The process of reorganizing data on a storage device, like a hard drive, so that related pieces of information are stored closer together is known as disk defragmentation. Over time, files become fragmented, meaning they are scattered across the disk, which slows down the system’s ability to access them. For example, imagine a book with pages ripped out and placed randomly throughout the volume; it would take longer to read than a book with pages in order.
Disk defragmentation improves computer performance by reducing the time it takes the hard drive to locate and access files. This leads to faster application loading times, quicker boot-ups, and an overall more responsive system. Historically, this was a crucial maintenance task for computers using mechanical hard drives due to the way these drives physically store and retrieve data. Modern Solid State Drives (SSDs) handle data storage differently, making defragmentation largely unnecessary and potentially detrimental.
