If your computer runs slower than usual, it may be time to defrag your hard drive. When you save files on your PC, the data is usually broken up and stored in multiple locations on your hard drive. This can cause fragmentation. If your hard drive is fragmented, it can take longer to access files, resulting in a slow PC performance.  Here’s your step-by-step guide on how to defrag Windows 10.

This guide will show you how to defrag Windows 10 using two methods: manually and automatically with the Disk Defrag feature in BoostSpeed.

Let’s begin.

What Does Defragmenting Do?

Defragmenting optimizes the data storage on your computer’s hard drive. Here’s what it means. When you save or remove files from your PC, the data gets fragmented and stored on your hard drive in different places.

The longer your computer takes to retrieve the various pieces of data scattered on your hard drive, the slower your PC becomes. That’s because when you defragment your hard disk, the information is reorganized so that each file is saved in a single, unbroken block.

This can improve computer performance because data can be accessed more quickly and efficiently. You can defragment your PC manually or automatically, and it’s a simple process that can improve your computer’s speed.


Related: What Does Defragging Do: Easy Explanation of Disk Defragmentation


How to Defrag Windows 10 Hard Drive

There are several ways to defrag your computer. We’ll show you how to defrag a hard drive in two ways: manually and automatically with Auslogics BoostSpeed. Let’s start with how to defrag a computer manually:

How to Defrag a Hard Drive Manually

  • Click on the search bar, type “Defragment and Optimize Drives,” and open.
  • Choose the hard drive you want to defrag
  • Click “Optimize.” This begins the defragmentation process after determining how fragmented the disk currently is. This process may take a few hours to complete. Until then, don’t do anything too taxing on the computer.

 

how to defrag windows 10

How to Defrag Windows 10 with BoostSpeed

How to Defrag Windows 10 Hard Drive with Auslogics BoostSpeed

Auslogics BoostSpeed is one of the industry-best PC optimization software with numerous features to improve computer performance. One of its main features is the Disk Defrag tool, which allows you to defragment your hard drive’s data to enhance PC performance.

Using Auslogics BoostSpeed Disk Defrag has several advantages. First, it contains a robust defragmentation engine that can defrag your hard disk quickly and effectively, boosting your computer’s speed and performance.

It can also assist in preventing future fragmentation by merging unused space on your hard drive. Furthermore, the user-friendly interface of Auslogics BoostSpeed Disk Defrag makes it easy to use, even if you’re not tech-savvy.

The Auslogics Disk Defrag has a scheduler that lets you decide how often your hard disk should be defragmented, among other defragmentation options.

What Kinds of Drives Can You Defragment with Auslogics Disk Defrag?

Using an HDD or SSD, you can defragment your computer with Auslogics Disk Defrag. But, usually, conventional defragmentation doesn’t work on SSD and may even shorten its lifespan. Here’s why.

Solid-state drives have become increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional hard disk drives. SSDs are more efficient than traditional hard drives, but they have issues.

Rather than relying on moving elements to store and retrieve information, SSDs use electronic memory cells. This means that no part of the device is touching any other part. So, defragmenting an SSD won’t help your computer run faster.

This is because no “small arm” can move around the memory cells in the device to retrieve information from different parts of the device.

However, you can still use Auslogics Disk Defrag to improve an SSD’s performance. Its primary function is to lessen the amount of write requests sent to the storage medium.

The main problem with SSDs is that their flash memory cells can only withstand a certain number of write cycles. So download Auslogics BoostSpeed and use the Disk Defrag feature to effectively defrag your SSD or HDD.


Related: SSD vs. HDD: What’s the Difference and What to Choose?


How to Defrag a Hard Drive with Auslogics Disk Defrag

Use the following steps to defrag your computer and improve its performance:

  • Download Auslogics BoostSpeed 13 from the official website and install the software. This takes a few minutes to install on your computer.
  • Open the program, click on “Tools,” then “Disk tools,” and select “Disk Defrag.”

 

How to Defrag a Hard Drive with Auslogics Disk Defrag

  • When you open the Disk Defrag, it’ll fully consolidate your PC’s hard drive with complete information. If you want to check the status of your hard drive, click on the “SMART” tab. It’ll display the model, operating status, temperature, etc.

How to Defrag a Hard Drive with Auslogics BoostSpeed

  • After clicking on the Defrag button, the defragmentation process will begin. Remember that the completion time will depend on the amount of data and fragmentation status. So you’ll have to wait a while for the process to complete.

how to defrag windows 10 with Auslogics BoostSpeed

Next to the Defrag button, you’ll see a checkbox labeled “After completing” that allows you to specify an action to be taken after completing the disk defragmentation. For example, you can shut down the PC, put it in sleep mode, hibernate, or close the program.

The disk defragmentation program also has a colorful, interactive cluster map as one of its features. You can see the files that make up a given square by clicking on it. You can even defragment selected files by right-clicking them and going to “Defrag Selected.”

SSD Optimization with Auslogics Disk Defrag

Disk Defrag optimizes system and file operations and reduces the number of write requests, both of which can increase the lifespan of a solid-state drive. Optimizing your SSD involves two steps:

  • First, select SSD Optimization in the left menu pane of the Disk Defrag tab.
  • Click on “Enable SSD Optimization.”

SSD Optimization with Auslogics Disk Defrag


Related: SSD Optimization on Windows 10/11


Conclusion

You can improve your computer’s performance by defragmenting the hard drive, a simple process. Even though you can defragment manually, we recommend using one of the best disk defragmenter, Auslogics Disk Defrag.
It’s an excellent tool to help you automatically defragment your PC. The Auslogics BoostSpeed also has other features that can check your entire system to find junk files, speed-reducing issues, and more.

The primary function is to improve and maintain the overall PC health. So download the Auslogics BoostSpeed and optimize your computer for better efficiency.

FAQs

Can You Defrag an SSD?

Conventional defragmentation, meaning defragmentation purposely made for HDDs, can shorten an SSDs lifespan. So it’s not advisable to defragment using the traditional method. However, you can use Auslogics Disk Defrag to optimize SSDs. It uses a unique algorithm to reduce the number of write requests sent to the storage medium.

Does Defragging Speed Up Computers?

Yes. Defragmenting a hard disk drive can increase your computer’s read and write speeds, resulting in a faster PC performance.

How Often Should I Defrag My Computer?

The amount of data you create, update, and remove each day will determine how often you need to defragment your hard drive. Defragmenting your computer every few months is a decent rule of thumb.

How to Improve Computer Performance?

To speed up your computer, you can remove unused software, disable unnecessary startup programs, update drivers, delete temporary files, add more RAM, and defragment your hard drive (if necessary). You can use Auslogics BoostSpeed to solve all these problems.

Find out more here: Auslogics BoostSpeed 13: Get Your PC in Shape!

How to Clean Up a PC to Run Faster?

You can clean up your PC faster by deleting temporary files, uninstalling unused programs, and turning off unnecessary startup programs. Also, you can clear browser cache and history, run a virus scan, and defragment your HDD to improve your PC speed.

Check out this guide for more details on how to clean your PC: Proven Ways to Clean Windows 10