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Optimizing and maintaining your data 51
Optimizing and maintaining your data
Windows provides several utilities you can use to manage your hard drive
space and keep your hard drive running efficiently.
Windows utilities
Scanning the hard drive for errors
ScanDisk is a utility that examines the hard drive for errors and
file problems and corrects them so that your computer performs
correctly.
If you use your computer several hours every day, you probably want to run
ScanDisk once a week. But if you use your computer less frequently, once a
month may be adequate. You should also run ScanDisk if you have hard drive
problems.
Defragmenting the hard drive
Sometimes Windows divides file data into pieces and stores
them in different places on the hard drive. This is called
fragmentation, and it is normal. But for the hard drive to use a
file, it must search for all the pieces of the file, and this slows
the hard drive performance.
Disk Defragmenter is a utility that organizes file data as one unit instead of in
pieces, improving hard drive performance.
If you are connected to a network, log off before running the Disk
Defragmenter utility. While the Disk Defragmenter utility is running, do not
use your keyboard or mouse. Using your computer while defragmenting will
start the process again from the beginning.
Using Disk Cleanup
By deleting unnecessary files from the hard drive you free
space. Use the Windows
DiskCleanup utility to delete temporary
Windows files, delete temporary Internet files, empty the
Recycle Bin, and delete other files.
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