Computer Hope
Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows XP => Topic started by: ZCA81 on July 19, 2005, 09:47:54 AM
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Is it true that disk defrag can slow down your computer?
This has been worrying me recently.
Thanks
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No.
I defragment my game computer every time I start and everytime I shut down. I also defrag it every time I install or remove a program or whenever I make a change that involves fragmention of the HDD.
I defrag my Internet computer nearly every day.
I even run a registry/page file defragger each time the computers boot up.
If you have seen the inside of a HDD, you know there there are several platters and one arm which reads these platters. If data is fragmented, the arm has to move further away from the center and has to do this more often. This results in additional stress on the reading arm.
I am not quite certain where it places data at the beginning of the disk or concentrates it near the center, either way, the less fragmented data, the more the reading arm can stay in the same area whilst reading
If you defragment the HDD, the data will remain in the center of the HDD and the reading arm has to travel less distance. This results in faster reading and search times.
If defragmenting slows down your system after the process is complete, your computer is most likely due to a reformat and you are in for a quick course in maintaining computers.. The software is rarely to blame.
Articles of interest:
What does it mean when a hard disk has a head crash? (http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question60.htm)
What is the churning sound I hear from my hard drive whenever it is retrieving data? (http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question243.htm)
How Hard Disk Drives work (http://computer.howstuffworks.com/hard-disk.htm)
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Thanks for that. I will now be able to sleep again at night.
Am doing my first defrag since I had to reformat everything right now.
Thanks again.
Z.Andrews
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You could try this out if you wish>>http://www.diskeeper.com/defrag.asp
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The answer depends on the question, if you mean does regular defragmentation result in a slower computer then no that is incorrect, but if you mean does your computer slow while defragging, then this this is true becuase most of the resources are devoted to the defragmentation process.
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Clovell:
Good answer!
Have you thought of joining the forum? (it's free and we could always use another tech!)
Regards,
Doc
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You have to be careful about reading the questions too precisely.
I'm still trying to figure out if my capacitors are learning anything? Hi Merlin :D
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Slip of the keyboard fed ;) leaning......not learning...its the r you know ......kangeroo burgers may have made my fingers jump a bit ;D
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No, and if you use Diskeeper 9 Professional and have sufficient RAM and a half decent computer you'll find that Diskeeper defrags automatically and 'seamlessly', which is to say that you won't notice it.
You can also re-set the size of the Master Files Tables, if it is necessary, to prevent excess fragmentation.
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Now that you have just done a re-install here are some tips for you...
"Run Disk Cleanup and remove all but the last restore point. See if your System Restore cache and Recycle Bin size is set at a reasonable level (Say 1024Mb) on each drive, and reduce the IE Temporary Internet Files cache and History cache to the minimum. Install CCLeaner and clean out all of the junk files. Unhide all files and folders and remove the hotfix uninstallers ( $NTUninstaller$ ) from the hidden C:\Windows folder and remove their entries from Add-Remove programs. Then remove the contents of:
The C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Installations folder
The C: WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download folder
The C:\WINDOWS\Temp folder
The C:\Windows\pchealth\helpctr\Datacoll folder, and...
The C:\Windows\Prefetch folder
(You can add these folders to EmpTemp if you have this program installed.) Then run chkdsk and defrag."
EmpTemp (http://www.danish-shareware.dk/soft/emptemp) & CCLeaner File Cleaner (http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner.html)
TweakUI is useful to have on your system for certain repairs... Powertoys/TweakUI (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx)
To make your shutdown work cleanly install the... User Profile Hive Cleanup Service (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1B286E6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en)
XP Clean Installing (http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html)
XP Compatability Test (http://www.pcpitstop.com/xpready/default.asp)
XP Partition Management (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;309000)
XP Installing Recovery Console (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307654)
RAM Knowledge Base (http://www.crucial.com/kb)
RAM And What it Does (http://www.howstuffworks.com/ram.htm/printable)
RAM Virtual Memory Paging (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=555223)
RAM Reseating & Fitting PDF File (http://images.crucial.com/pdf/dimm_install.pdf)
Processor Temperatures (http://www.gen-x-pc.com/cputemps.htm)
Service Pack Slipstreamer (http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4444.html)
Power Supply Wattage Calculator (http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply)
Everest Home Edition Computer Diagnostic Program (http://www.lavalys.com/products.php?lang=en)
Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ad724ae0-e72d-4f54-9ab3-75b8eb148356&displaylang=en)
TERABYTE (http://www.terabyteunlimited.com)
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You can also re-set the size of the Master Files Tables, if it is necessary, to prevent excess fragmentation.
How to do this?
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Diskeeper 9 Professional has an additional feature called Frag-Shield. It will assess the size of the MFTs and, if they are too small, recommend a better size.
When you agree to the assessment just click Proceed and Frag-Shield will set them to the new size.
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And how to if you do not use Disk Keeper?