Today I’m continuing with my top 10 list of recommended software. This time the topic is defragmentation.

Before I list my top 10 programs, it might be a good idea to explain why you should care about defragmenting. As stated in Wikipedia, ‘Defragmentation is a process that reduces the number of fragmentations in the file system. This is done by physically organising contents on the hard disk to store pieces of each file close together and contiguosly’. Basically, pieces of files are scattered over large spaces on the disk with gaps, and this can later affect the performance of the PC (it takes more time to find and access a file).

Defragmentation takes care of this by compacting all the pieces, storing them in sequence and as close together as possible. This way, files are found easier and faster. Without defragmentation, your computer would be seriously affected and this would lead to significant performance loss. For more information on Defragmenting, please visit Wikipedia.

You should defragment your disk regularly (about 4, 5 times a year) to optimize your disk and ensure your computer doesn’t slow down. If you don’t, eventually a full hard drive and inefficient storing of files will cause serious problems.

Windows operating systems include Disk Defragmenter which can do this job for you. However, some people prefer third part programs, as they might offer more options.

Here is a top 10 list in random order (updated in 2018):

1. PerfectDisk
2. O&O Defrag Pro
3. Diskeeper
4. WinContig
5. Puran Defrag
6. Ultradefrag
7. Defraggler
8. Auslogics Disk Defrag
9. Smart Defrag
10. Disk Speedup

I also found another helpful resource for speeding up a slow PC at Comparitech.com. I would strongly recommend that you check it out as it includes 14+ tips on how to improve the performance of your PC. The tips apply to Windows 7, 8 and 10.