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What Is Defragging, and Why Do I Need to Do It?

A shortened form of the word ‘defragment’, a ‘defrag’ is a maintenance procedure you need to perform on your hard drives. When you defrag your hard drive, you organize the files on your system—from the individual text documents to the software programs. You essentially wipe free space to consolidate the scattered files. In this way, Windows will be able to access the necessary files faster when executing tasks or performing operations.

Imagine a physical filing system in your office. What if someone moved a document from folder A to folder D without informing you? Of course, you will have to go through all the folders just to find the file that you need.

As we’ve mentioned, files on your hard drive become fragmented as their sizes change and their parts cannot be kept together anymore. For instance, when you’re playing a game on your computer and you save it, the file becomes larger. Your system relocates some of the data to another slot that can accommodate it. The same thing happens when you are modifying a text document and saving the new version in one of your folders. The best way to consolidate those fragmented files is through defragmenting.

How Often Should You Defrag?

Also commonly referred to as ‘defragging’, defragmentation is the process of consolidating scattered file segments on a hard drive. It is something you should do on your PC from time to time. However, you may ask, “How often should I defrag to avoid disk space issues and other essential problems?”

Regular users who use their device for sending emails, creating documents, or occasionally browsing the web should defrag at least once a month. On the other hand, people who use their computer for at least eight hours a day for their work should defrag once every two weeks. That said, if you notice your computer running slowly, then you should defrag your drive immediately. One of the possible reasons why your device is operating slowly is because of fragmentation.

It is worth noting that Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 allow users to schedule defragmentation to happen as frequently as needed. Of course, this option offers the benefit of running basic maintenance on your PC automatically. That said, when there is not too much fragmentation on a disk, defragging too often can cause damage to your device.

Keep in mind that the defragmentation process involves forcing the hard drive to consolidate files by relocating them. So, you’re subjecting the hardware to stress, possibly shortening its lifespan or reducing its accuracy and speed.

Is SSD Disk Defragmentation Necessary?

You can keep your hard drive in good condition with defragmentation. However, the process does not benefit solid-state drives (SSDs). Thankfully, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 can detect if you have an SSD. So, these operating systems will not perform the conventional defragmenting operation. What they will do is run SSD optimization to enhance its operation.

BoostSpeed’s Disk Defrag – A Safe and Efficient Way of Defragging Your Drive

Defragmenting your hard drive is indeed necessary. However, if you defrag it more often than needed, then you might cause problems on your device. That said, it is still natural for you to think of ways to make your computer perform faster. Well, when it comes to optimal hard drive defragmentation, you should choose Disk Defrag feature in Auslogics BoostSpeed.

Instead of using the built-in Windows defragger, opt for the third-party program. You can expect it to work more effectively and much faster, ensuring that your hard drive will perform at max capacity. Auslogics’ award-winning disk defragmenter can speed up data access, allowing your drives to run smoothly. It is an efficient free space wiper that helps make the defragmentation process easier and hassle-free. Here’s how you can use the tool:

1. Launch Auslogics BoostSpeed, then go to the All Tools tab.
2. Under Disk Tools, select Disk Defrag. You will be taken to a new tab where you will see the list of all your drives, including their status, type, capacity, and other details.
3. Check the boxes beside the drives that you want to defrag.
4. To begin the defragmentation process, click the Defrag button under the drive list.

The drives you’ve selected will be analyzed, and once the disk error check is done, they will be defragmented if necessary. If you simply want to know if a hard drive needs to be defragged, then you can click the arrow on the Defrag button, then choose Analyze from the drop-down list.

In this menu, you will also find the following options:

• Quick Defrag – This option starts the defragmentation process without prior analysis.
• Defrag & Optimize – Aside from defragging, this option can also optimize file placement on your drives. The boot-time defragmentation process may take several minutes. It is ideal to use it no more than once a week.

We recommend that you configure Disk Defrag to shut down your computer or send it to sleep after the defragmentation process. You can do this by selecting the box next to the appropriate option.

When you look at the cluster map, you will see the location of the files and their fragments on the drive. Clicking a block will show you what files it contains. You can also go to the bottom area of the window and click the Files tab. You can go to the list and click a file to know where its fragments are located on the cluster map. If you want to check the S.M.A.R.T. status of your drive or get other information about it, you can go through the other tabs.

You will see the progress of the defragmentation process by observing the cluster map. Who knows…you may be the type of person who finds the colorful blocks being rearranged entertaining!