Over time, you'll begin noticing that launching programs on your PC starts to take longer than usual to load. The overall performance begins to diminish and it's quite obvious that your beloved computer is no longer running on all cylinders.

This is due in part to the files on your computer condign fragmented and no longer working as they should. It'due south at this time that a manual optimization may be required.

Older versions of Windows used the Disk Defragmenter tool. To assistance keep your PC speed topped out, Windows 10 includes its own congenital-in tool to defragment all fragmented files.

How To Defrag Windows 10. Is It Worth It?

By default, Windows ten has scheduled optimization turned on automatically. At least once a week, your disk drives, namely the C: drive, are automatically optimized to aid your figurer run more efficiently or analyzed to determine if optimization is required.

Notwithstanding, even though Windows 10 tin can accurately discover the type of storage and handle defragmentation of the files automatically, it may not always be every bit optimal as it lets on. This is usually considering the PC isn't left on long enough for the optimization to have result which prevents proper maintenance.

And so every once in a while it'south all-time to manually perform assay and optimization on your hard disk bulldoze to ensure proper maintenance. If you discover whatsoever file fragmentation during your assay, then your Windows x computer may be in need of a defrag.

Why & When To Defrag Windows ten?

Continuously saving a file places parts of that file into dissimilar volumes on your PC. As the file grows, more of information technology will be disbursed among volumes forcing your computer to search through multiple areas, slowing down your computer.

With the exception of SSDs, a disk defragmentation should be carried out weekly or, at the very least, one time a month. Over again, this is determined past the size of your hard drive and the daily use of your computer.

As already stated, Windows 10 provides users with a disk defragmentation tool that helps to rearrange and reunite the fragmented file data slowing down your PC.

Optimizing Drives On Windows 10

First, prior to optimizing, you'll want to analyze the drive(s). This way you lot'll know whether or not the drive(south) need optimization in the first place.

  1. Blazon Defragment and Optimize Drives into the taskbar search, and press Enter.
  2. Highlight the bulldoze y'all want to scan and click Analyze.

If the results of the analysis bear witness less than 10% fragmented, an optimization is likely not necessary.

  1. Does your analysis results prove college than a ten% fragmentation? Highlight the drive and click Optimize.

The time it takes for the optimization process to consummate is determined by the number of files, size of the drive, and extent of fragmentation. If y'all know the bulldoze is large, information technology'due south amend to perform this step when you lot won't exist in front of your PC for an extended flow.

  1. Upon completion, the status should display every bit OK (0% fragmented).

Setting The Optimization Schedule

The optimizations schedule is set up to run every week by default. However, if you lot're an avid user of your reckoner and so information technology'south best you modify the frequency in which the maintenance is run.

Windows 10 offers the selection to modify the frequency in which drives are optimized.

  • While still in the Optimize Drives window, click Modify settings.
  • Click the Frequency dropdown and select how often you'd like optimization to accept place. You're given a choice between Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.

Those who use their computers oft should opt for the Daily or Weekly option. Good practice, regardless of which selection you choose, is to perform at least 1 manual optimization per calendar month.

The exception to this is for Southolid Southwardtate Drives (SSDs). SSDs utilise banks of memory to store information which means they don't ever need defragmentation. Defragmentation of an SSD can actually cause operation issues and reduce the life of the drive.

  • Side by side, click the Cull push button for Drives.
  • Put a checkmark into each box alongside the drives you lot want automatically optimized on your chosen schedule.

You will all the same see SSDs, if you lot have them, in this list. Don't be alarmed as the SSDs volition not be defragged. In fact, Windows 10 volition effort to optimize these drives in a different way so it'southward prophylactic to keep them checked.

  • To apply the changes, click OK.
  • Click OK once more followed by closing out of the window.

Is Defragmentation Required?

The curt answer is, no. Defragmentation is not required. Is information technology worth it? We would say that information technology's very worth it but ultimately depends on how much you value your figurer and your time.

The matter is, Windows ten takes care of your computer all on its own. Fifty-fifty if you don't want to perform a manual defragmentation, your operating system will still perform one for you. Your figurer will continue to perform well while active so long equally you don't miss a scheduled maintenance.

Yet, if you find things are beginning to slow down or, consider yourself a power user and adopt having more command over what goes on with the inner workings of your computer, the above steps will provide that for you.