Most people find that the better organized they are the less trouble they have in completing tasks. Whether it’s writing down a simple grocery list, recording upcoming events on a calendar or planner, or keeping the house clean and free of clutter, the practice of maintaining structure saves not only a lot of time but eliminates the stress and frustration associated with forgetting a date or losing an item.
In many ways we try to implement that same kind of structure with our computers. We create separate folders for particular projects or files to eliminate timely searches, we create a favorites list to easily access websites we frequent, and we delete unused or dated material that is no longer needed. Because of this many people are under the impression that their computers are well organized and protected from potential problems with content saved on their hard drives.
Unfortunately this just isn’t the case. While creating these folders and favorites as well as deleting unused files may seem like time-saving practices the reality is they are only increasing the risk of a potentially devastating computer disease known as fragmentation.
At the heart of the problem is the design of the hard drive. When it comes to maintaining organization and efficiency there are few tools more flawed than your computer. This is because these hard drives are designed to maximize space and as a result they disregard the very idea of modifying or deleting files that have been saved.
A hard drive saves and stores files in a contiguous manner, meaning each time a file is saved it is placed behind the previous saved file and so on. While this method would work just fine if we never recalled a saved file and made changes the reality is most saved files undergo changes on a consistent basis.
When these files are changed it causes a serious problem for the hard drive because the added information to a file means it will no longer fit in the original space that it was saved in. To solve that problem the hard drive cuts the added information and saves it in the next available space, this is now a fragmented file.
As these fragmented files are recalled and changes are made they are broken into additional pieces causing further fragmentation on the hard drive. Because there is no limit to how many pieces a file can be fragmented into the hard drive can quickly become overrun with this disease.
What this causes is a dramatic slowdown in computer performance because each time a fragmented file is recalled the hard drive is forced to search for all the pieces that comprise that file. Eventually that searching becomes too much for the hard drive and the result is a computer crash that could result in the loss of all the saved files.
While fragmentation can lead to a hard drive crash there are plenty of warning signs that indicate the computer is headed for trouble. If these problems are addressed then the hard drive can be saved before catastrophe strikes.
Every computer owner should pay attention to the speed in which their computer is operating. A heavily fragmented hard drive will result in an obvious slowdown in all areas of action. If you’re experiencing delays in booting up the system, difficulty loading pages and applications, sluggish Internet browsing or trouble accessing and sending email then chances are the hard drive needs to be defragmented.
Defragmenting the hard drive is a simple process and will instantly restore the hard drive’s health and renew its speed and reliability.
By installing defragmentation software the hard drive is scanned for damaged files and they are quickly repaired. Once all the pieces of a fragmented file are gathered they are saved as a single file making it easier for the hard drive to locate when they are recalled.
Defragmentation not only increases the speed of the hard drive but adds additional years to its life because it will continue to monitor the hard drive, preventing fragmentation from reoccurring.
In essence defragmentation software acts as the organizer for every computer owner, ensuring files are placed in the appropriate place and preventing the frustration associated with long delays and lost information. For anybody who values organization and doesn’t want to lose everything to a computer crash defragmentation is probably the most important piece of software that can be installed on the hard drive.
