How does defragmenting a hard drive help? Hard drive defragmentation: what it is and how to do it

Disk defragmentation - this will be the topic of this article. Here you will learn about what disk defragmentation is and why it is needed.

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, due to the fact that sequential read and write operations are performed faster than random accesses (for example, for hard drive no head movement required). 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 pieces when writing to disk is called fragmentation. If there are many fragmented files on the disk, the read speed of the media decreases, since searching for clusters in which files are stored on hard drives takes time. On flash memory, for example, search time does not depend on the location of sectors, and is practically zero, so defragmentation is not required for them.

Defragmentation is most often used for file systems such as File Allocation Table for MS-DOS and 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.

In addition to slowing down your computer for file operations (such as reading and writing), file fragmentation negatively affects the health of the hard drive because it forces the drive's positioning heads, which read and write data, to constantly move. To eliminate the problem of fragmentation, there are defragmenter programs, the principle of which is to “assemble” each file from its fragments. A common disadvantage of such programs is their slow work- the defragmentation process usually takes a very long time (up to several hours).

Manual defragmentation and fragmentation prevention:

Despite the fact that among programs of this kind there are quite intelligent, good defragmentation can be done on your own. To do this, just create on disk new section with the file system, and then simply copy the files that will be stored on it to this logical disk. During such copying to an empty disk, data is written sequentially, without fragmentation. In addition, the process of writing files itself takes several times less time than defragmentation using programs.

Knowledge file structure and the principles of hard drive operation helps to greatly reduce file fragmentation thanks to proper organization user work. This organization consists of first recording onto a blank disk those files that are intended to be stored for a long time: favorite films, archives, music. Those files that are not planned to be stored for a long time are better written to the end of the disk: deleting them will not cause fragmentation of other files.

It helps to use a separate section for frequent modified files. For example, in Unix-like operating systems, user data and settings (/home directory), temporary files (/tmp), protocols, caches, etc. (/var) are often located on separate partitions.

File systems:

• FAT: MS-DOS 6.x and Windows 4.x contain a utility Defrag. The DOS version is based on Norton SpeedDisk, version for Windows - on .
• NTFS Note: Windows NT 5 and later contain a defragmenter based on Diskeeper. Windows NT 4 and earlier did not have built-in utilities for defragmentation.
• ext2: uses offline defragmenter e2defrag.
• ext3: e2defrag can work with ext3 only if it is temporarily converted into ext2. Instead, you can use a filesystem-independent defragmenter - for example, Shake.
• ext4: An online defragmenter is planned that works by creating extents and moving files into them.
• XFS: online defragmenter xfs_fsr.
  

  $sudo xfs_fsr -v /dev/sdX1

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

  $mv /home/user /mnt/user
  $mv /mnt/user /home/user

• Information about file fragmentation can be obtained using the utility filefrag from the package e2fsprogs.

How often should you defragment hard drives?

It depends on the intensity using hard disk. Previously, software manufacturers recommended defragmenting the disk once a month. For a home computer used occasionally in the evenings and not too intensively, this frequency, in my opinion, is even excessive. Once every two months, or even three, is quite enough. If the home computer is used intensively - new games are constantly installed, movies are downloaded, old files are deleted, then once a month is a completely adequate defragmentation frequency.

If the PC is used constantly and intensively, as they say, both in tail and mane, then once every 3-4 weeks is a completely normal option for defragmentation. In this case, it may be wise to schedule this process to run automatically. The only advice is to choose a time when the computer is used least intensively, since during defragmentation, working with the PC may be impossible or difficult, since this process “eats up” quite a lot of resources.

How to defragment a hard drive?

Exist special programs for defragmentation. There are quite a lot of them. I do not recommend using the standard Windows defragmenter. It works for a long time and is not very high quality. Successful programs There are both paid and free ones for defragmentation. I will list only the most notable of the free and paid defragmenters.

Program:
Developer:
OS: Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7 (32bit/64bit)
License: Shareware (30-day trial)

- Very powerful program to defragment the hard drive. PerfectDisk uses a single-pass defragmentation method taking into account S.M.A.R.T., which ensures fairly fast program operation.

PerfectDisk has all the functions necessary for high-quality defragmentation, including: defragmentation of any files in one pass, the ability to consolidate directories at the OS boot stage, successful work with drives large volumes, defragmentation of MFT and all system files. Work with RAID volumes is supported.

PerfectDisk can defragment not only local drives, but also network drives, and in this case, network defragmentation scheduling profiles and fully customizable work logging are used to facilitate task setup.

Key features of PerfectDisk:

• Better performance for PCs and laptops.
• The most complete tool for managing, configuring and working in different conditions support for large storage drives.
• Automatic defragmentation and background optimization.
• OptiWrite™ to prevent fragmentation.
• S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring physical disks.
• Additional reports and customization of management functions.
• Support for large storage drives.
• SMARTPlacement Technology - a patented method for optimizing the defragmentation strategy, reducing overall operating time and resources involved
• Space Restoration Technology - technology for optimization free space in as large blocks as possible.
• Patent-pending Resource Savert - technology to increase defragmentation speed.
• Defragment files and free space in one pass.
• Defragmentation of individual files.
• Ability to work from the command line with similar graphical interface possibilities.
• Automatic update of components via the Internet.
• Designed for today's advanced users looking for optimal PC performance.

Program:
Developer:
OS:
License: Freeware

- Free program for defragmenting your hard drive for Windows. It is a logical continuation of the JkDefrag program, but has a different interface and is not distributed as open source. A minimalistic defragmenter distributed under the GNU license.

In addition to its immediate purpose - defragmentation - the program can optimize files on the hard drive. To do this, it includes standard scripts:

System Disk (Daily, Weekly, Monthly) - these scripts are created specifically for system drives. They place MFTs and folders at the 30% mark of the disk and create zones from the beginning of the disk with partitioning for files used during boot, used by most programs, regular files and rarely used files with gaps between each zone. Scripts differ in execution speed and, accordingly, in the quality of defragmentation and optimization. The fastest and simplest of these scripts is Daily, the longest and best is Monthly.
An acid-colored diagram appears in a small window, changing as MyDefrag works.

Main features of MyDefrag:

• Version that works from the command line - for work without installation.
• The standard version of the program is fully automated; you just need to run it with the selected parameters.
• Two defragmentation algorithms.
• DLL library (for use when working with programming languages).
• Task Scheduler.

Program:
Developer:
OS:
License: Freeware

- This free utility, which provides users with a powerful and easy-to-use hard drive defragmentation tool that works with FAT16/32 and NTFS file systems in 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems Microsoft systems Windows.

Like all other programs of this kind, the Auslogics Disk Defrag utility is designed to defragment the file system through optimization and maintenance work, as well as organizing files to improve the performance and speed of programs and operating system Microsoft Windows.

The program has an easy-to-use interface and simple management, provides information about the current state of the system, allows you to change the priority of work, can protect data on your computer from viruses, and has a built-in task scheduler. Auslogics Disk Defrag uses numerous file checking algorithms, thanks to which defragmentation occurs several orders of magnitude higher than in the standard Microsoft Windows defragmenter, and is also capable of detecting errors on the hard drive and quickly eliminating them. After all operations on files, the utility provides the user with a full report on all actions taken.

Main features of Auslogics Disk Defrag:

• Easy to use graphical interface.
• Automatic check.
• Optimize your entire file system with one click.
• Consolidation of free disk space.
• Task Scheduler.
• Efficient organization of the MFT file table
• Defragmentation of selected files or individual folders.
• Supports hard drives larger than terabytes.
• Minimum consumption system resources.
• A complete report on all performed program actions.
• International support.
• Ability to defragment multiple disks simultaneously.

Program:
Developer:
OS: NT 4.0/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/Windows 7 (32bit/64bit)
License: Shareware (30-day trial)

- Very powerful defragmentation program hard drives under Windows, can work with FAT, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5 file systems, Volume/Stripe Sets arrays, replace standard OS defragmentation utilities, work in background, on schedule and fit into Microsoft Management Console.

Five defragmentation modes are available to the user: STEALTH, SPACE, COMPLETE/Name, COMPLETE/Date and COMPLETE/Access. It should also be added that in addition to the regular (Professional) version Defrag Pro, its network (Server) version is also available, designed for working on local networks, and there is also the possibility of automatic operation (starting when a certain level of fragmentation is reached), the ActivityGuard function for monitoring system resources while the program is running and the ability to defragment the page file and system files (registry, MFT, etc.) at the system boot stage.

Key features of O&O Defrag:

• If necessary, the program checks the volume of errors before defragmentation.
• The defragmentation procedure can be scheduled for a specific time, or can be performed when the computer is typically idle.
• Defragmentation can be run in the background so that the user barely notices it is running.
• Defragmentation can be launched in screensaver mode.
• Feeding Zone: Classify different files into different zones according to their level, use and apply different methods to get files into their respective zones.
• Special support for laptops.
• Support for removable drives.
• Easy to use even without experience.
• Five various methods defragmentation.

Program:
Developer:
OS: NT 4.0/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/Windows 7 (32bit/64bit)
License: Freeware

- This is a free utility that provides users with a powerful and easy-to-use tool to defragment their hard drive. The utility was created by the British private company Piriform Limited and written in C++. The utility can process individual files, groups of files, or entire disk partitions. Supports NTFS, FAT32 and exFAT file systems.

Unlike similar programs, Defraggler has useful opportunity Quickly and easily defragment only selected files, rather than processing the entire disk.
After launching and analyzing the hard Defraggler disk will display a list of all fragmented files. Just select the files you are interested in and you will see their location on the disk, and Defraggler will defragment them in a few seconds.

Portable version:
Defraggler Portable - This is a special version of Defraggler designed to work with removable media information such as USB flash drive, Memory Stick, iPod/MP3 players and other devices.

Key features of Defraggler:

• Organize empty disk space to prevent further fragmentation.
• Fast defragmentation.
• Defragmentation of free disk space.
• Scheduler to automatically start defragmentation.
• Providing complete interactive map fragmented files.

Program:
Developer:
OS: NT 4.0/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/Windows 7 (32bit/64bit)
License: Shareware (30-day trial)

- A program for defragmenting a hard drive, originally created for VAX systems, and later released for Microsoft Windows. It is the primary product of Diskeeper Corporation, (formerly Executive Software) based in Burbank, founded on July 22, 1981.

Among the main features and differences from other defragmenters are the real-time defragmentation mode, as well as an intelligent access acceleration system, which is based on the optimization of frequently used applications, which can significantly increase the speed and performance of the system as a whole. The program allows you to perform defragmentation in both manual and automatic modes. In addition, the utility optimizes the system to improve speed and performance.

A new feature that has appeared in Diskeeper is automatic defragmentation, that is, a built-in scheduler. Automatic defragmentation occurs on the fly. Diskeeper does not require the creation of a schedule, as it works constantly, using resources only when the PC is idle. In most cases, scheduling is not applied, and disk performance remains at a high level.

Diskeeper can defragment and move system files, including MFT data, that are not accessible to many other programs, which makes a significant contribution to increased performance. This function is carried out before the operating system is fully loaded, when the files are not yet in use and they can be accessed.

Another feature of Diskeeper is “ Intelligent Technology accelerating file access" (I-FAAST). As it runs, I-FAAST determines how often files are being used, then arranges them based on a hard drive speed test. Thanks to this, Diskeeper speeds up file access and helps prevent fragmentation. The I-FAAST function is only available in Professional Premier, Server and Administrator editions.

Proprietary IntelliWrite technology, using automatic defragmentation, allows you to further reduce the percentage of data fragmentation on disks and thus increase overall system performance. There are six versions of the software: Home, Professional, Professional Premier, Server Standard, Server Enterprise and Administrator.

Basic Disk capabilities eeper:

• An advanced defragmentation algorithm that is constantly being improved by developers.
• Low consumption of system resources, work in the background.
• The ability to defragment partitions with a small amount of free space.
• Full support for 64-bit and server versions of Windows.
• Supports volumes with no size restrictions.
• Logging of all performed operations.
• Convenient graphical shell.
• IPv6 protocol support.
• Advanced network settings.

Program:
Developer:
OS: NT 4.0/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/Windows 7 (32bit/64bit)
License: Freeware

- a free utility that effectively defragments hard disks while optimizing their performance.

All you need is just install Smart Defrag, and then the program will do everything itself “set it and forget it.” IObit Smart Defrag defragments files unnoticed by the user, without loading system resources at all. You can configure defragmentation on a schedule, set the program to start when Windows starts, minimize to the system tray, stop working when switching to battery power, turn off the computer at the end of the defragmentation process, and so on. Can defragment without optimization, with fast optimization, or full optimizations to choose from.

Key features of Smart Defrag:

• Defragments disks automatically in the background.
• Works great with the latest large hard drives.
• Scheduled defragmentation.
• Uses “Safe Intelligence” technology, which decides How and When it is best to defragment a particular disk. Thanks to this, the disks will not be damaged due to incorrect or untimely defragmentation.
• Shutting down your computer
• Convenient to use.
• Completely free. Can be used both on home computers and in offices.
• Minor fixes and improvements.
• Multilingual support (including Russian).

Program:
Developer:
OS: Windows NT 4.0/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/Windows 7 (32bit/64bit)
License: Shareware (30-day trial)

- A utility for defragmenting and optimizing hard drives. Thanks to original technology, Paragon Total Defrag performs low-level defragmentation, providing almost zero level of disk fragmentation. Thanks to exclusive access to the disk file system, Paragon Total Defrag allows you to speed up and optimize all critical system files and metadata, including MFT (Master File Table), directories, and swap files.

When working with a file system just begins, fragments of its files are located side by side, forming a single whole. Over time, as a result of creating and deleting files, files and their fragments end up in different sectors of hard disk, which first causes a slowdown in its operation, and then a decrease in performance.

Total Defrag – A new comprehensive product for complete defragmentation and optimization of the file system. It is based on own developments Paragon and performs low-level defragmentation of the entire hard drive, minimizing the level of file fragmentation.

Key features of Paragon Total Defrag:

• Defragmentation of disks/volumes, including RAID systems online/offline.
• Defragmentation of GPT and MBR disks.
• Defragmentation of dynamic volumes.
• Two defragmentation modes: Fast and Safe. Safe mode is slower, but it helps protect data in the event of a power outage during the defragmentation process.
• Unique algorithms for low-level defragmentation and system optimization.
• 9 different defragmentation strategies.
• Defragmentation of important system files during reboot mode.
• Ability to speed up application launch.
• Maximize file system performance.
• Complete file system optimization, including organization of folders, virtual memory files, master file table (MFT), metadata, files system registry etc.
• Defragmentation with a minimum of free space (less than 1% of unallocated space on the hard drive is required).
• A bootable CD with a version of the program that runs directly from the CD.
• It has become faster thanks to an improved defragmentation mechanism.

Program:
Developer:
OS: Windows NT 4.0/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/Windows 7 (32bit/64bit)
License: Shareware (30-day trial)

- Small, but quite fast in operation and highly customizable defragmentation utility. UltimateDefrag allows you to look at the defragmentation process in a new way. Firstly, the program prompts the user to determine in which places on the hard drive his files should be stored. According to the program developers, on any hard drive there are areas from which calling files is faster, and there are also areas when accessed which the device responds more slowly.

The user is asked to place those files that he accesses frequently in faster areas of the disk, and archives and rarely used files in slower areas. Thus, work is accelerated both due to the fact that the disk is not fragmented and due to the fact that access to the necessary files provided faster. Finally, proper placement of files makes it possible to speed up the defragmentation process itself, since it can exclude those areas of the hard drive where unused files are stored.

Key features of UltimateDefrag:

• Defragmentation all system NTFS files: MFT, swap file, $Logfile, Hyberfile, $USN ChangeJournal and more. Not only can you defragment them, UltimateDefrag allows you to specifically place them where you like for optimal performance on both 64-bit and 32-bit Windows.
• Defragmentation Simulation allows you to simulate defragmentation in a compressed amount of time. Perfect for those complex defragmented routines where you want to squeeze every millisecond of performance from your hard drive. Defragmentation simulation also accurately estimates the time defragmentation will take based on your current options.
• File Drag and Drop - Allows you to drag and drop a file or full list files, to whatever position you want it to be on your hard drive.
• True File Usage Tracking tracks your files' behavior, usage frequency, fragmentation rate, degree of fragmentation and places them optimally.
• FragProtect is an algorithm that places files in a manner that minimizes the rate of re-fragmentation to the slowest rate according to the laws of entropy as they relate to your files on your hard drive.
• An even faster defragmentation engine makes an intelligent decision about how to defragment each fragmented file it encounters so that it defragments the file in the fastest possible time. A 2 Gbps file can be defragged after a few seconds when certain conditions are met.
• Auto Defrag allows you to tune the exact performance you want and shows you your disk performance gains.

Program: Vopt
Developer:
OS: Windows NT 4.0/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/Windows 7 (32bit/64bit)
License: Shareware (30-day trial)

- Disk defragmentation program for Microsoft Windows. Software developer - Golden Bow Systems. Vopt is considered one of the oldest defragmenters; its first versions worked under MS-DOS. It is still often claimed that Vopt has better performance than the built-in Windows Disk Defragmenter.

Vopt gained popularity thanks to high speed reorganization of files and unobtrusiveness of this process when running in the background. The utility supports file FAT systems, FAT32 and NTFS, can work with large volumes, the size of which can reach 16 TB, and has a very effective defragmentation algorithm. It can defragment all files, including large files, system files and the MFT area, and can defragment automatically on a schedule (daily, weekly, on system startup, during downtime, etc.) or on demand. In the second case, the user is allowed to select a defragmentation method, change the priority of this operation and adjust optimization parameters. The program can be launched from the command line.

The program has a number additional functions to clean up disk space - deleting temporary files, clearing browser caches, automating the defragmentation process and others. Also, Vopt, as well as most modern defragmenters, has a built-in system to protect against the loss of defragmented files in the event of failures (for example, an unexpected power outage).

Main features of Vopt:

• Quick analysis and defragmentation of hard drives.
• Scheduling automatic disk defragmentation.
• Cleaning the system from junk files.
• Changing the size of the paging file and cache.
• Display running processes and CPU and RAM resource consumption.
• Multilingual support (including Russian).

Program:
Developer:
OS: Windows NT 4.0/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/Windows 7 (32bit/64bit)
License: Shareware (30/40-day trial)

- Conditionally- free program, which provides users with a powerful and easy-to-use hard drive defragmentation tool. The program was created by the German private company Ashampoo.

Ashampoo Magical Defrag is based on the principle of set it and forget it, but still also offers an extensive range of options. The Job Manager provides you with a variety of defragmentation jobs, each of which can be configured individually, and a Job Scheduler that offers editable time settings for each job. Thanks to the Defragment now function, you can start non-stop defragmentation with just one click of the mouse.

Additionally, you can also run any preset defragmentation job at any time, regardless of the scheduled time, by simply clicking Run Job. Another feature of the program is SSD protection, which prevents software from involving the SSD in the defragmentation process. Because of their nature, SSDs don't need to be defragmented and will wear out much faster if you continue to defragment them. The built-in Screensaver allows you to monitor the progress of defragmentation and comes with various designs.

Key features of Ashampoo Magical Defrag:

• Automatic Defragmentation: Automatically defragments your hard drives every time your computer is idle.
• No interference with other programs: Stops automatically every time you start using the computer, or when any other program starts running.
• Set it and forget it: You no longer have to worry about defragmenting your hard drives. Ashampoo Magical Defrag takes care of everything for you.
• Multi-user support: Once you have installed Ashampoo Magical Defrag, it will also work in regular user accounts without administrator rights. The program even works when users are not logged in yet!
• Fragmentation protection keeps your hard drives from fragmentation for a long time using an intelligent algorithm. Therefore, you will never have to worry about performance loss due to fragmented volumes again.
• Battery Monitor automatically pauses Ashampoo Magical Defrag whenever laptop switch to battery powered operation.
• Statistics: Displays complete statistics on the current defragmentation status.
• Improved defragmentation mechanism.
• The job manager takes into account individual defragmentation strategies.
• Multiple defragmentation jobs.
• Task planner for individual time management.
• Defragmentation: Run permanent defragmentation with just one click.
• Start Job: Start any predefined defragmentation job from Job Administration, regardless of the predefined list of jobs.
• SSD protection.
• Volume analysis with status report.
• Screensaver showing various designs for graphical visualization of the current defragmentation progress.
• A completely new skin for the user interface.
• Multilingual support (including Russian).

Program:
Developer:
OS: Windows XP/Server/Vista/7 (32bit/64bit)
License: Freeware

- a free program for defragmenting and optimizing your hard drive, working with FAT, FAT32 and NTFS file systems. DiskTune supports 32- and 64-bit Microsoft Windows XP/Server/Vista/7 operating systems.

To move files securely, DiskTune uses System API Windows utilities Defrag.exe and operating service Windows systems- “Volume Shadow Copy”, which allows you to copy files that you are currently working with and even system and locked files.

Also, to protect the hard drive from overheating, DiskTune uses S.M.A.R.T technology. (self-monitoring, analysis and reporting technology), with the help of which it monitors the main characteristics of the drive and, if the hard drive overheats, DiskTune stops the defragmentation process.

Key features of DiskTune:

• Supports 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
• Allows you to easily create and run jobs.
• Uses the “Volume Shadow Copy” service.
• Allows you to defragment only selected folders.
• Allows you to defragment the master file table (MFT).
• Uses S.M.A.R.T technology. to protect the hard drive from overheating.
• Supports several hard drive defragmentation modes.

Program:
Developer:
OS: Windows NT 4.0, 2000, XP, Vista, 7
License: Freeware

is a free and open source disk defragmenter. The program can process any system files, including the registry and page file. Works quickly, efficiently and reliably.

UltraDefrag supports scheduled work, defragmentation of the entire disk or individual folders/files, and it is possible to turn off the computer after the task is completed. The result of defragmentation can be recorded in an HTML report.

Key features of UltraDefrag:

• Supports FAT, exFAT and NTFS.
• Defragmentation of all files, including system and NTFS meta-files.
• Full disk optimization that processes all files.
• Fast disk optimization - mainly processes fragmented files.
• MFT optimization.
• Exclude files by name, number of fragments and size.
• Writing debugging information to a log file.
• Disks that need to be scanned by CHKDSK are excluded from processing.
• You can set useful actions after defragmentation is complete.

Program:
Developer:
OS: Windows 2000 (SP4) or higher
License: Shareware (14-day trial)

- a compact and easy-to-use utility designed to defragment hard drives. The mst Defrag program allows you to defragment both manually and in the background. In the latter case, mst Defrag produces constant control When data on hard drives changes, a list of changed (added) files is created, which will be defragmented in the next downtime of the computer. Thus, the utility does not take up RAM during active use of the computer, and therefore is practically invisible to the user.

The mst Defrag defragmenter is available in three versions: Home, Professional and Server Edition. Unlike Home Edition, mst Defrag Professional and mst Defrag Server Edition include the ability to work on a local network, thereby allowing you to defragment network drives.

Main features of mst Defrag:

• Uses mst Battery-Guard technology to save laptop battery.
• Uses mst I/O-Guard technology, which, when defragmented, allows you to use only unused computer resources.

Program:
Developer:
OS: Win 98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/Windows 7
License: Freeware

- free utility for analysis and defragmentation local disks. Optimizes and defragments disks to obtain maximum performance system operation. There is an automatic defragmentation option, which will run when the computer is in standby mode, and a scheduler function, with which you can set up a scheduled launch.

When defragmentation is complete, automatic shutdown. Having also indicated the load level of the processor and hard drive, the utility pauses its work when it reaches it. Supports FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5, NTFS and EFS file systems. To defragment your hard drive, Disk SpeedUp allows you to exclude certain files and folders that do not need to be defragmented.

Key features of Disk SpeedUp:

• Automatic and intelligent defragmentation of hard drives.
• Supports FAT, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5, NTFS and EFS file systems.
• Run defragmentation of hard drives on a schedule.
• Allows you to exclude certain files and folders.

Defragmentation hard disk necessary to combine all fragmented files into groups. Essentially, it arranges certain parts of the file. This allows you to quickly read the data stored in this file when accessing it. Naturally, after defragmenting the hard disk The speed of writing data to this media also increases. After grouping scattered files, groups of free clusters appear, located quite close to each other. Now, to record new information, there is no need to distribute it between different disk.Defragmentation disk has a positive effect on computer performance and operating system speed. Even if a file was written to a newly defragmented disk, there is no guarantee that it will not end up distributed among different sectors. A huge number of operating system files are constantly changing. This means that clusters are cleared and rewritten multiple times. Naturally, new data for certain files cannot be written “next to” the file itself. Defragmentation of hard disk It is recommended to perform it at least once a month. Please note that this process reduces the number of times the hard drive read head must be moved. disk. Considering the fact that hard drives have a certain operating life, defragmentation can extend the life of the hard drive. disk. Defragment your hard drive disk possible using regular funds Windows operating system or additional utilities. The choice depends on your preferences, but this process is extremely useful, and neglecting it can lead to irreversible consequences.

Video on the topic

To decrease loading processor, first of all, you need to find out which processes consume a lot of computing power. And after that, either unload the unnecessary process from memory, or remove the program from startup.

You will need

• Computer, task manager, defragmentation program.

Instructions

First, call the Windows operating system task manager. Then click on the processes tab and see which objects are consuming a lot of processor power. If this required program, then don't touch it. Look for processes that you don't need. Just find out this process first. Just go to a search engine and read its description. This way you can log out of the system unnecessary processes that increase loading .

Then enter the word msconfig in the execute window. Go to the tab. Remove all unnecessary programs that you don't need. After all, they, together with windows, can significantly. You can remove all programs; this will not interfere with the operation of the operating system. Leave only the antivirus.

After completing these steps, look at the result. Loading processor You can look in the tasks in the performance tab. If this is not enough, you should carry out. Excessively fragmented files not only slow down the reading and execution of programs, but also take up a significant portion of productivity processor. If you don’t want to defragment everything, then do it on the system drive (where Windows is installed). This will help take some of the load off processor.

Clean the operating system from temporary files. Use CCleaner program. In some cases, it frees up several tens of gigabytes of space. It also provides a registry cleaning function. Carry out this operation and you will not only get more free space, but also reduce loading processor.

Video on the topic

Helpful advice

If all these steps helped, but the games are running slowly, then update DirectX. This component is designed to effectively manage computer devices in games. By using DirectX games can directly use the entire computing power of the computer. In this case, the operating system no longer acts as an intermediary and does not increase the processor load.

No matter how big HDD, space on it sooner or later runs out. Of course, you can increase the number of treasured gigabytes in a radical way: by purchasing an additional disk. But why go this route if you can still find some space on the disk itself?

Instructions

When starting global hard drive cleaning, you need to decide what you really need, no matter how trivial it may sound. Remove everything unnecessary. These could be outdated files, a movie you watched a long time ago, or music you don't listen to.

Defragmentation is the most important process that involves transferring data from several areas to one part of the disk. After defragmentation, system performance improves, writing and reading of any type of file speeds up. In operating systems Windows family There is already a built-in defragmenter, but it has limited capabilities. That is why it is recommended to use third-party programs.

Every advanced user should have good program to defragment the hard drive. Of course, sometimes it can be difficult to make a choice. Therefore, it is recommended to carefully familiarize yourself with the functionality of each utility, and then choose what suits you best.

Defragmenters for Windows

In the process of work, users create, copy and delete a huge number of files. After a few months, and sometimes even earlier, the OS slows down. To cope with the problem, it is recommended to pay attention to the following programs:

• Defrag Pro;
• SmartDefrag;

Whatever defragmenter you use, it is worth noting that it is not recommended for SSD drives. Otherwise, serious problems may arise.

Defrag Pro

This is the best program for high-quality hard drive defragmentation. Compared to many analogues, the utility is able to work with the file system:

• FAT32;
• NTFS;
• NTFS5.

The program works great on Windows XP, as well as more modern versions OS. The application can replace a standard defragmenter. At the same time, Defrag Pro can be launched on a schedule and also work in the background.

It is important to note that the defragmentation utility has not only a client version, but also a server version. In addition to defragmenting hard drives, the program can work with the registry and the swap file.

SmartDefrag

The program was developed by IOBit. Software allows you to quickly, and most importantly efficiently, optimize the system through defragmentation. It is noteworthy that the application is perfect for Windows 10 and above earlier versions. Even an inexperienced user can manage the program.

It is important to note that the program for quick disk defragmentation can work in manual and automatic mode. You can change the way it works in the settings. It's best to take advantage manual mode. In addition to the standard defragmentation procedure, the application is capable of:

• Move data when the operating system boots. Thanks to the “Boot Time Defrag” technology, even those files that cannot be moved while the OS is running will be optimized;
• It is possible to launch the utility on a schedule;
• Disk analysis is performed only at certain moments. This reduces the load on the system.

It should be noted that it is difficult to find a better program than this one. In addition, the application is distributed in Russian.

Auslogics Disk Defrag

You can find it on the Internet free defragmenters, but not all of them are as good as . The application optimizes and organizes files scattered on hard drives. After completion of the work, the speed of the system increases several times.

The program uses several algorithms, thanks to which disk defragmentation is faster than when running a utility built into the OS. After optimization is completed, a report on the work done will be provided.

The main features of the defragmenter include:

• Organizing files and cluster structure;
• Disk map showing the defragmentation process in real time;
• Intuitive interface;
• A clear reporting system. Thanks to this, you can understand how well the disk was defragmented;
• Ability to optimize 2 or more hard drives simultaneously.

The program can be downloaded for free from the official website. For effectiveness, it is recommended to use the defragmenter 2 times a week.

Everyone knows that the best programs are those that fully cope with the assigned tasks. Defraggler, developed by Piriform Ltd., is just such a defragmenter. The utility can work not only with hard drive, but also with specific directories. This is the best defragmenter for Windows 7.

Unlike paid analogues, the application works several times faster and better. During the defragmentation process, the user has the opportunity to observe the transfer of data from one place to another. While the program defragments the disk, you can work on the computer (it’s better, of course, not to do this). After finishing the work, a report about the changes will appear.

The main functions of the program include:

• Creating an information map of fragmented files;
• Setting up a schedule;
• Supports all popular file systems, including exFAT;
• Setting the interface language.

To see all the benefits of a defragmenter, it is recommended to test it yourself.

UltraDefrag is the best defragmenter. Despite the fact that the utility is small, it does an excellent job of moving even complex clusters. Defragmentation of hard disk, is not the only feature of UltraDefrag, the program can also work with the registry and the page file. In addition to the main interface, there is a console interface, thanks to which the utility is launched on a schedule.

The application works with file systems such as FAT, FAT32 and NTFS. After completion of the work, a report appears in the form of an HTML file. It should be noted that the program has a function such as turning off the PC after optimization is completed. Even beginners can handle the controls.

Conclusion

The user downloads the program that best copes with the assigned tasks. That is why it is recommended to consider third-party applications, since the defragmenter built into the OS does not cope well with transferring files. One of best programs, can be considered Auslogics Disk Defrag. Before downloading the utilities, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with all the advantages and disadvantages.

Video review of the defragmentation program

Disk defragmentation is very useful feature, which can significantly increase the speed of your personal computer. As new information accumulates, the HDD begins to work noticeably slower. This tool is designed to eliminate such troubles. This guide describes what defragmenting a local disk is, why it is needed, and what programs can be used to do it.

General information

To understand why disk defragmentation is needed, you need to general outline know the principle HDD operation. The hard drive is divided into many sectors of a certain size. When you create new file, or download it from the Internet, it is automatically broken into many small pieces, which are recorded in adjacent sectors.

Then, suppose you decide to delete this object, thereby freeing several sectors from the information recorded on them. If you now download another file, a larger one, part of it will be written in adjacent places, and the other (which does not fit into the free space) will be written in other positions.

Thus, over time, a kind of “porridge” is created from parts of various files, programs, photographs, and so on. This does not affect the quality of the computer in any way - it knows exactly where and what is located. But the speed begins to suffer, because in order to open one file, the reading head has to move back and forth across the entire surface of the disk. And when milliseconds count, any movement is critical.

Disk defragmentation is designed to solve such problems. It rewrites all files so that their parts are located in adjacent sectors. This significantly increases the speed of the read head and extends its service life.

Standard Windows program

It is recommended to defragment your HDD regularly to always keep it in good condition. This process can be compared to regularly cleaning your room. The more often you spend time on it, the easier it will be to find any item.

If you do not want to download and install third-party programs, the best way will use a standard Windows operating system tool for you. Working with it is quite easy, just follow the instructions provided:

In the same menu, you can set a schedule for automatically carrying out this procedure. Click “Set up schedule” and set a schedule according to which the system will defragment.

Auslogics Disk Defrag

If the standard Windows tool does not suit you, you can use third-party programs for these purposes.

Most popular program for defragmentation is Auslogics Disk Defrag. It has a clear, minimalistic interface and works much faster basic program Windows. In addition, you can find a portable version online that does not require installation. You can download it to your flash drive and use it on any personal computer or laptop when necessary.

The most important advantage of the program is that it is free. You can download it from the official website of the developers and use it freely without any activation or trial periods. Follow this link

Good afternoon! 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 good analyzer which 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 new Windows 10, in Windows 7 - this can be done) disables the analysis and defragmentation button for such disks.

The fact is that an SSD drive has limited number recording 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) Is it necessary to defragment the disk if it contains files? NTFS 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 built-in Windows utility, secondly, some utilities can perform defragmentation 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 is 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 defragment it (for maximum speed!). You can talk about one of them .

1) Cleaning the disk from garbage

Programs for Windows cleaning -

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 via special utilities: (by the way, you can use the same CCleaner utility - it also has a tab for uninstalling programs).

At worst, you can use standard utility, built into Windows (to open it, use the control panel, see 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 both with entire disk partitions and with 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 ordinary home use) and it can be configured to run automatically during PC downtime (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 settings launch. 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!