Disk Defragmentation In Windows XP

Analyzing and defragmenting disks can help to preserve the performance and general operation of the system.

Analyze a Disk Volume:
Because defragmenting a disk volume can take a long time (depending on the size of the volume, the number of files, the percentage of fragmentation, and the availability of system resources), you should analyze volumes before defragmenting them to decide whether or not it is worthwhile to take the time to run the defragmentation process.

To check for fragmented files and folders on a volume:

1. Click Start--> point to All Programs--> point to Accessories--> point to System Tools--> and then click Disk Defragmenter.

2. Click the volume that you want to analyze.

3. Click Analyze to begin the analysis.

4. Review the results of the analysis after it is complete by clicking View Report. If the analysis tool recommends that the volume be defragmented

Defragment a Disk Volume:

1. If the Disk Defragmenter tool is not already running, click Start--> point to All Programs--> point to Accessories--> point to System Tools--> and then click Disk Defragmenter.

2. Click the volume that you want to defragment.

3. Click Defragment to begin the operation.

4. Review the progress of the operation in the Defragmentation Display window. Fragmented files on the disk appear in red, contiguous files are blue, and system files are green. The goal is to eliminate most of the red in the window.