Tutorial 1: Windows XP Disk Scan and Defragmentation for Beginners

Has your computer been slowing down? Want to increase its performance? Then you may want to try 2 easy options--Disk Scan and Defragmentation. They are 2 great disk utilities that will not only improve your computer's performance or reorganize your files, but it will also correct many disk errors...for FREE! Yes, it is completely Free because it has already been installed on your Windows XP computer. If this is your first time running these programs on your computer, get ready to be surprised at the difference in speed. We will discuss some background information about these utilities and the step-by-step procedures to perform these tasks.

Disk Scan

Using the Disk Scan feature is very important to keep your computer up and running, it is a very essential part of computer maintenance. By running a disk scan, the OS utility feature checks the hard drive for errors and bad sections. If any errors are found, it will attempt to fix them. This will allow your computer to run efficiently and error free. Follow these steps to start scanning for errors:

1. Click on My Computer located on the desktop.

2. Right-click on the disk you would like to scan, and select Properties. The hard drive properties window should come up.

3. Pick the Tools tab. To begin Disk Scan, click on Check Now...

Picture was provided by Tech Ease (See Reference1).

4. The "check disk options" will appear. It is preferable to check both options:

• Automatically fix file system errors
• Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors

5. Click Start. Another window will appear asking to schedule the disk check next time you restart Windows, click Yes.


6. Close all the windows and programs, and restart your computer. The Disk Scan will automatically begin.


Defragmentation

Before you perform this task, you may want to know what Fragmentation is. Very briefly, disk fragmentation occurs over time when you use the disk, create, modify, and delete files. The disk will naturally try to place all the files in contiguous spaces, but there comes a certain point that the it must place parts of a file in noncontiguous clusters. This of course slows down your computer, as it takes the disk a little longer to locate all clusters for each file. The diagram below shows how the disk clusters look before defragmentation.

Picture was provided by PC Guide (See reference 2)

As you can see, File F takes up 4 clusters, but was placed in empty spaces throughout the disk and therefore makes it noncontiguous. Here are the following steps to fix this problem as much as possible and therefore increase your computer's performance:

1. Click on My Computer located on the desktop.

2. Right-click on the disk you would like to defragment, and select Properties. The hard drive properties window should come up.

3. Pick on the Tools Tab, Select Defragment Now...

4. The Disk Defragmenter program will open up.

5. Select the Defragment button. The defragmentation process will begin; it will analyze and reorganize your files. Over time, it will take the previously heavily fragmented disk and make it more organized.

Picture was provided by the University of Iowa (See Reference 3)

Hope these steps and diagrams helped you. If you need any more information regarding Windows XP Defragmentation, please visit this article on the Microsoft Support page. According to this course's lectures, Microsoft suggests that defragmenting hard drives should be part of a "frequent and regular maintenance program to maintain the optimum performance..." 

**In addition, some videos regarding Disk Scan and Disk Defragmentation have been attached for your reference; they are very helpful in showing you the steps to using these programs as well as providing some basic facts:

VIDEO REGARDING DISK SCAN

VIDEO REGARDING DISK DEFRAGMENTATION

**Both videos were provided by YouTube**

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

References:

1) "How do I scan my hard drive for errors?." Tech-Ease. University of South Florida and the Florida Department of Education, 2010. Web. 25 Jan 2011. <http://etc.usf.edu/techease/win/hardware/how-do-i-scan-my-hard-drive-for-errors/>.

2) Kozierok, Charles. "Fragmentation and Defragmentation." The PC Guide. The PC Guide, 17 April 2001. Web. 29 Jan 2011. <http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/file/clustFragmentation-c.html>.

3) "How to Defragment your Hard Drive (Windows XP)."IT Services at the University of Iowa. The University of Iowa, n.d. Web. 28 Jan 2011. <http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/windows/instructions/defrag.htm>.

4) "Perform a Scan-Disk Function using Windows XP."YouTube. Web. 27 Jan 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91SBw9Fkmsw>.

5) "How To Defrag Your Windows XP Hard Drive."YouTube. Web. 28 Jan 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsYt821jGQ8>.