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Defrag for Speed
PCQ
Wednesday, February 06, 2002
If your PC has slowed down perceptibly over the last few months with programs now taking ages to load, your files might be fragmented. The Windows filing system stores files and folders in non-contiguous clusters. This gradually slows down the system as files get more and more fragmented into many clusters. Defragmenting rearranges these files and the free space so that the read-write head of the hard disk can access data faster.
To run Microsoft’s Disk Defragmenter (third-party utilities are also available) in Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP:
- Click on ‘Start>Programs>Accessories>System tools>Disk defragmenter’
- Select All hard drives (or the required drive) and click OK.
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No defrag in Linux
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Most current Linux versions including PCQLinux 7.1 are based on the ext2 filing system, which has extra code to keep fragmentation to miniscule levels. So you needn’t run a defrag utility in Linux. However, a defragmenter for ext2,
Minix, and old-style ext file systems is available at http://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/
filesystems/defrag-0.70.tar.gz |
Remember to keep at least 15 percent of your hard disk free before running it. Also it’s best to run the defragmenter when other programs aren’t running. Otherwise you might find it starting all over again repeatedly without getting complete.
Use defrag at least once a month to speed up your PC.
Remember
Windows NT does not ship with Microsoft Defrag and needs third-party software like Diskeeper or Norton Speed Disk for NT. Windows 2000 users can’t defrag without the the Administrator’s permission. Microsoft’s Disk defragmenter doesn’t defrag the swap and registry files though some third-party utilities can. Page(s) 1
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