You may notice that no matter how fast the computers might be when they are new, over time, they get slow. One of the reasons is that when your computer become fragmented, in other words, when files are being scattered across the hard drive, most the time in pieces; the computer has to work harder to locate data, making them slow. What we need to do is use Windows Disk Defragmenter to rearrange the fragmented data (re-organize files); so the computer can work more efficiently to improve performance. Today we are going to learn how to run Disk Defragmenter in Windows 7 to improve performance.

To configure Disk Defragmenter, follow these steps:

We can run Disk Defragmenter in two ways: Manually or by configuring a schedule and let Windows take of it automatically.

Manually:

  1. Click Start and in the search box type disk defragmenter.
  2. In the search result under Programs title, click on Disk Defragmenter.
  3. Next, you should analyze your hard drive to determine if it needs defragmentation. To do this, just click the Analyze disk button.
  4. Now, select the disk that you would like to have defragmented and hit theDefragment disk button.
  5. When done, hit Closeand last restart Windows if necessary.

Configure schedule:

There is a default schedule that runs Disk Defragmenter, but the problem is that it is set to run every Wednesday at 1:00 am, and not everybody has their computer turned on 24/7, so it could be a good idea to re-schedule to a date and time that you know your computer will be turned on and you may not be using it. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Launch Disk Defragmenter, repeat step 1 & 2 from the manual process.

  2. Click on Configure Schedule…

  3. Make sure that the box Run on a schedule (recommended) is checked, choose a schedule that is convenient to you, and don’t forget to click on Select disks… And select the disks that you want Windows to defragment.

  4. Click OK and Close. Depending on how much defragmentation is needed on the hard drive, Disk Defragmenter could take from several minutes to several hours. Also you should be able to use the computer during the defragmentation process.  

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