If your PC is taking ages to open that file you need, then it could be time for a defrag. Disk defragmentation is something that will definitely take care of your computers disk performance problems but its better you know what it is before begin the process.

Say for an example, you have a shelf which accommodates 10 cartons of files. You remove two cartons which are displaced from one another, thus creating 2 units of independent space. Now you have a bigger carton (‘a’) containing 10 extra files than the previous ones. In order to place it on the shelf, we would fit the optimum number of files in the first slot and then move on to the next. This means that the contents of ‘a’ have been scattered, or fragmented. Thus when you want to access ‘a’ it would need time to collect data from various positions. Thus the scattering of allocated memory blocks is termed as fragmentation. This same principle when applied to data storage in computers would cause a delay, or a lag in file access. Thus it is crucial to minimize the extent of disk fragmentation.

Defragmentation is a process wherein the contents of the disk are physically organized to ensure contiguous data storage. In simple words it is a process to rearrange and reallocate memory locations in order to enhance computer performance. This can be done by increasing individual memory allocations so that the probability of splitting up of data is minimized.

Defragging is required when:

1.)    There is a frequent copying and pasting of contents from the hard disk

2.)    The system has a sluggish response even in the absence of any visible virus or spyware.

Ideally, defragging is recommended at least once every month. Defragging can take time on a large hard drive. So you should do it whenever you are going to be away from your computer for a while.

You can defrag with built-in Windows tools or you can use third party tools.