Problems Arising from Fragmented Disks

If your computer is at least a year old and you've noticed it's been running slower than usual lately, you may have a fragmented hard drive. Fragmentation is a common problem with computers, and it can really slow down your system's speed and even shorten its lifespan.

 

You may be wondering how to prevent computer fragmentation. Unfortunately, you can't avoid fragmented disks, because they happen due to everyday basic computer use. But you can minimize its effect by regularly defragmenting your hard drive.

When you first get a new computer and create files, such as word-processing documents or photos, the computer writes these files to the beginning of the hard drive. Every time you create a new file, the computer saves it to the next available spot on the hard drive. As you get more use out of your computer, you may begin moving or deleting existing files. When you move or delete a file, it creates a small pocket of free space on your hard drive.

 

Now let's say you need to save a large file. Your computer may not have enough free space all in one area to save this file. So it breaks the file up into smaller pieces and stores those pieces wherever it can find a free pocket of space. As you continue to use your computer, more and more files have to be broken up and scattered all over the hard drive.

When you try to retrieve a file that's been broken up on the hard drive, it can take a while for your computer to find it. Your computer uses small mechanical heads called "readers" to find information on the hard drive.

 

When a file is all in one piece on the hard drive, the readers can find it and bring it up very quickly. But when a file is broken and stored randomly on the hard drive, the readers have to scan the entire hard drive to find all the bits and pieces of the particular file. This results in a lot of wasted movement and time. Your computer is working harder than it needs to, and its overall performance and efficiency suffers. A fragmented hard drive contributes to slow computer speed, and your computer may end up with a shorter life span because it has to work so hard.

If you use your computer at all, your hard drive is at least somewhat fragmented. Symptoms of excessive fragmentation resemble a virus and include:

When your computer exhibits any of these symptoms, defragmentation software can tell you how badly fragmented your hard drive is.

If you're wondering how to speed up slow computer programs, consider running defragmentation software. A good defragmentation program fixes your fragmented hard drive. Basically, it creates a large amount of empty space at the beginning of your hard drive. It then reconnects the fragmented files and moves them to the empty space so that the entire file is in one spot. Regularly defragging your computer can do wonders to enhance its speed and overall performance.

 

You have several options when it comes to defragging your computer. If you run on a Windows operating system, your computer should have built-in disk defragmentation software. This is free to use, but it can be slow and inefficient.

 

Many types of defrag freeware are available for download on the Internet. Defrag NT and DefragMentor Lite are two popular options. Due to the threat of viruses, be very careful when downloading any software off the Internet.

 

Finally, you can purchase disk defragmentation software. This may be the best option for many, as many purchased options offer features not available with freeware, such as customer service, defrag scheduling and unique technology.

 

 

Computer Haven. (2007).What is fragmentation and what do I need to do about it? Retrieved March 29, 2009, from the Computer Haven Web site: http://www.computerhaven.info/defrag.aspx.

 

CompuTec Services, Inc. (2008). What our moms taught us about disk defragmentation. Retrieved March 29, 2009, from the CompuTec Web site: http://www.computecservices.com/CompuTips.htm.

 

Love, J. (n.d.). Understanding fragmentation of a computer hard drive. Retrieved March 29, 2009, from the Helium Web site: http://www.helium.com/items/554443-understanding-fragmentation-of-a-computer-hard-drive.