AnotherWorld - View topic - "disk defrag" ??? - The *Fans* Board - Free Message Board Hosting by FreePowerBoards.com

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Thanks, Natalie!

BTW ~

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Just a suggestion for all you AW fans
that love to watch your epi's.... You may find
that you need to run your disk defrag more often

~~~OK all you 'power users'...I'm with Nettie, what is Natalie talkin' about here?

Like most *mothers* I asked my *kid*...

...but Rocky says he doesn't know what my "disk defrag" is either.

He did say "If it runs, I'll chase it!"

Oh Geez......gotta check my system for the details.

It cleans up the hard drive. I should think that you would have it on your system. It takes all fragmented areas and puts them back together or something like that. Computer guru's can probably explain it better.

It can be tough on the hard drive if you do it daily - as some people I know DO. But when it cleans things up I can tell my system runs much better.

Let me check......I'll be back.

Natalie

I think it is different depending on your operating system.

I find mine in the start menu. Then tools. Then disk defragmenter. Or you can use the search option and type in disk defrag?

Click on that and a window will open. I can 'analyze' it if I think it may not need to be done. Or I can click on 'defrag' and it will start right up. I can watch it work to see how my files have been just dropped in anywhich way and how the machine is putting them all back into a spot they fit.

This computer was so slow and locking up last weekend and I thought to myself that I hadn't run this in a loooonnnnggggg time.

I ran it and it took almost TWO hours. I did my laptop and it ran about 20 minutes. I guess it depends just let it do its thing. But I haven't had troubles since.

It is easy to do and something that is one of the first things that my husband does when someone dumps their system on him and says it won't work anymore.

I suggest it because we download epi's so often and when the hard drive starts to run out of one spot that fits it all it starts breaking the epi up. I was 'buffering' on Hulu so bad that I couldn't get through any entire episode!

There are alot of things that screw up computers. This is just one tiny thing that makes a huge difference and is easy for the operater to do.

Good luck with it and ask someone you know that knows computers if you are worried.

Natalie

It's important to do a defrag **regularly**....whenever a file first is saved or is later updated, it isn't always in the same order as what is already on the hard drive. Also, if you are looking for a file, and the hard drive hasn't been defragged, it takes MUCH longer to find. It's harder on the drive when it has to go looking all over the disk for 'pieces' of the file or for files that aren't adjacently saved.

If you have XP or newer:
When you look at the diagram on-screen, you will see blue, red, and green sections. This is collectively what occupies your hard drive. The white (other) part(s) are unused. Blue=files that are not fragmented. Red=portions of files, which are fragmented; will become blue when put together with other file fragments in the defragmentation process. Green=usually system software necessary to run your computer; won't get shuffled around when you do a defragmentation. When the defrag is done, it may not always put everything together end-to-end at the left, but everything red/fragmented should be put back together again.

If you have something older, like Win 95 or Win 97:
The diagram will look completely different, with rows and rows of differently colored rectangles representing the pieces of data. It will take several to many screens (depending on how much stuff you have on your hard drive) of these rectangles changing color and rearranging themselves to complete the defrag process.

Other things that you can do regularly are deleting the files in the 'Temp' (the main one, not one within one of your programs) and 'Temporary Internet Files' file folders. They are unnecessary, take up space, and could have hidden worms/viruses. Just go to each file folder, go to 'Edit' in the top pull-down menus, and choose 'Select All', then hit your Delete key. Don't worry if there are leftovers. They may delete the next time you try later on. Also check your Cookies file; delete any that you don't recognize or use regularly (a local newspaper or this board would be ones you'd keep, for example)--cookies are also space-hogs and may have little unwanted surprises as well.

For all who leave their computers on all the time:
You'll find you will have to reboot your computer sporadically. This renews your RAM (random access memory), and will also make your computer run faster.

ETA::::
Knew I'd forget something!! Don't **ever** let your hard drive get full or close to full. It's also more difficult on the drive to be doing that much looking around for files. If you feel you'll need more space, buy and install (or have installed) a bigger hard drive. They're getting cheaper with every passing year. You always want to have a good space cushion on your drive. Even easier--an external hard drive...will hold files away from your main computer if you want more space, OR, EVEN BETTER, use an external drive as a backup. If your computer is stolen (like mine just was in recent months), or crashes, there will be no files and you'll be Sad

I had no idea what it was till my computer went down last week...When Computer Boy brought it back to me he said "Be sure to defrag it every once in a while"..1st thing that went thru my mind was NAT!! Course I gave him the "Deer in headlights" stare & he explained it to me.

Ya know me, I wait till after it happens to find out what it was...lol!
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Gitchi Gitchi YaYa DaDa

Great post awtribute!

Computers are suck finicky things.

Glad yours came back Wendy - ready to go!

Natalie

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