Defragmenting the hard drive is known to improve the performance of a computer. You will find below relevant information and the steps required to Optimize and Defragment Hard Drive in Windows 10.
Defragment Hard Drive in Windows 10
Over a period of time, the files and data stored on the Hard Disk Drive of a computer get scattered around and becomes unorganized.
When the Data stored on the Hard Disk Drive of a computer gets fragmented, the computer ends up spending more time for data retrieval as it has to check multiple places on the Hard Drive.
Disk Files The virtual machine settings editor (VM Settings) allows you to choose the disk files for a virtual machine.You may want to choose a file other than the one created by the New Virtual Machine Wizard if you are using a virtual disk that you created in a different location or if you are moving the automatically created disk files to a new location. Specifies the size of the segments written to each physical disk in a RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60 virtual disk. You can set the stripe element size to 64 KB 128 KB, 256 KB, 512 KB, or 1 MB. The default and recommended stripe element size is 64 KB.
This fragmentation of data is a common occurrence in traditional Hard Disk Drives, which ultimately leads to an overall slowdown of the operating system and programs running on a computer.
Hence, there is a clear need to periodically Defragment the Hard Disk Drive of a computer using the in-built ‘Optimize Drives’ utility as available in Windows 10.
1. How Does ‘Optimize Drives’ Utility Speed Up Computer?
When you Run ‘Optimize Drives’ utility on a computer with traditional Hard Disk Drive (HDD), it defragments the hard drive, which ensures that scattered files get re-arranged in an orderly fashion, occupying contiguous storage locations on the Hard Drive.
This orderly arrangement of data on the Hard Drive minimizes the time required to read and write files, resulting in an overall increase in the data transfer rates on your computer. Photo mechanic 6 0.
Since, computers with SDD drives do not need to be defragmented, the Optimize Drives utility works in a different way to optimize the performance of SSD drives.
After running ‘Optimize Drives’ utility, you should notice improved startup times and quick opening of files and applications on your computer.
2. When to Defragment Hard Drive in Windows 10?
Windows 10 should automatically run ‘Optimize Drives’ utility on your computer on a weekly basis to Defragment the Hard Disk and improve its performance.
However, this may not always happen and it is a good idea to make sure that the Hard Disk Drive on your computer is not too fragmented.
While there is no set rule about when to Defragment Hard Drives, it is considered a good practice to keep the fragmentation percentage of Hard Disk Drive to a low number (5 to 7%).
In general, you should consider running ‘Optimize Drives’ utility, whenever you notice a sluggishness in the performance of your computer.
3. Steps to Defragment Hard Drive in Windows 10
Follow the steps below to Defragment Hard Drive in Windows 10.
1. Type defrag in the Windows Search bar and click on Defragment and Optimize Drives option in the “Best Match” section of search results.
2. On the next screen, select the Hard Disk Drive that you want to defragment and click on the Optimize button.
3. Patiently wait for Windows 10 to complete the process of Defragmenting the selected Hard Drive.
Once the Hard Disk Drive is defragmented, you should be able notice much improved performance on your computer.
4. Using Optimize Drives Utility on SSD
Unlike traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDD), SSD Drives have a different pattern of file arrangement and do not need to be defragmented.
Compared to traditional spinning disk drives (HDD), SSD drives have higher read/write speeds and do not slow down over a period of time.
In case of computers with SSD storage, Optimize Drives utility does not defragment the hard drive and it works in a different way to optimize the performance of your computer.
Hence, you should consider running Optimize Drives utility, whenever your computer with SSD storage appears to be running slow.
5. How to Setup Scheduled Disk Defragmentation in Windows 10
By default, the Optimize Drive utility is set to run Weekly on a Windows 10 computer. However, you can setup your computer to run this utility on a Daily or Monthly basis.
1. Type defrag in the Windows Search bar and click on Defragment and Optimize Drives option in the search results.
2. On the next screen, select the Hard Disk Drive that you want to defragment and click on Change settings button.
3. On the next screen, check Run on a schedule (1) option > click on the down-arrow (2) to select Daily, Weekly or Monthly Frequency and click on the Choose button.
4. On the next screen, select the Drives on which you want to apply Scheduled Defragmentation.
5. Click on OK to save these settings on your computer.
As mentioned above, Optimize Drive utility does not defragment SSD drives and works in a different way to improve the performance of SSD Drives.
Features of Disk Wipe
Permanently wipes sensitive data on partitions and disk volumes.
Portable, no installation needed!
Uses several advanced shredding algorithms (Dod 5220-22.M, US Army, Peter Guttman) to securely wipe data.
Supports all popular Windows file systems, NTFS, Fat, Fat32.
It uses quick format prior to disk wiping for faster performance.
Works with USB sticks, SD cards and other portable memory devices.
Small, light, does not contain adware.
Respect the privacy of your information, does not try to connect to remote server and does not send any information over internet.
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About disk wiping technology
Disk Drive is a device that stores digital data. Those data is stored on a surface of magnetic platters that rotates at a very high speeds. The magnetic property on a surface of a disk platter can be read or changed to either 1's or 0's. The entire information structure with all data on disk drive comes down to a large number of ones and zeros - the basic cell's of binary data. When you write a data on your disk drive (text, zip file, movie, whatever.) a row of 0's and 1's are written. That is your data. Now, when you delete the data those ones and zeros aren't deleted, merely a pointer to that data is being removed. That makes recovering such deleted data very easy.
Ok, what about formatting? Unfortunately, formatting a disk drive can not help securing the permanent deletion either. Formatting a disk drive does not actually overwrite the data, and although it is way better than deleting the file from within Windows it is still very easy to retrieve data back from a formatted disk.
The only real, and many times proven method of permanent data removal (without making a physical damage to a disk) is DISK WIPING technology. So, what is disk wiping and how it works? In order to permanently wipe a data from a disk all binary data, down to a basic 0's and 1's must be overwritten with a new data. So, contrary to what is's name implies disk wiping (or disk wipe method) doesn't really wipe, or delete the disk data, it actually replaces or overwrites the existing data with a new data. In it's simplest form the new data written could be all zero's, but more advanced algorithms use a combination of filling up a disk with random information plus multiple passes to ensure impossibility of retrieval from a wiped disk.
Disk Wipe is a free software that does so, it wipes the disk using one of predefined advanced algorithms, by overwriting the existing disk data with a new, random meaningless data, and it does so multiple times, by users choice, to secure even higher level of safety.
Disk Wipe works with ANY memory storage device such as USB memory stick, various SD, mini and micro SD cards and all other devices that can be used as a memory storage and are formatted with NTFS, Fat or Fat32 (some mp3 players and cameras etc.) You can view Disk Wipe User Guide and Screenshots here. Or, download Free Disk Wipe right away.
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