7. Defragment The Hard Drive

 

It is also a good idea to scan your disk for errors. You can do this before starting the defragment utility, here is a a Step-by-Step Guide.

Over time, the data on your hard drive gets scattered. Taking the time to Defragment computers puts your data back into sequential order, making it easier for Windows to access it. As a result, the performance of your computer will improve if you Defragment the computer.

You can use the windows defragment utility or you can install and use a great free program called Smart Defrag. It has more features than the windows version.

To install and use Smart Defrag go to our Step-by-Step Guide.

 

Here is the Guide for the Windows Version.

 

From the Start menu click on My Computer

 

Right Click and select Properties on the drive you would like to defragment. You should defragment all the drives especially drive C. Drive C usually holds the operating system and is used the most.

 

Select Tools.

 

Select Analyze

 

The Analysis shows that we need to Defragment the volume. Select Defragment to start.

 

 

After clicking on Defragment, Windows begins Defragment your hard drive. The process will take from several minutes to a couple of hours to complete.

How often should you Defragment your hard drives all depends on how you use your computer. Every couple of months is a good rule of thumb.