What is disk defragmentation and how it’s done
Defragmentation is not a term taken from the atomic physics, but one you can find any time in the tools list of any operating system. In Windows XP can be found in the System Tools/Disk Defragmenter menu, which means disk defragmentation. In Vista you go to the Start Menu and write “Defragmenter” and it will appear in the list. The term defragmentation refers directly to efficient data reorganization, within the meaning of physical rearranging of memory units on the hard disk’s platters. Moves data and arranges them in order, file by file and folder by folder so they can be read faster afterwards.
Hard disks contain many superposed discs which are burned and then read with a metallic read head, with a very thin needle. In other words, it’s similar with the pick-up you used to play with, as a child. When copying something on the hard disk, data is arranged beautifully in order, on the respective discs, so they can be quickly accessed when needed by the hard disk. When deleting data, empty space is left on the hard disk, instead of the deleted data.
Disk Defragmentation as a visual representation
When ulterior information is copied, the hard disk refills its free space, but cannot do it as efficient as in the beginning, because for example, the files copied afterward are bigger than the previous ones you’ve deleted. This is where fragmentation intervenes. Data is scattered on the hard disk, so when the hard disk tries to read it, it has to make a bigger effort to find it. So the data processing speed decreases in time. If you have a very big capacity hard disk, or a high speed hard disk, (over 7200 rpm) and a bigger cache memory, the fragmentation effect isn’t that obvious. First of all, it remains a pretty big free space, and the read head “knows” where he has put the data, and second of all, obviously, a higher speed makes you forget about the little deficiency of searching the data.
What’s the use of defragmentation? Well, obviously, increasing the speed of the hard disk, which will easily find the data you want to access. Supposing your PC slows down, defragmentation is probably the first thing you should do before or after deleting applications you never use or use so rarely that you could just keep the installation kit. Even though defragmentation is a benefic process, I wouldn’t recommend doing it too often. Writing and deletion of data on a hard disk ages it, and defragmentation is a pretty intense process of data fast moving that can affect your hard disk for a long period of time. But a defragmentation once every 3 or 4 weeks it’s more than recommended.
