what does defrag do to your computer?

Answer 1

Microsoft defrag, or disk defragmenter, is a software utility designed to help chronologically order the data on the hard disk drive. The theory behind defrag is to place each program together instead of scattered throughout the hard disk drive, allowing the read-write head to access the data faster on the hard disk drive. Windows includes an improved version of defrag that is said to place the most commonly accessed data at the beginning of the drive, allowing the read-write head a shorter distance to access the data, making the computer faster. Generally, unless the hard disk drive is seriously fragmented, you will not notice a significant difference after defragging the hard disk drive.

Answer 2

As you store files, access them and re save them, the new part of the file you resave sometimes cannot be saved with the original part. In other words the file is now in two or more parts and they are separated by other data/files, etc.

The word that describes this is that the files are not now in "contiguous" sections on your hard drive.
Defrag or defragmenting your hard drive rearranges the data on the HD in contiguous sections and saves a lot of space by doing this and since your memory no longer needs to keep up with the location of fragmented pieces of files, your computer can access your HD and the information on it much faster.

Answer 3

Defrag is VERY....VERY helpful for your computer.

Overtime, your files in your computer start to spread apart and end up eventually taking more spae then required.....

What Defrag does is that it takes all of the scattered pieces of the files and brings them together, freeing up all that extra space .

The only downside is that it takes a few hours....

Answer 4

In the simplest description it "bridges the gaps"

when you install programs, folders and files go all over the place. Defragmenting will remove unnecessary files.

Its not always necessary but won't really hurt to do it on occasion.

It won't necessarily speed up your computer, but it helps cleanup and conserve drive space.

Answer 5

Think about it this way. When you hit save, it looks for a random open spot on your hard drive. This means that after alot of saves your data will be splattered all over you hard drive. Defrag takes all that and puts it in one nice big organized block of data.
Lets say that I is data:
Before defrag:
I I II I I I I
After
IIIIIIIII

Answer 6

Moves related files closer together.

Answer 7

it puts all of the different pieces of files together and speeds up your computer