ScanDisk / Defrag Your Hard Drive
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 ScanDiskIf 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 |
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 ChangeWhen 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.
continue . . . Uninstall Programs the Right Way |