What does Disk Defrag Do?

[Ga_Gamecock]

*note to smartasses, i know it defragments

but what does that actually mean? is it patching things up? moving things around?

i ran error check, now disk defrag is going. its the 1st time ive tried to run it that it agreed to. normally it tells me there is no need to defrag.

[SpuR48]

It takes all of the "fragmented" files on your hard drive and puts them in a more effecient place on the HDD. Essentially it speeds up the performance of your HDD.

[ColaCock]

Just to add to the above to break it down a little. Fragmentation occurs when a file system on your computer kinda gets lazy and doesn't put "related" files near each other on the hard drive. So the more this happens...the longer it takes to retrieve data or make sense of it...the "seek time". Defragmentation also usually tries to create a larger gap of free space on the computer...note that I didn't say create MORE free space.

So to compare with something a human would do...it's like having your own personal cookbook on a Rolodex. Over the years you might grab a recipe from the bread section...throw it back in somewhere...then grab one from the dessert section...put it back near that same one. After awhile, if you try and go back and find something similiar...you take longer because you didn't put it in the right spot. So to fix this, you would just reorganize it all....keeping Casseroles together, Desserts, Breads, Pastas, Appetizers, etc.

[Spur's Addiction]

This thread is making me hungry.

[ColaCock]

This thread is making me hungry.

:rotfl: sorry about that. first thing that came to my mind!

[acejrock]

you should defrag whenever you add new programs or delete old programs..

[SpuR48]

Just to add to the above to break it down a little. Fragmentation occurs when a file system on your computer kinda gets lazy and doesn't put "related" files near each other on the hard drive. So the more this happens...the longer it takes to retrieve data or make sense of it...the "seek time". Defragmentation also usually tries to create a larger gap of free space on the computer...note that I didn't say create MORE free space.

So to compare with something a human would do...it's like having your own personal cookbook on a Rolodex. Over the years you might grab a recipe from the bread section...throw it back in somewhere...then grab one from the dessert section...put it back near that same one. After awhile, if you try and go back and find something similiar...you take longer because you didn't put it in the right spot. So to fix this, you would just reorganize it all....keeping Casseroles together, Desserts, Breads, Pastas, Appetizers, etc.

Wow, good analogy. I'm gonna use that from now on! Points :D

[lawdog100]

Just to add to the above to break it down a little. Fragmentation occurs when a file system on your computer kinda gets lazy and doesn't put "related" files near each other on the hard drive. So the more this happens...the longer it takes to retrieve data or make sense of it...the "seek time". Defragmentation also usually tries to create a larger gap of free space on the computer...note that I didn't say create MORE free space.

So to compare with something a human would do...it's like having your own personal cookbook on a Rolodex. Over the years you might grab a recipe from the bread section...throw it back in somewhere...then grab one from the dessert section...put it back near that same one. After awhile, if you try and go back and find something similiar...you take longer because you didn't put it in the right spot. So to fix this, you would just reorganize it all....keeping Casseroles together, Desserts, Breads, Pastas, Appetizers, etc.

Excellent way to explain it. Perfect imagery. Pts.