One of the reasons why our Windows is slow is due to the accumulation of obsolete files in your registry. There are many possible causes, among them, that we have some type of malicious software that is running a service in the background. We usually say that as time goes by, hard drives lose their speed. But the reality is different, if we have not carried out any maintenance inside our hard disk drive, the phenomenon of memory fragmentation will be occurring.
Well, memory fragmentation is another of the most probable causes. But let’s first define what fragmentation is. Memory fragmentation is that process by which there are parts of the memory that we use that due to the management of the various programs are deprecated. That is why for example Windows brings its own defragmenter.
The defragmentation process consists of reordering those areas of memory that for various reasons have been left unused for reuse.
So that we understand it in a more visual way: Imagine that we write in a notebook on skipped sheets, then the blank pages will be joined with many unused pages. The defragmentation process consists of ordering the used space on the one hand and the unused space on the other. In this way we can make the most of our hard drive and therefore we will have a higher speed when loading any type of program.
We must also say that fragmentation on solid state hard drives since in terms of performance the improvement would be laughable. In addition, there are many alternatives to carry out this type of defragmentation, some free and others paid. This time we bring you as Ultradefrag that will be in charge of improving the state of your hard drive for you, making your hard drive behave like the first day.
Ultradefrag, a tool to optimize your hard drive
Through an interface that reminds us a lot of previous Windows, it provides us with many options to improve the performance of our system. On the one hand, we can perform the complete defragmentation of our hard drive and partitions, and on the other hand we can even select the directory from which we want this process to be carried out. Ultradefrag has been updating since 2007 and until today adding new functionalities. One of the most striking is MFT optimization, which is in charge. MFT, or what is the same as the master file table, is the initial file of a hard disk formatted in NTFS format.
Main features.
- Graphical interface where we can see how our hard drive is distributed.
- Ability to defragment individual files.
- Defragmentation of locked and encrypted files.
- Simple configuration through the interface of its user interface.
- Automatic defragmentation. This process is done automatically when we are not using our hard drive
- Command line interface with which we can automate a much deeper defragmentation.
- Automatic shutdown or hibernation once the process is complete.
- Inclusion of its portable version.
- Detailed report of the fragmentation process.
- Possibility of modifying its interface with different colors and fonts.
- Customization of the type of analysis and defragmentation depending on the size or type of file.
- We can program this defragmentation in each of our units, facilitating the maintenance of our equipment.
How Ultradefrag Works
Ultradefrag has a simple interface that accompanies the user to carry out this process. First, we find a table that will show us the hard drives and partitions that each physical volume has. In our particular case there is only one volume with a single partition. Once selected we want to check what state our hard drive is in, for this we press the first option (magnifying glass) which will show us a grid-shaped table that will represent our file system with a representation of colored boxes.
Once our hard drive is analyzed, it is time to perform a defragmentation through its second option. This process can take several hours depending on the size of the partition or hard disk to analyze. It is recommended not to use the equipment while performing this operation. We will notice a big difference from the board once we do the process. As a personal opinion, it is recommended to turn off the equipment and turn it on again so that these changes are applied correctly.
Advantages and disadvantages of the defragmentation process
Advantage
- Keep your files organized. As we have said before, as we add or remove files from our hard drive, there are components that spread out, slowing down the computer.
- Clean up unused space. Defragmentation can maximize unused space on your hard drive. Even create more space if there are gaps occupied by files already deleted.
- Extend the life of your hard drive. The wear and tear suffered by an optimized mechanical hard drive is much less if it is optimized since all your data is in order.
Disadvantages
- There is a possibility that some file may be corrupted while the process is taking place because we are moving parts of the memory.
- It is an excessively slow process. Having to go block by block of memory is a process that can take several hours.
- It is only effective on mechanical hard drives. The memory organization of a solid state disk is similar to that of a mechanical hard disk, but due to its nature the improvement in terms of speed is minimal. Therefore, it is not advisable to sacrifice the life of our solid state hard drive for a minimal speed improvement.
As we have seen, the optimization and maintenance of our hard drive is more than necessary, although only on mechanical hard drives. But it is clear that as end users we must worry as well as for the health of our team, for the optimization of each of its components and in this case for the part that stores all our information. We can find Ultradefrag within its website with a disbursement of € 19.99 for a three-team license.