How to Defrag on Windows 10

As we delete, save and edit the files on our hard drives, small snippets of information can become cluttered, separated and end up in random places. This process is often called fragmentation. Fragmentation may result in our computer having to check multiple places for those pieces, hence the longer file opening/loading time, boot-up time etc.

Luckily we have a built-in tool called Disk Defragmenter in our Windows 10 that can help reverse this situation and make our computer more efficient by reorganizing the data on our drives. It runs on a schedule, but you can also analyze and defragment your drives manually.

1. How to manually defrag in Windows 10

As mentioned above, we can run the Disk Defragment tool to defrag our disks and hard drives. To do so:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time. Then type dfrgui.exe in the box and press Enter.

   

2. Click to select a drive and click Analyze.

   
   Note that the Analyze button for an SSD (Solid State Drive) is grayed out simply because the drive doesn’t need/have spinning parts to find all the pieces of information, hence no time lag.

3. Wait until the analysis completes and the fragmentation percentage of the selected drive will be displayed on Current status. Click Optimize if Windows tell you to optimize the drive. Usually the recommended percentage is 5% or higher.

4. Wait until the Windows defragments the drive successfully and restart your computer.

2. How to change Disk Defragmenter schedule settings

Disk Defragmenter is turned on by default and runs automatically on a weekly basis. But you can also change the frequency and select the drives you want to optimize of your own preferences. Here’s how:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key  and R at the same time. Then type dfrgui.exe in the box and press Enter.
   
2. Click Change settings.

   

3. Adjust the settings and click OK.

   

There you go – everything you need to know about defrag in Windows 10. Hope this helps and feel free to drop us a comment to share your ideas with us. 🙂

By Enya Zhang

Meet Enya – a passionate content writer who loves crafting insightful and helpful articles. Since 2018, she's built a reputation as a reliable source of knowledge. She explores topics far and wide, from online dating and people search tools to new streaming platforms to identity theft protection services and the latest tech.When researching, Enya digs in deep. She sees to it that every article is backed by first-hand testing, rigorous analysis, and/or thorough investigation. Her commitment to in-depth research and comprehensive testing ensures her articles deliver trusted guidance readers can count on.Embracing both quiet and thrill, Enya is a reserved extrovert who happily cruises between me time and socializing. Outside of writing, you can find her soaking up sights and sounds, chilling with friends or lost in a good book.

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