In this project, you run the Disk Defragmenter in Windows XP/Vista/7, Server 2003/Server...

In this project, you run the Disk Defragmenter in Windows XP/Vista/7, Server 2003/Server 2003 R2, and Server 2008/Server 2008 R2. You need access to an account with Administrator privileges to run this utility. To use the Disk Defragmenter (in any of the Windows operating systems used in the projects):

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to or click Accessories, point to or click System Tools, and click Disk Defragmenter.

2. To determine if a disk or volume needs to be defragmented click the disk letter and click Analyze (in Windows XP/Server 2003) or Analyze disk (in Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2) in the Disk Defragmenter window. (In Windows Vista and Server 2008 you will not see a listing of disks or the Analyze or Analyze disk button because an analysis is done automatically when Disk Defragmenter is started—or because a pre-established defragmentation schedule has been set. If the analysis has been done automatically, you’ll see a message in the Disk Defragmenter window telling you whether the disk needs to be defragmented. (For Windows Vista and Server 2008 systems, skip to Step 4.)

3. After the analysis is done, click the View Report button in Windows XP or Server 2003/Server 2003 R2 (notice that at the top of the Analysis Report box there is a recommendation about whether or not you need to defragment the disk). Click Close to close the report. In Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, the Current status box shows the amount of fragmentation by disk (see Figure 4-30) without the need to separately view a report as in Windows XP/Server 2003. What do your results show?

4. In Windows XP/Server 2003, click the Defragment button whether or not defragmentation is recommended so that you can view the process. In Windows Vista and Server 2008, click Defragment now, select a disk (or disks) to defragment, and click OK. In Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2, select a disk (or disks) to defragment under Current status and click Defragment disk.

5. Depending on the size of the disk and the amount of fragmentation, the process may take a few minutes to several hours. You can continue work on the computer while the program is working. Also, if you are running out of time to wait, you can cancel the defragmentation process, although this is not recommended. Close the Disk Defragmenter window after the defragmentation process is complete.