Surely many PC users have noticed how over time the computer starts to work more slowly and slowly, and this does not depend on the configuration of the hardware. What could be the reason? In the hard drive, or rather in its fragmentation, which slows down the operation of the HDD. To fix this problem, you need to do defragmentation using special software. Actually, this will be discussed today - the best programs for defragmenting a hard disk.
A little bit about defragmentation
Before moving on to the programs themselves, I would like to talk a bit about what defragmentation is and why you need to do it at all. In short, defragmentation is the process of ordering the clusters (blocks) of the hard disk and the logical structure in order to ensure continuous consistency.
The fact is that in the process, files and blocks on the hard disk are fragmented, i.e. broken into parts, moved to other areas of the hard drive. Visually, users do not see these broken files, which are arranged in a chaotic sequence, for them everything remains exactly the same as it was. However, the same cannot be said for the operating system. For the OS, how many clusters a particular file is divided into is very important.
For example, if you take any program, then at first it will work fine, quickly start and close, but after some time fragmentation will occur, and the speed of the program will decrease significantly. The same thing happens with all the files on the disk - the process is the same and inevitable for everyone. But if defragmentation is carried out at least once every six months, then the computer will work quickly and quickly, without brakes and freezes. You can defragment using a special program.
What is the program for defragmenting a hard drive for and what is its main purpose? Everything is simple here. The program scans the entire hard drive, finds all the fragmented blocks completely, analyzes them and arranges them in order. In other words, if the files of some "softina" are divided into 10 parts and are located in different areas, during defragmentation they will all be arranged and moved to one place. Thus, the reading speed of the railway will increase, and with it the speed.
That, in fact, is all about defragmentation, and now you can move on to the software.
"Disk Defragmenter"
So, the first in the list of programs for defragmenting a hard disk is the built-in utility in Windows - "Disk Defragmenter". In some editions of the OS, the utility may be called "Disk Optimization", which, in general, is not so important. What can the firmware offer for the user? Let's get it right.
Features
There are two ways to launch the built-in program for defragmentation:
- Go to the "Control Panel" and find the item "Administration" (click on it). In the window that opens, you need to 2 times click on the item "Disk Optimization" or "Disk Defragmenter".
- The second method is faster and especially suitable for users of Windows 8 and 10 versions. All you need to do is click on the magnifying glass icon next to the Start menu and write “Defragment” in the search bar. As a result, one program will be displayed, which we need.
The interface of the program for disk defragmentation built into the system is in Russian, which, in fact, is not surprising. The program does not cause any particular difficulties in handling. In the central part there is a window with a list of all the hard drives available in the computer. The status of the railway is displayed there, i.e. how fragmented it is.
Before moving on to defragmentation, you must run a scan. To do this, select the desired railway and click on the "Analyze" button. This procedure will provide more current information about fragmentation at the moment.
To start defragmentation, just click on the "Optimize" button. The process takes some time, so you have to wait.
Actually, there is nothing more to talk about the firmware. It is easy to use, and for most users it is enough with the head. It is also worth noting that you can configure automatic defragmentation on a schedule, which is very convenient.
Pros and cons
Now briefly about the advantages and disadvantages of the utility. The advantages clearly include a simple and intuitive interface, accessibility, i.e. the program is on any computer, a minimum of buttons, which allows anyone to understand the program, and all the necessary functionality (analysis and defragmentation). Actually, according to these indicators, the built-in utility can be safely considered one of the best programs for defragmenting a hard disk.
As for the minuses, there are no significant drawbacks here. Unless the scanning and defragmentation algorithms could have been better, and some additional "chips" would not have hurt.
Defraggler
The next program on the list is Defraggler. This is a third-party software, not built-in. You can download the program for defragmenting your hard drive from the official site, since it is distributed for free, or rather not at all. There is a free version with some minor restrictions, and there is a paid version with additional features.
Description
The program has a fairly simple and intuitive interface. By default, the application language is English, but through the Options menu it is easy to change it to Russian.
At the top, in a small window, the hard disks installed in the system are displayed. They also indicate their volume, free and occupied space, and, of course, the percentage of fragmentation that appears only after analysis.
The analysis is quite simple, you need to select the desired drive in the upper part and click on the "Analysis" button below. The scanning process is fast enough, even faster than the built-in utility, and it pleases.
At the end of the analysis, the user is given a result where the percentage of fragmentation is displayed. Actually, the analysis also very clearly shows how much better the algorithms work with Defraggler than with the built-in program.
Also, the “Status” tab, which displays detailed information about the hard disk, how many hours it worked, how many power-ups it had, the number of disk errors, its temperature, and much more, should be attributed to useful “chips”.
As for defragmentation, or rather how to do it, then everything is also simple. First you need to select the desired drive on top, and then click on the "Defragment" button below. The process is not fast, so you will need to wait a while.
Advantages and disadvantages
So, now about the pros and cons of one of the best programs for defragmenting your hard drive - Defraggler. The first thing that can be attributed to the pluses is accessibility. The program can be downloaded without problems from the official site and use it, and the free version does not have any hard restrictions. The second plus is the accuracy of the analysis and the speed of its implementation. Compared to the built-in utility, Defraggler is just a real rocket in terms of speed. The third plus is the extensive functionality. The program has a bunch of additional options: you can see the status of the hard disk, scan it for errors, defragment individual blocks, configure the defragmentation schedule, and much more.
As for the minuses, there are no serious shortcomings in the program for cleaning and defragmenting the hard disk. Is that the PRO version is a little expensive, but, on the other hand, all the differences between the paid version and the free one are support for automatic updates, premium support from the developer, and, in fact, that’s all. In terms of functionality and capabilities, both versions are completely identical, so it makes no sense to pay $ 25.
Auslogics disk defrag
The third in the list of the best programs for defragmenting your hard drive is Auslogics Disk Defrag. This program is also distributed free of charge, and you can download it from the developer's site. It is important that the site has 2 versions of the program: Disk Defrag Free and Disk Defrag Pro. The first is completely free, but the second only applies for 30 days in trial mode, and after that you need to buy it. The first version is recommended for installation, since there is practically no difference between Free and Pro.
Program features
The user interface of the program for defragmenting a hard disk is in Russian. It does not cause difficulties in perception, on the contrary, it is very simple and understandable. Above, as in the previous program, there is a list of hard drives installed in the computer. In the middle, information about the railway units is displayed. Well, at the bottom there are several tabs with useful information. One of these tabs is SMART. Using it, you can see information about the hard drive, the number of hours it has been working, the number of starts, temperature, etc. In short, this is an analogue of the Status tab in Defraggler.
Work in the program is extremely simple. Before performing defragmentation, it is advisable to analyze the railway. This is done simply. Checkmarks are placed on top opposite those drives that will be scanned. After that, click on the arrow next to the "Defragmentation" button and select "Analysis".
A completely similar defragmentation procedure. The procedure is exactly the same as above, only instead of analysis you need to select "Defragmentation".
Additional disk Defrag “features” include a large number of program settings, the ability to plan, quick and selective defragmentation, and much more. If there is a desire to make out in all the settings, then this can be done without problems.
Pros and cons of the program
The first and most important plus of Disk Defrag is that it runs a program to defragment your hard drive on Windows 10, 8, 8.1, 7, etc., so there will be no compatibility problems. The second plus, of course, is accessibility. The program is completely free, only when downloading you need to be more careful and see that the name of the program is like this: Auslogics Disc Defrag Free. The third plus is the good speed of the program. The fourth plus - rich settings and features. Well, the last plus - the program is very easy to use and does not cause difficulties at all.
As for the minuses, it’s hard to find fault with something, and is it worth it when the program is really good? The answer is obvious.
O&O Defrag
The next program to defragment your hard drive in Windows 7, 8, and 10 is O&O Defrag. This product offers users quite good defragmentation capabilities, however there is one unpleasant moment - a paid license. Yes, unfortunately, to take full advantage of O&O, you will have to pay a certain amount. In free mode of use, the program works only 30 days. However, let's take a look at this product.
Software Description
I would like to start the description by tradition with the interface. So, the interface of the program is quite simple, but, alas, in English. Changing the language is also not possible, so you have to be content with what is. In general, the English language does not cause any particular difficulties in the interface, since the location of all the controls, tabs and buttons is quite clear.
At the very top are tabs that are responsible for various additional actions. The first tab is defragmentation. The second is to clean the disk of all garbage. The third allows you to see information about the disk. Well, then there were the tabs of the task scheduler, checking the disk for errors, options and information about the program. By the way, in order to take advantage of the second and third tabs, you will need to install additional products from O&O, or rather one - Disk Cleaner. As for DiskStat, it is installed automatically during the installation of O&O Defrag disk defragmenter on the computer.
Let's go back to defragmentation. In order to perform defragmentation, you must first perform disk analysis. To do this, just click on the Analysis button. The program will scan all disks at once, which, in general, is convenient. After the analysis is completed, you need to select the disk you want for defragmentation and click on the Start button. The program operation algorithms are written quite well, so the defragmentation process here goes a little faster than competitors, but still you will need to wait a while.
As for the additional features of the program, then about them, in principle, was said above. There is a scheduler, a garbage cleaner, a separate application that shows all the information about the railway, and much, much more.
Pros and Cons of Software
The advantages of O&O should definitely include a pleasant and easy-to-understand interface, well-written work algorithms that accelerate the analysis and defragmentation processes, impressive functionality, extensive settings and the absence of restrictions in terms of functionality in the free version.
According to its capabilities, O&O Defrag is, of course, one of the best programs for defragmenting a disk, but it still has some disadvantages. The first one is the English interface. Yes, it does not cause difficulties, but for some, English can be a problem. The second minus - for some tabs on working with the railway installation of additional proprietary programs is required. The third drawback, and it’s the most important, is the 30-day trial period for using the free version. Actually, the program has no more critical minuses.