PC Hell: Ten Steps to Trouble-Free Computing - Step 3 Tuneup Your Hard Disk Regularly

PCHELL: Ten Steps to
Trouble-Free Computing

Step 3: Tuneup Your Hard Disk Regularly

Because it is the place where you permanently store your applications and, more important, the data files you create with those applications, your hard disk requires special attention to keep it operating at peak efficiency. Disk scans for "lost" files and bad sectors will prevent most disk problems before they occur, while running a disk defragmentation utility will improve the performance of your system.

Every day, you create new files, delete unwanted ones, and write updated versions of current files to your computer's hard disk. Because of the way Windows and the Mac OS assign disk space to files, your hard disk can become fragmented over time (i.e., your files get placed in pieces all over the hard disk, because there is no contiguous space large enough to hold them). A fragmented hard disk slows disk access and makes it harder to recover from disk errors.

To defragment a Windows 95/98/ME/XP hard disk, use the Disk Defragmenter program in Programs/Accessories/System Tools. On a Mac, use a utility such as the Speed Disk tool that comes with Norton Utilities for the Macintosh. You should defrag your hard disk every six months. You should also defrag it after you have created or deleted a lot of files in a short span of time.

Occasionally, a storage area called a sector on your hard disk goes bad. A utility called a disk scanner detects such "hard" errors and keeps a table of such sectors so that your operating system doesn't try to use them to store files. In addition, a disk scanner detects "soft" errors, where the operating system has lost track of pieces of one or more files. ScanDisk (found in Programs/Accessories/System tools) is Windows 95/98/ME/XP built-in disk scanner, and it detects both hard and soft errors. On the Mac, you can use the Disk First Aid program that comes with your system or the more powerful Disk Doctor utility included in the ubiquitous Norton Utilities for Macintosh. You should run a hard disk scan at least every month. In addition, if your computer crashes or you accidentally shut down without going through the proper shutdown procedure, run a disk scan as soon as you reboot.

Recommended Software for PC Hell Visitors
Start FREE Scan...	FREE Registry Scan! Clean, repair, and optimize your system with the leading and award-winning Registry Booster from Uniblue. Registry Booster is the safest and most trusted solution to clean and optimise your system, free it from registry errors and fragmented entries. Through Advanced Error Detection Technology, Registry Booster automatically identifies missing, corrupt, or invalid items in your Windows registry and dramatically enhances performance and general stability.	Start FREE Scan...	FREE Performance Scan! Now, you can get a faster, cleaner, and safer PC within minutes - without being a Windows expert! SpeedUpMyPC automatically finds the best settings for your PC and carefully controls your system resources to give you the best performance. Easy to use, this award-winning utility has all the features you could ever need to clean up your system, monitor resources, and improve performance.	Start FREE Scan...	Free Spyware Scan! Protect your PC against privacy threats with the award winning SpyEraser. Get the latest and most powerful detection and removal technologies, including Live Guard real time online protection. Sophisticated scanning technologies and threat analysis tools even detect new variants of existing threats, as well as new ones, as they evolve. With its intelligent alert warning system and full quarantine, backup and restore features, SpyEraser is the best defense for protection against attack from malware pests.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Perfect Uninstaller

Spy Sweeper

Search PCHELL.COM

Return to PC Hell