Defragmenter.
Imagine your hard drive is like a book, with many pages of text.
When you delete files from your hard drive, it is like erasing scattered words or paragraphs
throughout the book. These deleted files may be spread around on different pages and in different chapters.
On your computer, these are different locations on your hard drive.
When you add (save) new files to your hard drive, the computer attempts to fill those scattered
erasures with the new files. If the new file doesn't fit into the "hole," the computer breaks up (
or fragments) the file up and puts the rest of it into the next available space. Because files are
constantly added and removed from a hard drive, over time the files become fragmented.
Imagine how much longer it would take you to read the book if a paragraph were fragmented with a
few words on one page, a few more words on another page, and the rest of the words on yet another page.
It would be easier for you if the sentences were rearranged in order. It's easier (and faster) for your
computer if the fragmented files are rearranged in order too.
The computer automatically keeps track of where the files are and how they are divided.
But imagine how complex the situation becomes when hundreds and hundreds of files are fragmented and
scattered over a large hard disk. The reason you want to defragment is because the hard drive works longer
and harder to read files that are scattered in different locations.
A Disk Defragmenter comes with Windows Vista.
Go to the Start Menu and choose All Programs
Go to Accessories and choose System Tools
Then choose Disk Defragmenter.
Click Defragment now
It takes a while especially if you have not done this for sometime. It depends on the size of the disk
and the amount of fragmentation.
It checks the hard disk for errors and then defragments.
Defragment every two months or so. If you frequently add and delete files, you should do it more often.
Disk Cleanup
Disk cleanup cleans up any old temp. files and folders, bits of programs no longer needed, bits of text lying about,
Temporary Internet files, and general "rubbish" which is no longer needed on your computer.
Procedure:
Go to the Start Menu and choose All Programs
Go to Accessories and choose System Tools
Then choose Disk Cleanup
Choose all files,
Click O.K.
This will take a few minutes,
Before deleting anything the program will check with you.
This should be carried out at least once a week.