Do you know how Data is stored in your computer ?
The operating system stores data in little chunks called blocks on the hard disk. If a file that you save is large and can’t fit in a single block, the operating system divides it into multiple blocks.
These blocks are chosen wherever there is free space on the disk and are not guaranteed to be contiguous, but the OS knows about the various chunks. So whenever you request for the data, the operating system asks the hard drive to visit all the different parts of the disk that the data is stored in and gets them to you. This process is usually extremely fast and for the user it almost feels as if that the data is stored in one long contiguous block.
But, as you use your computer for everyday tasks, bits of data get more fragmented, which means that the small chunks get distributed throughout the disk and so the process of getting them all together, in case of a file request, slows down the whole system.
Disk defragmentation is the process of reorganizing bits of data on the hard disk so as to align them in contiguous blocks and make file access faster.
All versions of Windows come with a built in utility for defragmentation, but if you have ever used it, you’ll know that it is a time consuming process. Depending on the size of your hard drive it could take hours. Who has the time for that ?
Auslogics Disk Defrag is a fast and free replacement for the built-in disk defragmentation tool that ships with Windows.
This nifty little piece of freeware defrags your hard drive in a fraction of the time that the Windows utility takes. It is simple enough to install and if you want a portable version of the tool is also available, and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to use it. I downloaded the portable version of the tool and launched it.
When you run Disk Defrag, this is the screen that pops up. You simply check which drives you want to defrag, click defrag and let it go to work.
Depending on the size of your hard drive and how long has it been since it was last defragged, you will have time to check a few emails or get a cup of coffee and before you know it, the job is done !
If you want, you can look at the detailed report that shows you how many fragments the disk had, how many files were defragmented and also tells you the percentage of fragmentation that was reduced.
Or you simply click the ‘red cross’ and forget about defragmentation for the next couple of weeks.
Auslogics Disk Defrag is one of the best freeware programs I have found for defragging my hard drive. It keeps my computer running smoothly, while freeing up space that is wasted when you have an abundance of fragmented files.
Programmer, blogger and a geek making a living shifting bits around the Internet. Sharninder is the owner of Geeky Ninja
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Have you checked out MyDefrag — http://www.mydefrag.com — previously called JKDefrag? I’ve been using for about a year now and I highly recommend it.