How does defragmentation of a hard drive occur? The best programs to defragment your hard drive

Good day!

Despite the fact that Windows has a built-in disk defragmenter, there are hundreds (if not more) of similar programs (that do it ten times better!).

The fact is that, in my opinion, Microsoft added it to Windows to have it, and its work is far from ideal (the algorithms are imperfect, there is no detailed schedule and settings, you cannot manually specify specific folders and files, etc.) ...

Addition!

If you don't know what defragmentation is and how to do it, I recommend reading this help article:

The best utilities for HDD defragmentation

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IObit Smart Defrag

A very powerful disk defragmenter, which, thanks to its unique algorithms, is capable of maximizing the performance of your disk subsystem!

The program not only defragments the files themselves, but also distributes them on the disk in a special way: according to how often they are used. All operations can be configured to be performed automatically (which means you won’t be distracted and waste time optimizing the system every time).

Smart Defrag is the main window of the program: there are options for disk cleaning, game optimization, etc.

Advantages:

1. unique defragmentation algorithms (according to the developers, they are among the best in the World);
2. you can defragment individual folders or files;
3. game optimization;
4. it is possible to work according to a schedule;
5. high safety during operation (if suddenly the electricity goes out during defragmentation, everything will be fine with your data);
6. there is an option to defragment the disk before booting the system;
7. thoughtful and user-friendly interface;
8. The utility is free, and entirely in Russian (even the most “distant” menus with high-quality translation).

Defraggler

Defraggler is a simple, free program to quickly evaluate and defragment hard drives. The utility has everything you need in its arsenal: assessing the state of the disk, analysis, defragmentation of individual files (it’s convenient to optimize folders with games), etc.

By the way, the utility automatically determines the type of media (HDD, SSD), which is very convenient if you have several media connected - there will be no need to remember which one is “which” (note: since SSD drives are not recommended to be defragmented).

Peculiarities:

1. defragmentation of individual files (many similar programs allow you to optimize only the entire disk);
2. there is a portable version that does not require installation (the program can be copied to a flash drive/external HDD and used on any PC);
3. the utility supports all the latest versions of Windows (including Windows 10);
4. NTFS and FAT32 file systems are supported;
5. automatic disk type detection;
6. After analysis, the utility shows a list of fragmented files (convenient when you do not want to defragment the entire disk).

Auslogics Disk Defrag

This defragmenter differs from others in its compactness and high speed. The program is rightfully considered one of the best in the World - more than 11,000,000 users have recognized this product!

Peculiarities:

1. it is possible to defragment both individual files/folders and free space;
2. allows you to defragment Windows system files (which affects overall performance);
3. it is possible to work in the background, as unnoticeably as possible for the user (so your system will always be in optimal condition);
4. the program is free for home users;
5. Supported by all popular OS Windows 7/8/10 (32, 64 bits).

Disk SpeedUp

This utility is from the famous Glary Soft PC optimization kit. The utility optimizes disks for maximum system performance. Disk SpeedUp can work automatically and according to a schedule, without distracting the user (by the way, you can set at what CPU load the defragmenter will turn off background operation. This option is not found in most other utilities of this kind).

Peculiarities:

1. automatic mode and work according to a predetermined schedule;
2. there are options to turn off the PC after defragmentation is complete;
3. setting the PC load level (CPU and hard drive) to disable background defragmentation;
4. support for all the most popular file systems: FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5, NTFS EFS;
5. the program has pre-configured templates for work (suitable in most cases);
6. regular updates and improvements to the program;
7. support for all versions of Windows 7/8/10.

MyDefrag (old name: JkDefrag)

Despite the fact that this program was created not by any company, but by a single programmer, it is rightfully considered a leader in its segment.

Judge for yourself: it can work both in simple mode (for ordinary users) and provide complex and detailed settings for advanced ones. MyDefrag supports various scripts; you can create or edit them yourself), it can work according to a pre-configured schedule, analyze the HDD and defragment not only occupied space, but also free space.

There are silent settings - they are suitable for those users who do not want to deal with all this multi-functionality of the utility. By the way, it works in all versions of Windows (XP/7/8/10), fully supports the Russian language.

O&O Defrag

A very powerful and multifunctional utility for optimizing hard drives. Can work with many file systems (FAT, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5), Volume/Stripe Sets arrays, supports background mode, scheduled work, etc.

Peculiarities:

1. There are 5 defragmentation modes: STEALTH (note: invisible in the background), SPACE (note: free space), COMPLETE/Name, COMPLETE/Date and COMPLETE/Access;
2. there is an option to start defragmentation when a certain percentage level of fragmentation is reached;
3. the ability to defragment system files that affect the performance of your system (swap file, registry, MFT, etc.);
4. availability of a schedule;
5. pleasant and intuitive interface (even completely novice users can figure it out);
6. support for all Windows file systems: FAT, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5;
7. support for Russian and all modern OS Windows 7/8/10.

Puran Defrag

Free defragmenter India. It is distinguished primarily by its high-speed operation (it uses its own unique PIOZR algorithm). As for defragmentation, Puran Defrag can defragment the entire disk, as well as individual folders and files (including setting a schedule, with the ability to limit work during CPU load with extraneous tasks, prioritizing system files).

Puran Defrag - main program window

It will save those users who have little time to maintain the system (or for those who constantly forget about it). So to speak, once you configured Puran Defrag, your system will always be responsive and fast. Comfortable!

Peculiarities:

1. your own unique algorithm (high-speed and high-quality work);
2. separate priority for defragmenting system files;
3. command line support;
4. the ability to turn off the PC after completing the HDD optimization process;
5. it is possible to set a schedule for automatic and background defragmentation;
6. compressing directories to increase system boot speed;
7. you can defragment individual folders/files from the Explorer context menu;
8. support for all popular versions of Windows XP/7/8/10 (32 and 64 bits).

That's all.

For additions on the topic - a special merci!

Surely every user at least once in his life has encountered the mysterious inscription defragmentation in the start menu and perhaps even thought about what it is needed for. More advanced users have some idea about it, but do not consider it necessary to use it.

So, disk defragmentation is a process during which, using special algorithms, the data on the hard disk is organized.

How does defragmentation occur and why is it needed?

Any user of a computer or laptop installs and uninstalls programs, as well as writes and erases various data, with a certain frequency. When you first start using a new hard drive, all data is saved sequentially, that is, data from one program is located next to each other. After any changes on the disk, new data begins to be written chaotically, that is, something ends up at the beginning, something at the end, and something ends up somewhere in the center.

Thus, when reading this data, the entire disk is searched, which reduces performance and costs time. During the defragmentation process, the system finds pieces of one file and places them as close to each other as possible, in addition, it transfers all data to the initial sectors of the hard drive, which again reduces the time for reading information.

The defragmentation process takes a long time, especially if it is performed infrequently. But after its completion, you can notice the system speeds up, data is copied faster, and you can also see an increase in performance in powerful 3D games. This is because the system does not need to search for data throughout the entire hard drive, because it is in one place.

There are many defragmentation programs available - one of them is a built-in tool, others are created by third parties.

Programs for defragmentation

In Windows utilities you can find a built-in defragmenter, which is quite usable, but it has a significant drawback. It cannot be used to efficiently carry out the procedure on a hard drive that is actively used. The native Windows program has weak algorithms that will help only novice computer users, as well as those people who do not store a lot of data on their hard drive. This program is not able to detect all the fragments and put them as close to each other as possible, so, as a rule, no special effect from its use is visible.

Defraggler is a powerful free defragmentation utility. Has powerful algorithms for searching and transferring data. Allows you to work sequentially with different logical drives or defragment the entire hard drive. An additional advantage is the ability to work in the background, which allows the user to continue using the PC without compromising performance.

The program can be programmed to automatically turn off when completed. Among other things, Defraggler provides the opportunity to conduct an analysis and draw conclusions about the feasibility of the procedure. Sometimes disk defragmentation is not at all necessary and the program will inform you about this. The defragmentation process is accompanied by a beautiful and visual graphic pattern in which multi-colored cubes form groups. The program has a simple and intuitive interface, so there should not be any problems using it.

O&O Defrag Free– shareware English-language utility. Free for home use. It is one of the most powerful at work. Conducts high-quality data defragmentation and does not take up a lot of resources. The program has a large number of settings and add-ons, which are quite difficult to understand without knowledge of English. Able to work in the background. O&O Defrag Free is a great tool for confident users.

Small tricks related to disk defragmentation

In general, the need to defragment the disk arises due to the fact that most users operate their system incorrectly. Almost every hard drive is divided into at least two logical drives. Many believe that this is done so that if the system is reinstalled, important data remains intact, and this is partly correct. However, there is another reason for this division.

The user can fragment his hard drive quite independently without any programs. So, if it is known for certain that data will be stored on the hard drive for short-term use, frequent storage, and many programs will be installed, then it is best to make not two, but three or four logical drives.

The first, as you might guess, will be allocated for the system. You can install programs here, but it’s better to have a separate disk for them, because none of them are used forever, which means that old ones will be periodically deleted and new ones installed. It’s best not to touch the disk with the system at all, then you won’t have to do any defragmentation on it. The second disk should be reserved for long-term storage data, which will be added to but not deleted.

In this case, the data should be copied to it sequentially. For example, videos will come first, then music and then photos. File sizes also matter, because filling occurs from beginning to end, which means that smaller files should be placed at the end. In this case, this logical disk will also not require defragmentation.

The third disk will be dedicated to programs and sometimes you will have to use special programs. The last disk will be dedicated to temporary data. It can be combined with a software disc. This sequence was not chosen by chance. It turns out that permanent data will be recorded on the initial sectors, and those that are often deleted on the final ones.

If the hard drive is already full, then defragmentation can be done by copying everything from the hard drive, and then filling it back in, observing the order of the data and its size.

Watch the video for an even better description of the defragmentation process!

In contact with

And this article will discuss the best programs for defragmenting your hard drive. All of them are free, and you can easily find them at the office. developers website (links will be provided). Some of them are in Russian, some are in English. But it is very easy to understand the programs, since they have a simple and intuitive interface. And most importantly: it is the same almost everywhere.

All of the utilities below work on Windows 7, 8 and 10, and some also on XP. And you can install them on any computer or laptop running on these OS.

Do you need a fast defragmenter? In this case, Smart Defrag from IObit is best suited. This is one of the fastest utilities for defragmenting a hard drive, and this does not affect the quality of the process itself. And all because the developers managed to create effective scripts that can significantly speed up the execution time of this procedure on large hard drives. Today this is very relevant - especially considering that HDD drives with a capacity of 1 TB and higher are found on almost all computers and laptops.

The main advantages of the Smart Defrag program:

• 3 modes of hard drive defragmentation - simple, deep, with optimization;
• works in the background (does not interfere with your business);
• high security of files (if the electricity suddenly goes out, nothing will happen to them);
• optimized to work on Windows 7, 8, 10 and XP;
• entirely in Russian;
• free.

By the way, this utility can be configured so that it automatically defragments the hard drive at the right time. And this is very convenient.

Auslogics Disk Defrag

Another excellent free defragmentation program (in Russian) is Auslogics Disk Defrag. This is also a fairly fast defragmenter, which, moreover, takes up very little space. The impressive speed of this process is ensured by the fact that the utility transfers files to the fastest part of the hard drive - and as a result, this has a positive effect on the operation of the OS itself.

Main advantages:

• supports Windows XP, 7, 8 and 10;
• works in the background;
• can run defragmentation automatically.

By the way, it has a distinctive feature - it can defragment both local drives and individual folders with files.

It is recommended to use the Auslogics BoostSpeed ​​program on your computer or laptop. This is an excellent utility for optimizing and cleaning your PC, which has many useful tools - including the above-mentioned Disk Defrag. With Auslogics BoostSpeed ​​you can not only defragment your hard drive, but also clean the registry, speed up the Internet, optimize services, etc.

Defraggler is the best disk defragmentation software. At least that's what many users think. It is very simple, convenient, and most importantly – free.

Its main advantages:

• defragments the hard drive quickly and efficiently;
• supports all versions of Windows (32 and 64-bit);
• entirely in Russian;
• can defragment the registry, as well as individual files.

Also, this defragmentation utility supports automatic shutdown of the laptop or computer after the process is completed. Therefore, you can safely run it at night or before leaving for work.

MyDefragGUI is a simple utility that is an excellent replacement for the built-in Windows defragmenter.

Main advantages:

• effective file defragmentation;
• availability of a task scheduler;
• small size;
• There is a portable version.

In addition, MyDefragGUI can defragment all types of drives - built-in and external hard drives, USB flash drives and memory cards.

Ashampoo Magical Defrag

Another great free defragmenter is Magical Defrag from Ashampoo. By the way, products from these developers are always warmly received by ordinary users, and this utility for defragmenting a hard drive is no exception.

It is a “set it and forget it” program. The developers themselves emphasize that Ashampoo Magical Defrag works quietly and unnoticeably, i.e. starts the defragmentation process only when almost all the resources of the computer or laptop are free. Therefore, you simply won’t notice any glitches or slowdowns.

Instead of a conclusion

Listed above are the top five free (or shareware) programs for defragmenting your hard drive. Therefore, if you do not like the built-in Windows defragmenter (or it does not work for certain reasons), install any utility. Links to them are given above, so you can easily install the program that you like the most.

Personally, I use IObit Smart Defrag. But this is just my opinion.

The file system is always designed in such a way as to provide the fastest possible access to the disk for any operation: both writing and reading. This especially applies to the system disk or that part of it where the OS files are located. At the same time, disk space should be used sparingly.

Files on a disk are not permanent; some of them are stored for a long time, but others may only last a few hours or even minutes. The operating system itself uses temporary files especially often and intensively, which the user does not even know about. A typical example is the paging file, part of the virtual memory.

When a user or system deletes files, free spaces of various sizes are created on the disk.

When writing new files, the operating system uses the first free cluster (see the note above about access speed) and, thus, the new file can be written in fragments - separate pieces.

File systems created by Microsoft are especially susceptible to fragmentation. UNIX and its clones have significantly more advanced file systems, in addition, the UNIX or Linux kernel constantly monitors the file system, automatically preventing its performance from degrading. Moreover, UNIX-like operating systems can simultaneously support many different file systems.

Disk defragmentation is the process of arranging clusters belonging to the same file into a sequential and continuous chain, as well as re-allocating such chains without leaving any lost clusters between them.

What gives

From what has already been written, it is clear that the order of files is the speed of launching applications and opening documents. Whether a program is needed for defragmentation is an unnecessary question - it is an indispensable part of the Windows family of systems. There are also external utilities for the same purpose. Defragmentation significantly speeds up the operation of the system; in addition, it reduces unnecessary wear and tear on the mechanics of hard drives.

Photo: one of the best free defragmenters

SSD

Defragmentation of the ssd disk, due to the nature of its design, is not done. It stores persistent files that require the fastest reading speed, such as executable files and some system data. Frequent writes to the SSD lead to a significant reduction in its service life.

How often can you perform

Systems where fast defragmentation is welcome simply need to undergo this procedure more often. The idea that defragmentation is a pain for a disk is incorrect, since an overly fragmented disk is subject to even greater pain.

The answer to the question of how often to defragment depends on the following:

• the disk contains a large number of files;
• the files on the disk are small in size;
• files are created, deleted and updated frequently;
• the disk is a system disk;
• the disk is more than half occupied with files;
• the system is used frequently and intensively.

The more positive answers to the above questions, the more often you need to perform defragmentation. How long it takes to complete defragmentation will also depend on the above - the longer we don't do it, the longer we wait for it to finish.

It is important not to work on the computer or launch new programs while defragmentation is in progress.

There are many tools for performing this process, but the best programs for disk defragmentation are:

• Auslogics Disk Defrag;
• O&O Defrag Pro;
• IObit Smart Defrag.

Video: Step-by-step instructions

What does disk defragmentation do?

Disk defragmentation is carried out in several stages. First, the defragmentation utility analyzes the disk occupancy and counts the number of fragmented files. If it decides that the existing degree of fragmentation is reducing performance, then the defragmentation process itself begins.

It is somewhat similar to lining up trains at stations or playing solitaire. For the shunting dispatcher, there are many options for moving cars, in the same way, various algorithms are proposed for defragmentation programs, from which it can choose the most suitable one.

A preliminary analysis finds out whether assembling clusters in the old location helps to assemble the file compactly or whether it is better to rewrite it to a new location. Depending on this, the defragmenter makes a decision.

Additional free space is required on the disk where chains of clusters will be temporarily relocated.

After defragmentation is completed, the new state of the disk is assessed and temporary files created by the defragmentation program itself are cleaned. Of course, when files are moved to a new location, information about the initial cluster is updated in the file allocation tables.

At the end of each cluster there is information about the position of the next cluster of the same file, so clusters belonging to the same file can be placed almost arbitrarily. However, for speed of reading, it is most advantageous to place them side by side and sequentially. This is the essence of defragmentation.

Launch methods in OS

The command is available in all versions of Windows defrag, which is used by administrators in scripts or from the command line. But, being a Chinese script for most users, it is not used by ordinary users. Instead, they use launch from a graphical environment (which amounts to calling the same utility).

Photo: Auslogics Disk Defrag program

It is highly advisable to have a UPS for your PC, since a power loss at the wrong moment can cause very serious problems with accessing data on the disk. In laptops, this problem is solved by having a fully charged battery.

To perform defragmentation, you need to have administrator rights, however, individual owners of computers and laptops, regardless of their training, actually are.

Windows XP

In XP you need to do the following:

Finally, all that remains is to run analysis or directly defragmentation (which will begin with analysis of the selected disk).

Windows Vista

Windows Vista's defragmenter is improved over XP in that it makes it easier to use the schedule. The user selects a time when the computer is least busy, for example, at night, and designates it as the moment to launch the utility.

If you need to defragment in Vista, it is done in the same way as for Windows XP, but here you can choose a convenient time to start.

Windows 7

In this version of Windows, the defragmenter is automated and runs in the background (by default on Wednesday from 1 am). How to perform defragmentation has already been discussed in the previous section. The task scheduler will take care of this. He chooses a compromise solution: only files that are not too large are defragmented. However, it is possible to run defragmentation manually at any time.

Photo: Windows 7 defragmenter interface

It is only necessary to note that frequently turning on and off your computer with Windows 7 is undesirable. This quickly increases file fragmentation and disk wear.

Windows 8

Unlike Windows 7, here defragmentation is performed “in free time,” that is, when the processor is unloaded and there is enough memory to buffer data, taking into account possible user activity at any time.

Typically, Windows 8 does not require the scheduler to be involved in this process.

Finally, it also frees users who have nothing better to do, hooked on the search for “functionality,” from bad work and intrusive actions.

Programs for Windows 7

Those who are interested in speeding up a standard utility, or rather, finding a faster one, can be advised to choose one of the following applications:

• Auslogic Disk Defag;
• IObit SmartDefrag;
• Ultra Defragmenter.

Problems and their solutions

We forgot to mention an important circumstance that may interfere with defragmentation. The sudden loss of power has already been mentioned. If it disappears, for example, when updating MFT, then the disk will only be readable with special programs.

It is also important to have at least 15 percent free disk space. Otherwise, it will not be possible to create temporary files when moving clusters. If there is little space, then you need to try to clear the disk of unnecessary and temporary files (for example, with CCleaner) or transfer some of the files to another disk.

Photo: System optimization and cleaning program

When trying to defragment a full disk, the command does not run; more precisely, the analyzer does not allow any file movements to be performed, even if partial defragmentation is still possible.

We found out why defragmentation is performed, how to enable the defragmenter, and what problems may arise during this process. We owe all this to the unfortunate Microsoft file system, in which files are stuck next to each other at the beginning of the disk.

More advanced file systems, such as Linux's ext, distribute files evenly across the entire partition, making fragmentation unlikely at all even when the partition is 90% full.

06.04.2015

Greetings friends! The topic of this article will be hard drive defragmentation. Mostly beginners do not know about this process, which is what causes the hard drive to fill with fragments.

On each hard drive of each computer user, thousands of files are saved and the same number are deleted. In their place, thousands of files are again installed, and then deleted with the same number.

Let me now try to explain this process in understandable human language.

Let's say you have bookshelves in your room. On each shelf all the books are sorted by name i.e. from A to Z.

The hard drive is in the same state without fragments. But one day, all the books were mixed up, the sorting order was disrupted and, ultimately, a complete house. The hard drive containing fragments is in approximately this state.

The newly purchased computer works with high speed and performance. Over time, the computer begins to slow down over time. In such situations, if you observe that the hard drive begins to crackle and operate noisily, this signals one thing, it is time to perform defragmentation (reverse fragmentation)

Defragmenting a hard drive on Windows 7 is done in two ways:

Let's look at the first way to use the built-in program. This method has significant disadvantages. The process does not defragment some system files and the process itself takes a very long time.

Let's go start open all programs, then move on standard choose official Select the one that opens from the list Disk Defragmenter

Basically, in all cases, this partition is the system partition (the partition where the Windows operating system is installed).

After making your selection, click Analyze disk. Once the analysis is complete, click Disk Defragmentation.

Defragment your hard drive with Auslogics Disk Defrag Free

This is a convenient free program that will help defragment your hard drive, while at the same time increasing the performance of your computer, which improves your performance.

This program has a number of advantages over analogues:

• Optimizes Windows system files located on the hard drive to increase system speed.
• The developers have provided one feature that allows defragmentation of one folder or one file
• The program has a very useful idle mode that works automatically
• This program optimizes free space on your computer
• Flexibility in setting parameters hard drive defragmentation Convenient and intuitive interface

This program is being improved every month. In this article we will look at the version of the program

Auslogics Disk Defrag Free 5.4.0.0. The counter for this program has reached 11,000,000 users.

At the time of writing this article, this version of the program is only in English.

Auslogics Disk Defrag Free 5.4.0.0 can be downloaded from the official website.

When installing, no special knowledge or effort is required; we perform a normal installation. Launch the program

and preferably makes adjustments in the settings to improve the defragmentation result.

Let's go to settings(settings) open program settings(program settings) go algorithm ( algorithms ) . Next, insert a check mark in all items.

• Delete temporary files before defragmentation - this function allows you to clean your hard drive of debris stored on it,
• This frees up free disk space. These files (garbage) are a sufficient number,
• to slow down the hard drive defragmentation process.
• Skip fragments larger than 10MB - fragments with such memory increases the reading time.
• Defragmenting such fragments does not provide any benefit except that it will only waste time.
• Move system files to the beginning of the disk - this function allows you to move those files forward
• on which the speed of the process and time depend. The structure of the hard drive is such that it has the highest speed
• readout is located at the beginning of the hard drive.
• Defragment in VVS - compatible mode - this feature prevents the growth of the VVS saving area,
• which occurs when moving files and reduces the risk of copying previous VVS data.

When setting these settings, the speed of the defragmentation process improves.

Hard drive defragmentation process

Open the program, select the partition, this is mainly the system partition (C), right-click and select Analyze (c).

After analysis, the program will reveal a map of results and tell you whether defragmentation is necessary.

The red cubes on the map are fragments. If the message Advice defragment disks appears at the bottom of the results, this means that the program recommends defragmentation. And if there is no message, we leave everything as is; there is no limit on the number of fragments on the disk.

Basically, if the result shows fragments less than 10%, then the condition of the hard drive is good.

The process takes from 5-15 minutes, it mainly depends on how many files are on your hard drive.

1. If you defragment your hard drive frequently, you will increase the wear and tear on the drive.
2. So I advise you to do defragmentation if necessary.
3. During the defragmentation process, leave the computer alone. Due to this, defragmentation time is reduced.
4. If for some reason you need a computer, you can use the program with the priority set to low.
5. To do this, go to settings, hover your mouse over defragment priority and select Low priority.
6. For the process to proceed normally, I advise that the disk has free space of 10% of the total memory.

Scheduler defragmentation function.

There are times when your computer is always on. In this case, it is better to use a scheduler.

To enable the scheduler, go to settings(settings) click scheduler(Cluster Map).

Mark the section defragment automatic(Defragment automatically) ticked. Next, we configure this function to suit your conditions.

Example settings:

• When selecting the When PC is idle mode, select the time.
• Every day mode (daily) - set the time for daily checking.
• Weekly mode - set the day for defragmentation.
• Monthly mode - select the day and time to start the process.

If you install the scheduler on a laptop it will not work when using battery.

Attention: For the scheduler to work, the Auslogics Disk Defrag Free program must be in active mode, i.e. should be running.

In order for the program to start along with windows, go to settings(settings) select program settings(programm settings) and go to the tab are common(general) check the box as in the picture.

That's all the question is: how to do it hard drive defragmentation to uncover. If you have any questions, write comments. I hope the information was useful!