Defragment hard drive in Windows XP
On Windows XP, you should defragment your hard drive from time to time to improve performance. We show you what you have to do for this in our tip.
Start Windows defragmentation tool
There are several ways to get to XP's own defragmentation tool:
- The longest way is via Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Defragmentation.
- It is faster via the Windows start menu - All programs - Accessories - System programs - Defragmentation (see screenshot below).
- The shortest way is via the Windows Start menu - All Programs - "Run". Type in the command "dfrg.msc" and click on "OK" (see screenshot).
Defragment hard drive or drive partitions
- Your defragmentation tool has started. Now select the hard drive or partition to be cleaned up. You can only defragment one drive at a time.
- Click "Defragment". The progress is displayed in percent. The higher the fragmentation and the amount of data to be managed, the longer the process takes.
- When the cleanup is complete, you can view a report or close the application. Start again from point 1 if you want to defragment another drive.
Extra tip: With the "HDiskPerf" or "HDiskPerf (64 Bit)" tool you can check, among other things, whether the defragmentation has had a positive effect on the performance of your drives.