Computer gamers will have come across the use of the iconic word DeFRaG in the cult, first-person shooter odyssey Quake. A DeFRaG is actually a freeware modification for Quake III, created by id Software.

Defrag on a desktop, or laptop, is a little more mundane, but nonetheless, essential.

Just a quick word about the hard disk (or hard drive).

Think of your computer as a big fat filing cabinet and see yourself rushing backwards and forwards from your desk, carrying stacks of files. Inevitably, files get lost, bits of paper get mislaid and files get stuffed in and out, often ending up in the wrong place and in the wrong order. That’s what is happening to your hard disk on a daily basis and there comes a time when you should sort out the filing cabinet and re-order it.

And this is known as Defragmenting Hard Disk. It is actually quite an easy process, although it can take quite a long time to complete, depending on the level of mess your hard drive is in.

Data is stored on your hard drive. Now as this data is altered, or erased, an empty space is created. When new data arrives ready to be stored in the hard drive, it seeks the first available space and will first try the ones already vacated; but, as often the vacant spaces are not big enough for the new data, it then moves along to the next available space which is large enough to accommodate it. And this is a constant process, unseen and uninterrupted by the computer user.

The problem is of course that bits of data end up all over the place and when the data is demanded by the computer, the hard drive has to search all over the place gathering the relevant bits together. This means a lot of hard work for the hard drive and more work means a slower job, and greater wear and tear. When this state occurs, you have a fragmented disk.

By running the defragmenter, you basically re-arrange all the bits of data and white space into contiguous spaces. This means the hard drive is doing less to achieve more, which in turn means it should have a longer life and operate more efficiently.

To start the defragmenter, click Start, My Computer, right click C: drive and click properties. Choose the Tools Tab and click the button Defragment. And that’s it, the utility does the rest. But you have to leave it alone – if you fiddle around with your computer, then it will have to start all over again. Just leave it and it will finish, depending of course on how much white space and displaced data you have.

It used be on previous versions of Windows that you could watch the defrag take place, as white space, blue lines (okay data) and red lines (data which could not be moved), played a little dance across the screen, aptly demonstrating what was happening. That was pretty cool; nowadays, it just gets on with it. Remember, it can take hours and some people leave it overnight to finish properly.

But, don’t do it too often, as a defrag puts a lot of strain on a hard disk.

Defragmenting Hard Disks – Recap

• not to be confused with Quake III;
• defragmenting utility;
• takes time, but worth doing.