Defragging a computer is a common occurrence, but most people do not understand what exactly a defrag program will do to your computer. The point of a defragmenter is to help your computer system achieve peak levels of performance and be reliable in all its function. Most computer systems have the built in Disk Defragmenter program, but there are also other defragmenting programs on the market. Programs like this will support maintenance of disk efficiency and keep your system running at peak performance.

Fragmentation of files is caused when you create files and delete files and folders on your computer. You can also fragment files by installing new software and downloading files form the internet. Computers usually do not save the entire file of folder in one single space of the disk. They are saves in the first available space, and usually that is not together. Instead, the file is saved in pieces throughout the volume of the disk. And when you delete files, these little spaces are free to save new files, and that is how the new files get fragmented.

You may think that this fragmentation is not important, because the computer is still able to save the files so that you can still use them. But this fragmentation slows the computer's file input and output performance.

There are two different types of fragmentation: file fragmentation and free space fragmentation. File fragmentation is where a file is stored in one location on a disk and described at contiguous. If it is not described this way, it will be fragmented, scattered across the volume in pieces. Nearly any file is susceptible to fragmentation.

Free space fragmentation is the free space on a disk that is not contiguous. This means that any new files put on the volume will end up fragmented to find enough space to store the file on the computer. This type of fragmentation will ultimately slow the performance of the computer because it needs times to find the free space and move parts of the file in the free spaces.

So any defragmenting software will work to rewrite the disk volume. This will take all of the non-contiguous parts of a file and rewrite them on contiguous parts of the volume. This will increase the access to data and the speed of retrieval of this data. Many disks can become severely fragmented over time, and this is why it is vital to run a defragment program on your computer on a regular basis. But if you have a new operating system, such as Vista, you will notice that defragmenting takes place not through a conventional program you can open and scan with, but as a background process. This helps to keep the system clean from fragmented files and fragmented free space.

The point of a defrag program is to optimize your computer usage, so you will want to make sure that you are keeping your system running well with a defrag program.