Defragment = To reorganize the way information is stored on a computer disk so that all of the information belonging to a file is stored in a single, contiguous area the disk.


Prepare Your Computer for Defragmentation

1.) Make sure the hard drive is healthy – use CHKDSK to scan and fix the drive.
2.) Close programs currently open – including virus scanners and other programs that       have icons in the     system tray 
3.) Assure your computer has a constant source of power – The important thing is to be    able to stop the defragmentation process, if there is a power outage. If you have    frequent power brown outs or other outages, you should not use a defragmentation       program without a battery backup. Note: If your computer does shut off while       defragmenting, it may crash the hard drive or corrupt the operating system, or       both.


Click the Start Button
Find the Disk Defragmentation program and open it.
Click the Programs icon
Click the Accessories icon
Click the System Tools icon
Click the Disk Defragmentation icon




Click the Analyze button – the program will analyze your hard drive
Do what the result screen says – If it says your hard drive does not need defragmentation, you probably will not benefit from doing it. You can close the program. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.






If the program says your hard drive needs defragmenting, click on the Defragment button.
Allow the program to do it’s work. It will take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours to defragment your hard drive depending on: the size of the drive, the amount of fragmentation, the speed of your processor, the amount of your operating memory, etc.
When the program has completed, close the program window. If there are any error messages make note of the error and print the log of this process to use in future maintenance or repair of the hard drive.