Defragmenting The Hard Drive - Gateway M360 User Manual

Chapter 8: Maintaining Your Computer
Help and
Support

Defragmenting the hard drive

When working with files, sometimes Windows divides the file information into pieces and
stores them in different places on the hard drive. This is called fragmentation, and it is
normal. In order for your computer to use a file, Windows must search for the pieces of
the file and put them back together. This process slows the hard drive performance.
The Disk Defragmenter program organizes the data on the drive so each file is stored as
one unit rather than as multiple pieces scattered across different areas of the drive.
Defragmenting the information stored on the drive can improve hard drive performance.
While the Disk Defragmenter program is running, do not use your keyboard or mouse
because using them may continuously stop and restart the defragmenting process. Also,
if you are connected to a network, log off before starting Disk Defragmenter. Network
communication may stop the defragmentation process and cause it to start over.
To defragment the hard drive:
1
Click , then click
Start
2
Right-click the hard drive that you want to defragment, for example Local Disk (C:),
then click
Properties
122
For more information about checking the hard drive for errors, click
Start, then click Help and Support. Type the keyword checking for
disk errors in the Search box
arrow.
. The My Computer window opens.
My Computer
. The Properties dialog box opens.
www.gateway.com
, then click the