A computer is only as fast as its slowest component–and the disk drive lays claim to that dubious distinction.  So rather than opting for a faster CPU or more memory, go for the least expensive option and enhance machine performance with a defragmenter. It will free up time for you, your family, and your business, and help put money on your bottom line.

Fragmentation–the scattering or fragmenting of files on a hard drive from continually writing, deleting, and resizing them–is a major cause of computer performance degradation.   You know that if a PC or server is slow, it’s probably time to “do a defrag.”   What you may not know, however, is the effect fragmentation has on both your organization’s productivity and for clients with an internal IT department, your ability quickly and efficiently service your users.   

Defragging Means Overall Service Efficiency
As for anti-virus scans, if you have one file, you need only one scan. But with 1,000 fragmented files, you need 1,000 scans. Defragging cuts anti-virus scan times by about half.  Time is also saved during backups and loading Office documents like Word and Excel. Boot times are quicker if you defrag the MFT file, and even Web browsing gets a boost with a good defrag of the Internet cache. It’s a simple numbers game.

The Green Perspective
Many user support issues are for fragmentation-related issues like system slowdowns or even drive failures.  Defragging eliminates those calls–and for your IT providers, the resulting truck rollsIf you have virtualized your servers, you’ve reduced the number of physical systems for more efficient CPU utilization.  But when you consolidate five servers into one, you have five times the traffic and five times the fragmentation on that one server. Routine defragging is essential for optimizing performance and uptime.

Defragging also provides more uptime by saving machines from excessive drive head activity.  This extends hardware life another one to two years. And defragging busy file/SQL/Exchange servers increases network traffic speeds by freeing up I/O bottlenecks.  This means logger life and less resource use.