Over time, the files on your hard drive become fragmented and your computer slows down because it has to search for these items in multiple places on your drive. To make your computer run more efficiently, use Windows' built-in tool to defragment these files. Here's how and when to do it.

Windows 10, like Windows 8 and Windows 7 before it, automatically defragments files for you on a schedule (by default, once a week). However, it doesn't always work consistently, so if you notice files are taking longer to load or just want to recheck every month or so, you can see how fragmented the drive is on Windows.

Note on SSDs: SSDs work differently than traditional mechanical hard drives. The common misconception is that SSDs do not need to be defragmented and that this can also wear out the drive. However, Windows defragments SSDs once a month if necessary and if System Restore is enabled. There is no need to worry, however, as automatic defragmentation is intended to extend the life and performance of your drive.

So with SSDs, let Windows do its thing and don't worry about defragmentation. You can use the Optimize Drive tool below to perform general drive optimization, including sending the TRIM command to optimize performance. However, this does not perform traditional defragmentation on the SSD.

This tutorial will apply to computers, laptops, desktops and tablets running Windows 10 (Home, Pro, Business, Education) operating system from all supported hardware manufacturers, such as Dell, HP, Acer, Asus, Toshiba, Lenovo and Samsung. .

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