Windows includes a copy of Microsoft’s venerable utility to consolidated fragmented files on a hard drive. The problems are that it is slow and it has very few options. A better option is Defraggler by Piriform. The same group that brought us Ccleaner.
The best part is that Defraggler is free for personal and business use. The other great features are speed and options. You can choose between a quick defrag or a full treatment. You can even look at the fragmentattion of particular files and defrag only the ones that you choose.
There are many arguments about defragging a hard drive. Some say that if you see a speed enhancement on your computer when you defrag then you probably have other problems. I like to think that it is just a portion of a good maintenance program. You install the latest patches, update software, confirm virus protection, and check disk fragmentation. I like to check computers that mainly serve as workstations every three to six months. If a computer actually stores a lot of data a monthly check might be a good idea. I like to defrag when I see more than 12 to 15 percent fragmentation.