial version of Diskeeper and allows you to defragment volumes file systemsah FAT, FAT32 and NTFS. The scanning depth during its operation is large enough, and most files are defragmented, but in terms of performance this solution is noticeably inferior to many alternative packages, and the range of settings in it is limited to the very minimum. In addition, Windows Disk Defragmenter requires at least 15% of free disk space for its work (and it can be much less) and places files without any optimization, while a number of similar solutions have implemented certain optimization technologies that allow some gain in the speed of downloading files. In addition, this defragmenter does not merge all the free space on the volume - as a result, the likelihood of a rapid increase in the level of disk fragmentation in the future remains. And the possibilities of automating the defragmentation process in this program are limited. Therefore, it is much more convenient to use other defragmenters, some of which we will consider in this article, but first we will dwell on a few features of the defragmentation process itself.

Features of hard disk defragmentation

  1. Most defragmenters know how to reorganize files into background, however, it is still unlikely that it will be possible to use resource-intensive applications in this case, so it is wiser to start the defragmentation process when there is no activity on the computer (for example, at the end of the working day) or at a time when operations are being performed on the computer that do not require special system resources.
  2. If the disks are more than 75% full, then to carry out a full-fledged defragmentation, you need to turn to defragmenters that are less demanding on the amount of free space, and carry out the procedure in two stages - first, perform a quick partial defragmentation (this will allow you to get larger blocks of free space) and only then - full.
  3. As a rule, for daily (weekly) defragmentation, it is wiser to limit yourself to fast defragmentation methods - some of the files will remain fragmented, but in general, access to many of the files will be accelerated. But at the same time, sometimes (as needed) you should set aside time for a full defragmentation, running it with a high priority - it is better in those moments when you are not using the computer. As for the continuous defragmentation mode offered in some defragmenters, its usefulness is a moot point. Of course, on the one hand, this approach can actually reduce the need for frequent full defragmentation. On the other hand, continuous defragmentation puts an increased strain on the hard drive, which can shorten the life of the drive.
  4. It is wiser to delete junk files from the computer before starting defragmentation, and also exclude from consideration the system files pagefile.sys and hiberfil.sys, which are used by the system as temporary files and are recreated at the beginning of each Windows session.
  5. In fact, not only user files are fragmented on the disk, but also service files of the operating system - system files and the master file table (MFT), which is a directory of all files on a particular partition and stores records of the location of each file, their attributes, etc. If the defragmenter has built-in functionality for defragmenting the named service files, then, as a rule, MFT defragmentation is performed immediately after enabling the corresponding option, and system files, access to which is blocked by the operating system, only through the so-called offline defragmentation, performed after restarting the computer, but before Windows starts.

Programs for defragmenting hard drives

List of solutions on the market that can be used for defragmentation hard drivesis wide enough. Among them there are both paid packages with wide functionality, and free, but enough useful programs... All utilities considered in the article, with the exception of Paragon Total Defrag, are based on API (Application Programming Interface, which is a set of basic functions that a programmer can use to access the functionality of a software component). When using this technology, defragmentation is carried out in the background (this is convenient, since some access to the computer is saved), but some small part of the files will remain fragmented (for example, some service files), which, however, in most cases is completely uncritical. Paragon Total Defrag, in addition to background defragmentation, can also perform full low-level defragmentation, which allows to achieve almost zero fragmentation level, but requires exclusive access to the system.

PerfectDisk 10

Developer: Raxco Software, Inc.
Distribution size: 47.6 MB
Spread: shareware PerfectDisk is one of better solutions to defragment hard drives. The package supports FAT16, FAT32, exFAT and NTFS file systems and can handle large volumes up to several terabytes. It provides defragmentation of entire disks (more than one disk is allowed), as well as some of the most fragmented files. The latter is useful if you need to quickly optimize access to, say, a mail database, a video clip, etc. All files are processed, including large files, system files, and the MFT area; the latter can not only be defragmented, but also relocated taking into account optimization. Thanks to the support of Space Restoration Technology, free disk space is also defragmented, which is carried out by combining free sectors into the largest possible blocks. For the utility to work, a minimum of free space is sufficient (from 1%), and defragmentation of files and free areas is performed in it in just one pass (and not in two, as is done in many other defragmenters). PerfectDisk can defragment automatically and manually. In the first case, the utility will independently start defragmentation according to the specified schedule or when the computer is inactive - the latter can be implemented in two ways: via StealthPatrol mode or screensaver mode. Utility work in automatic mode is configured using a wizard, and it itself works in the background quite invisibly to the user. Manual defragmentation allows the user to independently manage defragmentation, specifying the area of \u200b\u200bits implementation and the method used. The program is presented in several editions - Home and Professional editions may be of interest to home users. The professional edition has all the features of the Home edition and additionally includes Space Explorer and Space Reports modules that provide disk space analysis and tools for removing temporary and other unnecessary filesas well as duplicate files. The demo version of the program (there is no Russian-language localization) is fully functional and operational for 30 days. The cost of the commercial version depends on the edition: Home - $ 29.99, Professional - $ 39.99. The program has a lot of settings, but the intuitive interface allows you to quickly get used to this solution. The program window has three tabs - the "Defragmentation" tab combines tools for analyzing and defragmenting disks, system and user files. The "AutoPilot Schedulng" tab provides the ability to configure automatic defragmentation - on schedule, in screensaver mode, or via StealthPatrol mode. The "Product Resources" tab provides access to various kinds of reference information. Access to utility properties is provided on any of the named tabs. To start disk analysis in PerfectDisk, open the "Defragmentation" tab, select desired disk and click on the "Analyze" button or use the command of the same name from the context menu. Based on the results of the analysis, the program will provide very extensive information. For example, after analysis, you can see not only a fragmentation map, but also find out the level of fragmentation of files, directories, free space, MFT, etc., identify the most fragmented files with an indication of their size and paths and get recommendations on the defragmentation strategy in this particular case. ... You can find out additional information on the number of files on the disk, as well as the most fragmented and "excluded" files (that is, files that are denied access) To defragment disks in manual mode, select a disk (or several disks) on the Defragmentation tab, indicate the defragmentation method and click on the "Start" button. There are three defragmentation methods: Defragment Only Pass, SMARTPlacement defragmentation, and Consolidate Free Space. With simplified defragmentation, which requires a minimum of time, only those files for which the required free blocks were found are defragmented - all other files are skipped, and free areas are not combined into large blocks. When the SMARTPlacement technology is connected, free blocks are merged, and the files are placed in accordance with their update activity, which allows them to be minimized in the future. Consolidate Free Space defragments all files and free areas, but without optimizing file locations. To speed up defragmentation separate files can be excluded from consideration by creating a list of excluded files in the disk properties (the "Drive Properties" command from the context menu, the "Excluded Files" tab). It is also possible to delete temporary files before starting defragmentation. If it is necessary to defragment individual files, click on the "Selected Files" button, indicate the files of interest in the "Defragment Selected Files" window that opens and click on the "Defragment" button.

Defragmentation system files, access to which is blocked by the operating system, is started by clicking on the "System Files" button and is performed after a reboot. Previously, in the properties of the disk (the "Drive Properties" command from the context menu, the "Offline Defragmentation" tab) you need to specify which objects you want to defragment.

It is possible to perform defragmentation without user intervention, in automatic mode. This is configured in the "AutoPilot Schedulng" tab, where you can, for example, enable defragmentation in screensaver mode, which will ensure that this process when the user is definitely absent from the PC. It is not difficult to do this - you just need to specify the disk, select the defragmentation method and determine the frequency of this procedure.

There is functionality for setting a certain defragmentation threshold, upon reaching which defragmentation stops, and for managing the priority level - by changing it, it is easy to block the utility for a while, or vice versa - to provide it with large resources. All this is regulated through the program properties, which can be accessed on any of the tabs.

Diskeeper 2009

Developer: Diskeeper Corporation
Distribution size: 28.5 MB
Spread: shareware Diskeeper is one of the most popular solutions for defragment hard disk. The package supports file nTFS systems, FAT16 and FAT32, can handle volumes up to 1TB and provides defragmentation different types files, including large files, system files and MFTs, as well as highly fragmented files containing millions of fragments. However, it works slower than many other solutions. According to the developers, it can defragment disks with only about 1% of free space, but in practice, with such a small volume, the utility usually ignores files big size ... Diskeeper allows you to defragment a disk in automatic or manual modes. In the first case, the utility works as a background application, without interfering with the user's normal work (this is implemented thanks to continuous monitoring using InvisiTasking technology), and independently decides on the defragmentation method, the time of the process (taking into account the degree of fragmentation) and its priority. You can also configure the program to perform defragmentation according to a specific schedule. With manual defragmentation, launched on demand, the user can select the defragmentation method and priority for this process. If necessary, at certain intervals, the defragmentation process in manual mode can be easily blocked, and at others (if you are not working at a computer), on the contrary, set a high priority for the process. Manual defragmentation can be performed in parallel with other actions on the computer, because thanks to I / O Smart technology, the defragmentation process is suspended during disk I / O operations. It is possible to simultaneously run analysis / defragmentation not only for one, but also several disks at once, but there is no defragmentation of folders and files. There is also Boot-Time Defragmentation, designed to defragment the MFT and the paging file. The program is presented in several editions - Home and Professional editions may be of interest to home users. The professional edition has all the features of the Home edition and can already work with volumes up to 2 TB. It also additionally has support for I-FAAST (Intelligent File Access Acceleration Sequencing Technology) optimization technology and FragShield 2.0 tools (reduce the degree of fragmentation of critical system files and help configure paging files so that fragmentation in the future is less likely). The demo version of the program (partial Russian localization) is fully functional and operational for 30 days. The cost of the commercial version depends on the edition: Home - $ 29.95, Professional - $ 59.95 The Diskeeper defragmenter is relatively easy to use, although there are quite a few settings in it, and only a partially translated into Russian interface is of special convenience, of course, does not provide. By default, the program window has three panels - two basic horizontal and one additional vertical (the "Quick Launch" panel), which is easy to disable through the "View" menu. The horizontal panels display disks and operations with them, while the vertical panel contains tabs with reference information. To start the analysis of disks, it is enough to select one of them (or several at once) and select the command "Action"\u003e "Analyze" from the main menu or the command "Analyze" from the context menu. Based on the analysis results, very detailed reports are generated, according to which you can not only identify the initial state of the disk and the level of its fragmentation after reorganizing files, but also, for example, find out what the performance losses were due to the level of fragmentation that took place. By default, the program turns on the automatic defragmentation mode for all disks found in the system - to disable it, click the "Properties" button and uncheck the "Enable automatic defragmentation on the selected volumes" item. Defragmentation can be started in manual mode using the "Defragment" command (from the "Action" menu or the context menu). Two defragmentation methods are offered - Quick and Recommended; the choice of the required method is carried out through the manual defragmentation properties (the "Manual Defragmentation Properties" button). When using the first method (in the Home Edition this method unavailable) defragmentation takes less time, but its efficiency is lower, since free areas are not merged in this case. In the case of the Recommended method, which is set by default, the defragmentation process is longer and includes not only defragmenting files, but also partial consolidation of free disk space. In the same window, you can also enable the automatic defragmentation priority reduction for disk I / O operations ("Enable I / O Smart" checkbox).

In terms of optimization, Diskeeper implements I-FAAST technology (Professional edition only), which takes into account the degree of file access when placing files. In addition, the package provides the ability to defragment large files more efficiently - this means their partial reorganization, after which the files remain fragmented, but to a lesser extent (perhaps this option is useful if the amount of free space is insufficient or there is very little time for the process) ... Defragment Exception Allowed specified files and folders - say, temporary files that will be deleted soon. This is done through the list of exclusions (command "Action"\u003e "Configure Diskeeper"\u003e "Diskeeper Configuration Properties", tab "File Exclusion").

Hello.

In order for the computer to work quickly and stably, from time to time, it is necessary to pay a little attention to it - to carry out small preventive measures ☺. This article will focus on optimizing work hard disk (HDD), in particular about an operation such as.

In general, I will say from experience that most users do not make it, and do not even know that it exists ...

Meanwhile, if you regularly perform this operation, your disk will work faster (read and write speed will increase), there will be fewer waits and freezes (for example, in games), and responsiveness will improve.

And so, about everything in order ...

Addition!

In this article, you will find the best disk defragmentation software -

What is it: type. questions

What kind of process is this - defragmentation?

In general, the files that you write to the hard disk are not located on it in one piece, but are split into small ones (they are called clusters (maybe someone remembers from the computer science course) ). When you access a file on disk, the system needs to read information from all these pieces. And the problem here is that these pieces (as you work on PC) will not be near, but scattered throughout the disk (this spread is called fragmentation), and it takes time to collect them.

Defragmentation is a process that allows you to arrange all these pieces on the disk, to place them close to each other. As a result, the speed of reading files from the disk increases, which speeds up the performance of both your PC and, in fact, your work.

How often should I defragment, and in general, how do I know if I need it now?

It's a difficult question ... The fact is that it is hardly appropriate to talk about a specific timeframe, it all depends on how and how much you work at your PC (the more often and more information you write / delete, the more often you need to do it), what file system is on the disk (for example, on NTFS, fragmentation does not affect the speed of work so much, and therefore defragmentation can be carried out much less frequently than on FAT 32).

I will also add that SSD drives (which became very popular in recent times) you do not need to defragment - you will not get a performance gain, moreover, reduce its "life" somewhat.

To analyze disk , it is best to use special utility - (the details of working with her - will be discussed below). She will give you another result within a minute: in my case, for example, the fragmentation was about 6.8% - and she recommends a quick defragmentation. Well, you have to agree ...

Do I need to defragment an NTFS drive?

In general, if we compare the FAT 32 and NTFS file systems, then the disk with the first file system needs to be defragmented more often than with the second (it's just that the device of the file systems is different, and on one of them, fragmentation affects the speed of work, on the other, the effect is much less) ...

However, whatever it was, after defragmenting the HDD with NTFS, it will still work a little faster and more responsive. Therefore, there is a sense in this operation. Especially when it comes to disks with Windows and computer games (where a well-known glitch with a slight "freeze" for a moment while reading information from a disk - can get mad) .

Do all disks need to be defragmented, or just the one on which Windows is running?

The one on which Windows is highly desirable (if you have several disks with the OS, then of course they are worth it). I will also add that this also applies to those disks on which programs, games, etc. are installed. (Note: some just divide the disk into 2-3 logical partitions and install some of the programs not on the partition with the system).

Perhaps, you shouldn't defragment disks on which you have ordinary movies, music, some rarely used files.

Note!

How to defragment

What to do before defragmentation!

  1. firstly, removing all unnecessary files (programs, games, movies, etc.);
  2. secondly, clean the disk from "trash" and empty the trash (the best utilities for auto-cleaning garbage are here :).

What does it give? there is less information on the disk, then defragmentation will be faster (since you will not need to transfer extra "pieces" of information from one place to another). In addition, cleaning from " excess garbage"has a positive effect on the responsiveness and performance of your system as a whole.

With Smart Defrag

IObit Smart Defrag

This is a relatively small utility that has won the trust of millions of users around the world. By the way, one of best utilities to defragment your disk! Its main advantages:

  • unique algorithms for ultra-fast disk defragmentation (by the way, you can defragment separately large files or free space, optimize games, or defragment at system boot);
  • you can manually specify specific folders and files for defragmentation;
  • the main options in the utility are free;
  • supports Russian;
  • good interface: everything is in its place, convenient, a lot of tips, everything is designed for an unprepared user;
  • improves hard drive performance;
  • automatic operation is possible;
  • also have additional options to clean the disk from debris.

And so, I will assume that you have the Smart Defrag utility (the installation of the program is standard). After starting the program - in the main window you will see all your disks. First, check the boxes of all the disks you want to analyze (I also recommend checking the boxes in the settings opposite the "Cleanup" item). The screenshot below shows how this is done ☺.

Smart Defrag program will start its work: within 1-2 minutes it will analyze your disk and assess the degree of fragmentation. What is most captivating about it is that it will also give a recommendation about the advisability of defragmentation (in my case, Smart Defrag recommends not to carry it out).

Note: if Smart Defrag recommends defragmentation, just select the recommended action by clicking on the "Smart Defrag" button (see screenshot below).

For example, I give a screenshot after optimizing my other disk: the program estimated the degree of fragmentation before and after optimizing the disk.

Assessment "BEFORE" and "AFTER" defragmentation

By the way, please note that Smart Defrag has an option such as defragmenting individual folders and files. If you are concerned about the low performance of some individual games, try adding their folders to specials. window and regularly defragment them (this should have a positive effect on the speed of access to game files).

Windows standard tools

In all popular windows versions (XP, 7, 8, 10) there is a built-in defragmenter. He, of course, is far from ideal (and does not have as many options as the previous utility), but nevertheless, it does its job ...

To launch it, press the combination of buttons WIN + R, in the "run" window that appears, enter the command "dfrgui" (without quotes), see the example below.

Disk analysis, is defragmentation necessary // Windows 10

After analysis, the optimizer will tell you which disks need defragmentation (see the screen below "Optimization required"). Then just select this disk and press the "Optimize" button, and wait until the end of the operation. Good Job! (good job)

Optimizing the disk with the standard program // Windows 10

Summary (what to remember)

  1. it is highly advisable from time to time to run defragmentation of the disks on which you have Windows, programs and games are installed - this way your system and software will work faster and more responsive;
  2. don't defragment SSD drives;
  3. the standard defragmenter built into Windows is far from the best the best choice (preferably using third-party utilities);
  4. before defragmenting - remove all extra files, clear the "trash" (browser cache, temporary files, etc.), empty the trash;
  5. if your PC slows down and no defragmentation helps, check out this article:

That's all for me.

Happy work!

Defragmenting your hard drive is a great way to improve your computer's performance. Although the term "defragmentation" itself sounds very serious, it is actually a very simple and useful process if your computer starts or is suspiciously working.

What is hard drive defragmentation

To begin with, let's deal with this not all understandable term “ defragmentation».

If you believe the know-it-all - it is the process during which the logical structure of the disk partition is optimized and updated in order to ensure the further storage of all files on your computer in a continuous sequence of clusters that is defragmentation. Or else - redistribution of files on disk, for their further location in contiguous areas.

Imagine a huge library filled to the brim with different books in a completely chaotic manner. And try to imagine that this library doesn't have a librarian at all! Since every day visitors take books and do not put them in their original place, they are placed in a chaotic manner farther apart. Now imagine that you come to the library and want to borrow some "The Art of Programming" in 4 volumes, and all 4 books are in different places in the library. And the search begins ... You will spend a lot of time to find all the books. The same thing happens on your computer. We load some programs, and after a while we realize that we no longer need them and delete them. And in their place recorded new information that takes up less space on your hard drive. And then holes appear in which you can't write anything. This process is - fragmented data.

When launching programs that contain hundreds of files, fragmentation can degrade your computer's performance... Insofar as clusters (cells) of files on your hard disk are fragmented, they are located far from each other and the computer has to rush at cosmic speed through all the nooks of memory, like a fool with a stupa, and collect them piece by piece. A game popular in the 80s and 90s immediately comes to mind, where a wolf rushes with a basket on the last level.

And for your computer this is a normal process, and the more you install programs, download files, the faster the number of these holes grows, and we get low performance and slowing down operating systems.

What does hard disk defragmentation give and how it works

To begin with, the operating system analyzes the disk for fragmented files and sends them to the buffer by sequential rewriting to a new location. Many people immediately have a question: "Will the data be lost after defragmentation"? The answer is no, don't confuse defragmentation with formatting. And it is also a very common misconception that defragmentation can also be used to check the disk. This is not the case, there are many programs for this.

With the help of disk defragmentation, we have the ability to combine all parts of one file into one chain, i.e. all empty cells will be collected in one pile at the end of the disk, and all parts of the data files will become sequential and end up at the beginning. After defragmentation, the speed of access to all files and their parts increases significantly. Of course, after a certain period of time, fragmented files will appear again, but there is only one way out - you need to defragment again after a while.

Review of programs for defragmentation of the hard drive

There are a huge number of programs on the Internet with which you can defragment your hard drive. Windows also has a built-in defragmenter, but its work leaves much to be desired. Now I will list the most famous programs:
- a very fast defragmentation program, the program uses a number of such algorithms, with the help of which the defragmentation process becomes faster than using conventional utilities.

Is a relative of the recently very popular JkDefrag. It can be called stable, productive and easy to use.

- a good program from famous company Piriform. Combines stability, safety and usability.

- there is a possibility of quite productive work in graphical mode, and even through the console.

- works in automatic mode, and decides when to start defragmentation. Also helps prevent some OS crashes.

Try not to forget defragment at least occasionally is will extend the life of your computer and will speed up its performance. Don't forget to leave 10-15% free space on disk for defragmentation. I advise you to do this operation at night, because it takes a lot of time. Most programs have a function that will shutdown the computer after the defragmentation process is finished.

In this article, you will become familiar with such an important maintenance operation as defragmentation. Many novice users (and not only) often neglect this function, which over time leads to an increase in read / write time, and, accordingly, a decrease in computer performance. But before answering the question, what is disk defragmentation and how to do it, let's look at the principle of writing files to disk.

How are files written to the hard drive?

To put it simply, it is not recorded entirely on the disk, but is “decomposed” into clusters, which represent the minimum space for storing information on the hard disk. Those. the file is split into pieces that match the size of the cluster.

Disk structure: (A) track (B) geometric sector (C) track sector (D) cluster

Initially, as long as there is enough free space on the disk, the file is written to the clusters sequentially - one after the other. As the media fills up, there may be a shortage of sequential clusters (especially in the case of writing large files) in this case, the system starts looking for free cells and distribute parts of the file over them, which takes longer. Likewise, when reading a file written in disparate clusters - it takes time to find all parts of the file on disk and reassemble it. It turns out that the fragments of the file are scattered here and there - it is fragmented, and there can be many such files. When you delete a fragmented file, empty scattered clusters remain in its place, into which other files will again be scattered when they are written. All this significantly reduces the performance of the computer and the resource of the hard disk.

What is Disk Defragmenter?

Disk Defragmenter is designed to collect scattered pieces of files into contiguous sequential clusters as much as possible. We can say that the system will try to reassemble the fragmented file into a single whole. Empty scattered clusters will also be chained together in this process. In addition, defragmentation will move most of the data closer to the beginning of the disk. The defragmentation operation speeds up program startup and data loading. Before starting the process, it is recommended to delete unused programs and data.

How often should you defragment?

Defragmentation frequency depends on the size of your hard drive, the intensity of its use, how full it is, how often you install and remove programs.

How do I defragment my disk?

Consider the defragmentation process using the example of Windows 7, as the most common operating system at the time of publication of the article. IN windows system there is a standard program with which you can analyze the selected local disk for the need to defragment it and directly start the process itself. The fastest way to run it is:

Open folder " A computer". Start—\u003e Computer.

Select a local drive. Right-click on it to call context menu, in which select the item " Properties". At the top of the Properties window, select the " Service"And click on the button" Defragment»

In the defragmenter window that opens, click on the " Analyze disk”, After which the process of checking the disk for the degree of fragmentation will begin. After the end of the analysis, the program will show how fragmented the disk is. If the degree of fragmentation is higher than 15%, you must press the button " Disk Defragmenter»And wait for the end of the program.

The defragmentation program can also be started from the Main Menu. To do this, click on the " Start", Choose from the menu" All programs«, « Standard«, « Service"And left-click on the icon" Disk Defragmenter»

Do not forget to carry out this procedure regularly, and your hard drive will delight in the speed of its work. In conclusion, it should be noted that for high-speed solid state SSD defragmenting disks is unnecessary; in them the principle of storing information is different. SSD drives will be discussed in the following articles.

Share.

One way to improve work efficiency modern computer is a program for defragmenting a disk - an application that efficiently distributes data across a storage device.

With it, even an inexperienced user can speed up the computer.

Process principle

During operation, files are constantly overwritten.

And, if their size has increased, it may turn out that new information will be placed not in a neighboring sector already occupied by other data, but in another part of the hard disk.

As a result, access to the file takes longer, and the total program launch time increases.

All this happens gradually, but if the disk has not been defragmented for a long time, the speed of work may drop by 10-20 percent or even more.

Defragmentation is a process that allows you to move parts of files so that they are located continuously.

This simplifies program access by reducing the distance traveled by the hard disk readheads.

Best defragmentation software

Defraggler

In fact, the best program for disk defragmentation, which should only be run as a system administrator.

To work with it you need:

  • Open the application and select the disk to be defragmented in the main window;
  • Open the menu by pressing the right mouse button;
  • Select the defragmentation command.

Advice: To select multiple disk partitions while selecting them, hold down the Ctrl key.

After the analysis, the utility defragments the hard drive, increasing the efficiency of access to the information recorded on it.

With its help, you can also defragment the registry and individual files, the list of which opens on a separate tab "List of files".

In addition, the defragmenter provides a view detailed information the progress of the process.

The first defragmentation will take longer than the next. However, the computer can be used while it is running.

Although it's best not to do this by setting automatic shutdown PC and running Defraggler, for example, before leaving for work.

The advantages of the program are:

  • Relatively fast work;
  • Free distribution;
  • High efficiency of defragmentation;
  • Russian support, not available for all similar applications.

PerfectDisk Professional

A fairly simple and easy-to-use program with which you can defragment both partitions and RAID volumes, and network drive.

Moreover, in the latter version, the configuration is facilitated using special profiles of network planning and process logging.

The user can configure the scheduler to start defragmentation at any time convenient for him and set the fragmentation threshold, after exceeding which the files will not only be moved, but also optimized.

PerfectDisk operates in two optimization modes:

Taking into account the frequency of file access. In this case, most often launched applications are located at the beginning of the disk.

No matter how often the program starts.

MyDefrag

IObit SmartDefrag

High-speed Russian program provides file placement with one of better waysas it uses the most efficient scripts.

Data is placed on the fastest disk sections, and the system is significantly faster.

The main advantages of the application include a high degree of file security, which is not threatened even by a sudden accidental shutdown of the computer while SmartDefrag is running.

In addition, defragmentation can be performed in three modes (simple, deep and optimized).

O&O Defrag

A well-known program - if not the best, then at least one of the most popular.

It is often used by advanced users to move parts of files to places where they can work with maximum efficiency.

With O&O Defrag, performance can be restored and stationary computer, and laptop, and workstation.

The advantages of a defragmenter are:

  1. Special installers for embedding custom scripts;
  2. Automatic configuration of defragmentation mode;
  3. High speed of analysis and optimization;
  4. Process charts;
  5. Extended functionality when working on the network;
  6. The presence of a multilingual interface (there is also a Russian version);
  7. Supports all types of Windows, starting from XP and Vista;
  8. Automatic choice of bitness (32 or 64) for better work on the appropriate operating system;
  9. Special mode for mobile PCs (netbooks and laptops).
Did you like the article? To share with friends: