what is a contiguous file?

Question

just curious

Answer 1

Usually this refers to a file that is stored on the hard drive contiguously. Fragmented files are files that are broken up into pieces - part of the file is stored in one area on the hard drive (say, closer to the outer edge of the disk) and another part elsewhere (maybe closer to the inner edge). Contiguous files are the opposite.

You can read more about fragmentation here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragmentation_%28computer%29

Answer 2

Hi there,

Everyone who has answered has hit the nail right on the head. A contiguous file is a file that has not been broken up and is one whole piece.

If I were to answer in an analogy for others to understand as well:

Take a pie for example. Cut it into 8 pieces (4 cuts). At this point you still have a "contiguous" pie. Now, you take a piece away from the pie and put it on a plate on the other side of the room. The pie is now broken, all the pieces are still in the room but not together. This means the pie is "Fragmented"

When someone comes to eat the pie it will take them longer to eat the entire pie than if you did not take the piece and put it on the plate, because they have to search for the missing piece.

So a contiguous pie is one that is not broken up and is all together.

The same works for a computer. If a program is trying to use 100 files but 50 are in one spot and 50 are in another it will take longer for it to operate than on a computer where the files are in one spot, or contiguous.

Hope that helps!
Kyle Cashion

Answer 3

Sounds like you are defragmenting your computer. Contiguous Files are files that are in one piece(not fragmented). Unmovable Files are system files that are too important and may be damaged if moved. Fragmented files have been broken into several pieces.

Answer 4

Your computer saves your files anywhere it can. Usually they're in pieces all over your hard drive. When you defragment your hard drive, you increase your computer speed by making fragmented files contiguous. In other words, they're in one continuous area of the disk, all of the file is in one place.

Answer 5

A contiguous file is one that is un-fragmented, or not divided into pieces. Check out my answer on defragmentation at http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhbSIl6Yncjgd6.e94u5JGvsy6IX?qid=20070218215544AAwj6L0&show=7#profile-info-AA12158303

Answer 6

A virus! It keeps passing itself on to another, then another.. And so on.. Just like children with colds in a day care center..