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ScanDisk / Defrag Your Hard Drive

What is scan disk / What is defragmentation?

ScanDisk basically does what you would do if you cleaned out your Rolodex: You would go through and find all the old phone numbers and take them out. Phone numbers that were disconnected, people who moved, etc. This is basically what ScanDisk is doing. It finds files that no longer have associations and gets rid of them.

Defragmenting your hard drive. Definition of defrag- mentation. As you use your computer, files get spread out all over your hard disk drive. That slows it down because it takes longer to find the data it needs. When you defragment, you optimize your disk, which puts all the files in one place and speeds up disk access.

Prepare to ScanDisk

If you're using Windows 98, go to the Start menu, select Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, and choose Scan Disk.  

Prepare to Defragment

Start by preparing your hard drive for optimization. You should uninstall any unneeded programs, remove any data files you no longer want, empty the recycle bin and, most importantly, make sure to back up your data. Defragmentation is generally a safe process, but it's not worth taking any chances.

Defragmenting Process

Now you're ready to defragment. If you're using Windows 98, go to the Start menu, select Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, and choose Disk Defragmenter

This would be a good time for a coffee break. It takes a while to defragment a hard drive, especially if you've never done it before.

Defragmenting Makes a Difference

After you're through, all your files will optimized and in one place. You should notice an improvement in the speed of your computer right away

A Setting You May Want to Change

When you start the defrag process select Stop the defrag program and choose the Select Drive button. Click on Settings. Under:  When defragmenting my hard drive:  uncheck the box next to the Rearrange program files so my programs start faster. Then check the button next to Every time I defragment my hard drive. The click OK and OK again. This should start the defrag again.

 

 

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