Use Windows XP’s defrag.exe command-line utility to automate defrags with a batch file:
Step 1: Open Notepad. On the first line of the, type defrag.exe [drive letter]: -f. The script in this example will force a defragment of drive C. If you only wanted to analyse the disk, you could use the –a switch instead.
Step 2: […]

It happens to everyone. You’ve accidentally deleted a file, emptied the Recycle bin, and now you don’t have a backup and want the file back. The good news is that a recovery is possible. The bad news is that you shouldn’t get your hopes up. Once data is deleted it can usually be recovered by […]

Unlike RAM, your hard disk has moving parts, and as such is susceptible to errors. Over time, clusters can become corrupted, part of files can become lost, and a range of other errors can occur. You may have noticed how Windows 98/ME will run Scandisk when you don’t perform a proper shutdown, or how Windows […]

Like changing the oil in a car, defragmenting partitions is a requirement, not an option. On a heavily used system, you should be defragmenting your disks at least once per month to ensure optimal performance. Remember that files are stored on a disk in clusters. Over time, as files are added and deleted, these clusters […]

Once a disk partition is defined, it needs to be formatted with a file system to be used. Depending on the operating system installed, your choices include FAT, FAT32, and NTFS. For all intents and purposes, stick to FAT 32 if you’re running Windows 98/ME, and NTFS if you’re running XP. The old FAT file […]

Given that hard drives sold today usually have a capacity of more than 15 GB, many users choose to split their disks into multiple logical partitions or drives. While partitioning is generally a matter of personal preference, it’s never a bad idea to have at least two partitions available on the disk. If you plan […]