WHAT IS Disk Defragmenter Disk Management

_{What is  Disk Defragmenter}                                                                                                                                   

Disk defragmenter is a utility provided with windows operating system. It re-arranges the files stored on the disk so that it can occupy contiguous memory locations. This process is known as defragmentation. The main benefits of defragmentation are that it minimizes the head movements of the hard disk , in turn which reduces the time taken to read files from and write files to the disk. It increases the access speed. With this process files are stored in contiguous locations. The defragmenter reduces the fragmentation in the file systems. Fragmentation of the memory slows the performance of the system. Large number of files and some larger files contribute to fragmentation. When files are stored neatly it speeds up reading and writing to the disks. One should run defragmenter in the PC at regular intervals. It keeps the computer running quickly and efficiently.

Running Defragmenter

·         Click Start button, select All Programs, click on Accessories click System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.

·         In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment and then click the Analyze button. After the disk is         analyzed, a dialog box appears, letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.

·         To defragment the selected drive or drives, click the Defragment button.

·         After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results.

·         If you want to view the detailed report about the defragmented disk, click on View

Report.

Figure: Disk Defragmenter

Data Compression

Data compression is the process in which information is encoded with lesser bits in compare to the original representation. Data compression is very useful, as it reduces the size of the file so it consumes fewer resources like disk space. For this purpose, you can use zip/unzip utility.

Zipping a file creates the compressed version of the file which takes much smaller space then the original file. A zipped file has .zip file extension. Some of the advantages of zipping a file includes less storage space, smaller file reduces transmission time on the network, also some zip utilities also have the facility to encrypt the data for security purposes. For example, if a original word document is of 6.5 MB in size it may reduce to 2.5 MB when zipped. Text files are generally reduced more than the graphics file after compression. Similarly after zipping a file you need to unzip it, in order to view its contents or get it into its original form.

Using Zip

·         Right- click on any file you want to zip

·         Click  WinZip from the shortcut menu

·         Click  add to zip file

·         It will create .zip file

Using unzip

·         Right- click on any .zip file you want to unzip

·         Click Extract from the shortcut menu.

Disk Management

Disk Management is a tool used to manage system disks and their partitions locally or remotely. With disk management utility we can perform most disk related tasks such as initialization of disks, creation of volumes, formatting volumes, etc. it allows one to create fault-tolerant disk systems. Disk management is easy to use and its user interface and wizards allow us to carry out various disk related functions very efficiently. You can also manage remote computers using disk management.

We can also use command line tool Disk Part as an alternative to disk management for disk related tasks. You can also display disks and volumes in graphical or list view. Before deleting or creating a new partition it is best practice to keep back ups of data from the disk as it will destroy the existing data.

How to open Disk Management

·         Click My Computer, and then open Control Panel. Click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.

·         In the console tree, click Storage and then click Disk Management.

You can also open Disk Management in following way :

1.      Click Start, then click Run, type compmgmt.msc, and then click OK.

2.      In the console tree, click Disk Management. The Disk Management window appears.

In Disk Management window, the upper section displays lists of all the partitions in the disk, and the bottom section contains the graphical representation of the drives in the computer.

Check Your Progress-2

1.      True/False

(a)    Formatting a volume of  a memory disk will erase all the data on that volume.

(b)   Zipped file have .zp file extension.

(c)    Disk defragmenter helps the files to store in contiguous locations.

(d)   System restore can be used to take up back-ups of personal files.

(a)  True      (b) False      (c)  True      (d) False

   

2.      Fill in the Blanks :

(a)      You can use command line tool ………… as an alternative to disk management for disk related tasks.

(b)     For data compression you can use …………….. utility.

(c)      …………. utility helps us to restore computer's  system files to an earlier state.

      System Restore

(d)     ………….. is a command used for disk checking.

        (b) DiskPart       (b) Zip          (c) System Restore  (d) CHKDSK

3.      What is an Operating system?

       

      Operating system is an example of system software. It acts as an interface between user and hardware of a computer. Operating system is must in order to operate a         computer. OS controls and manages all the hardware components of a computer as well as it also controls input and output, memory and files. It optimizes and utilizes

   various kinds of resources like I/O devices, Memory, CPU etc.

4.      What is utility software? List some utility software used in a PC.

Utility software is basically a set of programs that helps user to perform routine
system task and maintenance such as taking back ups of data, checking disks for
potential  errors,  disk  management  etc.  It  basically  deals  to  optimize,  manage,
configure and analyze the computer system. Generally utilities are included with the
operating systems. Generally Utility programs play supporting roles and it is small
programs for specific  tasks.

       Examples of Utility Software:

·         System Restore

·         Disk Defragmenter

·         Data Compression

·         Disk Management

·         File compare

5.      Why System Restore is used? Explain how you will use the System Restore.

    

     System restore is used to undo changes to the computer and it restores its settings and performance. System restore helps us to             restore computer's system files to an earlier state. System restore backs up system files such as .dll, .exe etc and saves it for later         use. System restore creates restore point for this purpose.

         To use System Restore follow these steps:

1.    Click on Start button, select All Programs, from there choose Accessories, click on System Tools, and then click System                 Restore. System Restore starts.

2.   On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore my computer to an earlier time (if it is not already selected), and then          click Next.

3.  On the Select a Restore Point page, click the most recent system restore point in the On this list, click a restore point list, and then    click Next.

4. On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, click Next, System Restore restores the previous Windows XP configuration, and then    restarts the computer.

5.  Log on to the computer as Administrator. The System Restore Restoration Complete page is displayed.

6.  Click OK