The Best Disk Defrag Software. What is Disk Defragmentation Software? The files in your computer work just like the paper documents you keep at home. For instance, if you store all of your tax records in clearly marked files within a single cabinet, you can quickly and easily locate information.
However, suppose some of your documents were to get separated from the rest; it can be a much longer and more frustrating process to find what you need. Within your computer's hard drive, that kind of separation is called fragmentation, and it's what causes your computer to slow down over time. Disk defragmentation software applications, or defragmenters, act like professional organizers. They sort your digital files, so your computer doesn't have to work as hard to find it. Read on to find out more, and check out our learning center articles on disk defragmentation software. How Does a Disk Defragmenter Work?
Disk fragmentation occurs at different rates, depending on how often you install programs and save files on your computer. In short, disk defrag software reorganizes your files for quicker access. A fragmented drive runs more slowly than one where the files are properly organized, and the slower speeds affect nearly everything you do on your computer. When you defrag your hard drive, your computer searches for misplaced files and organizes them into easy- to- reach locations. Most PCs come with a free disk defragmenter (it's an included function with Windows) already installed on your computer, but many people choose to download professional software applications. Your computer's efficiency hinges on your answer to the following questions: What kind of drive do you use to store data? How large is the drive you use for storage?
How much information do you have stored on your computer? When is the last time you defragmented your computer? If you have defragmented your computer, how often have you deleted files since your last defrag? How much new information have you saved since then? As you collect and store more information on your computer, newly saved data slides into different parts of the hard disk, often far away from the original file.
- Auslogics Disk Defrag is an upgrade from the built-in Windows disk defragmenter. Free, fast, and thorough, it can defrag whole disks or individual files and. 1 stars 'Avoid for now' October 02.
- UltraDefrag is an open source disk defragmenter for Windows. ULTRADEFRAG An Open Source Disk Defragmenter HOME SCREENSHOTS DOWNLOAD COMPARISON DOCUMENTATION LINKS ABOUT THE AUTHORS FEATURES CHANGE LOG.
Over time, fragmentation slows your computer to a crawl. In most cases, it only takes a few hours to fix this issue. You just need to reorganize your data. This process is too complex to perform manually. Defragmenters simplify and automate this process to keep your computer running at optimal speed and performance. Does Your Computer Need Defragmenting? Fragmentation affects computers differently.
The Disk Defragmenter tool may stop responding (hang) after you choose a disk to defragment. You are currently offline, waiting for your internet to reconnect Store.
How to Defragment a Disk on a Windows Computer. When your computer writes data into a file on your hard drive. A window similar to the one on the right should appear. See how the program compares to Disk Defrag Pro Awards and reviews 'We found Disk Defrag fast, even on older XP systems, it's interface couldn't be any easier to use.'. This scheduler made Windows 7 defragmenter a reliable tool for general maintenance, but it didn't provide detailed reporting nor did it allow users to select specific drives to omit during the scanning and repair process. By default, Windows 7 automatically schedules a disk defragmentation session to run every week. However, you do have to ensure that your computer is ready for the defrag process.
While there are some similarities between different types of computers, hard drives suffer the greatest impact. They work harder to find fragmented files, and they physically slow as they search. Solid- state drives (SSD), a type of mass- storage device, use flash memory instead of spinning platters to store data. They don't require defragmentation for maintenance as often as PCs. There are reasons to use maintenance software with your SSD, but more about that below.
In general, your PC needs a defragmenter if you have internal or external hard drives that rely on physically spinning disks to function. Computers with SSDs, including laptops and mobile devices, don't experience the same kind of issues as these traditional drives. That's one reason they start up more quickly.
Many Apple computers don't experience fragmentation issues either. This is because the Mac operating system defrags automatically, and many newer Macs contain SSD drives.
Though SSDs and Macs do not experience the same issues as older PCs, there are still reasons to use disk defragmenters on most desktop computers. Many modern defragmentation programs have special options to optimize storage.
Situations Where You Might Need to Defragment Your Hard Drive. Because defragmentation is primarily preventative, you shouldn't wait until there are major issues before you defragment your computer. Scheduled defrags keep your computer's storage system optimally organized all the time. Here's when it might be time to defragment your computer: Slow Performance Have you noticed your computer is running more slowly than when you bought it? Computers speeds slow over time, and disk fragmentation plays a major part in this decline. Traditional hard drives use an actuator arm to locate information on spinning disks, and the process works best when all of your information is stored together.
Fragmentation separates data, so your hard drive takes longer to collect the information it needs. If you experience delays opening a file, launching a new application or booting up your computer, you may need to defragment your computer's hard drive. After Major OS Updates Your operating system includes a complex array of folders and files. It's common after a major OS update to notice a decrease in your computer's performance. If you upgrade your system from one version of Windows to another, this is a good time to defrag your hard drive because your computer's file system may have changed significantly.
Manual Cleanups to Create More Space Occasionally you may need to manually clean up your hard drive to remove large, unused files or programs. While these manual changes free up extra storage space, they also create fertile ground for fragmentation. Delete files you no longer need and defrag the system as soon as you finish. Why You Shouldn't Defragment a Solid- State Drive. SSDs function differently than traditional hard drives (HDD).
They don't have moving parts, so fragmentation doesn't cause the same issues as it does with HDDs. Many technicians advise against defragmentation on SSDs because it causes unnecessary stress on the drive without positive results. There is truth to that; many professional disk defragmenters have additional utilities for SSDs that don't involve standard defrag scans. How to Optimize an SDD with Your Disk Defragmenter Check your disk defragmenter's description to find out if it offers a storage- management solution for SSDs. Many of these programs change the way your computer stores files, so you prevent fragmentation before it starts.
Storage- management features change how your computer saves files. They don't defragment your computer's SSD; instead, they organize files to avoid duplication. How Does a Professional Defragmenter Application Differ from Your Standard, Built- In One? Most Windows operating systems come with their own defragmenters preinstalled. So what differentiates professional versions from the standard, preinstalled versions? Simply put, the preinstalled versions are general, all- purpose utilities. While Windows defragmenters will reorganize your hard drive, they don't offer any real customization options or detailed reporting.
Here's a breakdown of the standard utilities that come with your specific Windows OS: Windows 7 Disk Defragmenters Not all versions of Windows came with pre- programmed or hidden defragmenters. This OS updated the process from previous versions of Windows, and it included scheduling features for frequent maintenance. This scheduler made Windows 7 defragmenter a reliable tool for general maintenance, but it didn't provide detailed reporting nor did it allow users to select specific drives to omit during the scanning and repair process. Windows 8 Disk Defragmenters Everything changed in the next OS version. The Disk Defragmenter for Windows 8 automatically defragmented your hard drive, and you didn't need to tell it what to do.
Like previous versions of Windows, this defrag utility did not include reporting features. It only allowed you to change the frequency of your scans. It, too, lacked the ability to add or omit folders from your scan.
Mac Disk Defragmenters Because they use a different type of storage and automatically organize files, i. Macs don't address fragmentation issues.
They don't experience hard- drive fragmentation with the same frequency as PCs, and they don't require the same level of maintenance as your PC. A small percentage of Apple computer hard drives may benefit from Mac fragmentation software, notably those used for large- scale creative projects. If you regularly add or delete photos and videos from your computer, you may wish to scan your computer. Specialized defragmenters for Macs can evaluate and reorganize stored files to keep your Mac running efficiently. Why You Should Be Cautious of Free Defragmentation Software.
There are plenty of websites that provide free defragmentation software, but these applications sometimes come with unnecessary extras like adware or malware hidden within the installation files. It's always smart to avoid installing programs with adware, but it's especially important to be wary of free versions when seeking out software that's designed to improve your computer's performance. Excess files, even those that don't use a lot of memory, still siphon processing power from your computer.
When you download free defragmentation software, make sure you download and install only the components you want to use. Benefits of Professional Disk Defragmentation Software. Defragmenting your hard drive may sound complicated, but it's actually simple and can double your computer's speed. Here are some additional benefits professional disk defragmenter software applications offer: Storage Optimization When you first buy a computer, all of your data is stored close together on your hard drive. This allows your hard drive to physically locate information quickly.
As you delete and add new data, the process gets more complicated. Your saved work is placed in an entirely different segment of your hard drive, and the actuator arm on your hard drive has to search further to find it. The additional time it takes the actuator arm to find your data not only adds time to otherwise simple operations, it slows startup too. Disk defragmenters scan your drive and regroup similar files so they're once again in close proximity to each other. It also positions your most frequently accessed data so it's located directly next to system files.