Disk defragmentation top. Disk defragmentation - what is it for and how to do it, Windows programs and utilities

In this material, 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 written to the disk in its entirety, but is “folded out” into cluster cells, which represent the minimum space for storing information on the hard disk. Those. the file is split into pieces corresponding to the cluster size.

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

Initially, as long as there is a sufficient amount of free space, the file is written to the clusters sequentially - one after another. As the storage medium fills up, there may be a shortage of sequential clusters (especially in the case of recording large files), in which case the system begins to look for free cells and distribute parts of the file among them, which takes more time. The same is true when reading a file written in scattered clusters - it takes time to find all parts of the file on the disk and assemble it. It turns out that 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 computer performance and resource hard drive.

What is disk defragmentation?

Disk defragmentation is designed to collect scattered parts of files into continuous, sequential clusters as much as possible. We can say that the system will try to assemble the fragmented file into a single whole. Empty scattered clusters will also be connected into serial chains during this process. In addition, defragmentation will move most of the data closer to the beginning of the disk. The defragmentation operation speeds up program launches and data loading. Before starting the process, it is recommended to remove unused programs and data.

How often should you defragment?

The frequency of defragmentation depends on the size of your hard drive, how much you use it, how full it is, and how often you install and uninstall programs.

How to defragment a disk?

Let's look at the defragmentation process using Windows 7 as an example, as the most common operating system at the time of publication of the article. The Windows system has a standard program with which you can analyze the selected local disk to determine the need to defragment it and directly start the process itself. The fastest way to run it is:

Open folder " Computer" Start—>Computer.

Choose local disk. Click on it right button mouse call context menu, in which select “ Properties" At the top of the properties window, select the " Service" and click on the button " Run defragmentation»

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 finishing the analysis, the program will show how fragmented the disk is. If the degree of fragmentation is above 15%, you must press the “ Disk Defragmenter" and wait for the program to finish.

The defragmentation program can also be launched using the Main Menu. To do this, click on the button " Start", select from the menu " All programs«, « Standard«, « Service" and left-click on the icon " Disk Defragmenter»

Remember to carry out this procedure regularly, and your HDD You will be pleased with the speed of your work. In conclusion, it should be noted that for high-speed solid-state SSD drives, defragmentation is not needed, because they have a different principle of storing information. SSD drives will be discussed in the following materials.

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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?

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

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

3) Should I defragment? solid state SSD disks?

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 disk has a limited number of write cycles. This means that with each defragmentation, you reduce the life of your disk. In addition, in SSD drives there are no mechanics, and after defragmenting, you will not notice any increase in work 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);
you will do more fast work Windows.

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 defragment in automatic mode without distracting you from 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 one, built into Windows program, does defragmentation quite well (although it does not have some of the “goodies” that third-party developers have).

7) Should defragmentation be done not on system disk(i.e. on one that does not have Windows installed)?

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

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

How to defragment a disk - step by step steps

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

1) Cleaning the disk from debris

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 the 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 Windows versions(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 background(when the computer is not busy with resource-intensive tasks, which means that the program is running will not constrain 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 carry system files(which need to provide the greatest performance) to the fastest part of the disk, due to which your Windows OS will run somewhat faster. In addition, this program is free (for normal home use) and can be configured to start automatically when the PC is idle (i.e., similar to the previous utility).

I also want to note that the program allows you to defragment not only a specific disk, but also separate 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 something happens during defragmentation. system error, 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!

The hard drive is one of the most important components of a computer, but not all users pay due attention to it. If the processor, video card, random access memory and other components, they can be replaced quite simply, whereas if the drive breaks down, the computer owner will lose all his data, which obviously no one wants. To avoid hard drive failure, you need to carefully monitor it and defragment it regularly.

What is disk defragmentation

The defragmentation process is very simple and very important, but many people forget about the need for it. It is the organization of files on the hard drive in such a way that the operating system can access them more easily and quickly when requested.

While the hard drive is operating, new information constantly appears on it. The user downloads files from the Internet, installs programs and games, creates new documents and performs a number of other tasks. When information is stored on a hard drive, it occupies a certain number of free clusters on it. At the time of deleting, changing, copying files, the clusters are cleared, but free space is formed between one and another file on the hard drive. Disk defragmentation is necessary to organize the files on the disk so that they follow each other sequentially, and there are no free clusters left between them.

Disk defragmentation on Windows is necessary because:

Some users know about the need to defragment, but do not do it. This is due to the fact that this process very lengthy, and organizing files on a large storage device can take up to ten hours. At the same time, the procedure time can be significantly reduced; to do this, it is enough to perform it monthly, as recommended by hard drive manufacturers. The more often you defragment, the less data on the drive will have to be moved, and therefore this process will happen faster.

Important: Defragmentation is only necessary on spinning head hard drives, while it is not necessary on SSD drives. The process of defragmenting a solid-state drive will only lead to a reduction in the number of rewrite cycles to it, but will not provide a performance increase.

How to defragment a disk

To defragment a disk, you need to run the corresponding process. operating room Windows system contains special tool, which allows you to defragment your hard drive. Unfortunately, it is not perfect, and in most cases it is more convenient to use third-party utilities. Different programs contain their own algorithms for defragmenting the drive. Below we will give an example of several such applications and tell you how to perform the work of organizing clusters using the system's tools.

Defragmenting a hard drive using Windows

If you are wondering how to defragment a disk in Windows 10 or earlier versions operating system, then this is quite easy to do. To run the standard defragmentation tool you need to:

Please note that you can also configure “Schedule optimization” in this menu item. When selecting the appropriate item, you must specify the frequency of the process and the hard drive/drives that will be subjected to it. After this, the system will automatically defragment the drive according to the selected schedule.

Hard drive defragmentation programs

There are dozens of applications that allow you to defragment your hard drive. Each of them has its pros and cons. Some are better suited to large hard drives or drives that are installed on servers, while others are good for home use. Below we suggest considering a couple free programs to defragment the hard drive.

The simplest and most convenient application for defragmenting your hard drive on home computer– this is Defraggler. The free version of the program, which can be downloaded from the official website of the developers, does not have wide functionality, but it copes with its main task.

The application is officially localized into Russian, and it allows you to defragment not only the entire disk, but also an individual program or folder. The program also provides an option for quick disk defragmentation.

Auslogics Disk Defrag Free is free version application of the same name from Auslogics. You can also download it from the official website of the developers. The application is slightly more functional than Defraggler, and it does not have a Russian language, which makes it more difficult to work with. At the same time, the program has a number of functions that are not available in the official Windows hard drive optimization tool and in the Defraggler application.

Defragmentation

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

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

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

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

File systems

$sudo xfs_fsr -v /dev/sdX1

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

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

Notes

Links

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

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what “Defragmentation” is in other dictionaries:

Eliminating intermittency that develops in the structure of disk data when some files are deleted and others appear. Dictionary of business terms. Akademik.ru. 2001... Dictionary of business terms

defragmentation- Optimization of the location of records on disk. Topics information Technology in general EN defraggingdefragmentation... Technical Translator's Guide

Comp. eliminating data fragmentation by transferring and organizing it on a hard drive. Performed using a defragmenter program. Increases the speed of data access and therefore computer operation. New dictionary of foreign words. by… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

The operation of efficiently arranging physical file structures. Defragmentation places clusters of each file in one location on the disk, which reduces file access time. See also: Disks Files Financial Dictionary Finam... Financial Dictionary

Defragmentation Windows disk(English: Windows Disk Defragmenter) is computer program, part of the Microsoft Windows operating system and designed to speed up access (and sometimes increase the amount of usable space) with ... ... Wikipedia

This article lacks links to sources of information. Information must be verifiable, otherwise it may be questioned and deleted. You can... Wikipedia

Diskeeper ... Wikipedia

Auslogics Disk Defrag ... Wikipedia

Type Memory Tool Developer Maxim Mosienko, Enwotex Software Operating system Windows 9x, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista Latest version 7.1 (10/18/2008) License... Wikipedia

Defraggler ... Wikipedia

Books

, Sinyak Arina Andreevna Category: Application software Series: KU000000849 Publisher: AST, Manufacturer: AST,
The simplest tutorial on working on a computer for women, Sinyak Arina Andreevna, Operating system, defragmentation, formatting... It seems that to understand all this, you need to spend a lot of time. However, in reality, everything is not so difficult! This tutorial... Category: Operating systems and utilities for PC Publisher:

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 use on 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 of the 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. Besides defragmentation hard drives, the program is able to 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 earlier versions. Even an inexperienced user can manage the program.

It is important to note that the program for fast defragmentation The disk can operate in manual and automatic mode. You can change the way it works in the settings. It is best to use 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 free defragmenters on the Internet, 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. Hard drive defragmentation 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 these file systems like 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. This 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.