How often should you defragment your computer?

Defrag every week - 33.33% (1 vote) 33.33%

Every month - 33.33% (1 vote) 33.33%

Twice a year - 33.33% (1 vote) 33.33%

Once a year - 0% (no votes) 0%

Every few years - 0% (no votes) 0%

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Great Answer

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On One Hand: When to Defrag

You should defragment your computer's hard drive when your computer starts to run slower than normal. When a computer is using a file, it puts it in different places on the computer's hard drive. If a file is too big, it fragments the file into smaller pieces. That can cause clutter on your hard drive and a gradual slowing of your computer's performance, according to the Georgetown University website.

On the Other: Regular Troubleshooting

Defragmenting a computer may take several hours, so you should schedule it at the end of a workday, or when you need to break for lunch and run some errands. Regular troubleshooting will make your computer run faster and the defragging will take less time.

Bottom Line

How often you defragment your computer's hard drive depends on its use. If you are just an occasional Internet user, you may only need to defrag it a couple of times a year. If you use your computer daily, you should make it a goal to defragment the hard drive monthly.

Source:

How to Use Windows XP: Defragmenting Your Hard Drive

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