Also known as “allocation units”, clusters are essentially units of disk space as defined by a file system like FAT32 or NTFS during the partition formatting process. When files are saved to disk, they are stored in as many clusters as necessary to save the complete file. For example, if an NTFS partition is configured […]

When files are saved to a hard disk, they aren’t necessarily saved in an area of contiguous disk space. For example, a 10 K file might be fragmented and spread over three disparate disk clusters, each 4 K in size. When this file is accessed, the system needs to obtain the contents of each of […]

Don’t feel like manually maintaining your system? Use the Task Scheduler to perform maintenance tasks automatically.
Step 1: Click Start, and then click Control Panel. Double click the Scheduled Tasks applet to open it, as shown above. Double-click the Add Scheduled Task icon to open the Scheduled Task Wizard.
Step 2: At the introductory Scheduled Task Wizard […]

In much the same way that it’s important to ensure that data on your PC is properly backed up, it’s equally important to ensure that your operating system is constantly updated with the latest service packs and hot fixes issues by Microsoft. Hot fixes are effectively operating system updates that address different security and system […]

So what’s a section on data backup doing in an article on system maintenance? Well, the short answer is that far too many users overlook the importance of regularly backing up their critical data files. If (and more realistically when) a system failure of some sort does occur, you’ll want to be sure that you […]

Beyond unnecessary temporary files, your PC may be bogged down with a slew of installed and unused applications. We’re all guilty of installing various utilities on our systems for testing or trial purposes, but in general not so good at removing these programs once we’re finished with them. Over time, your PC’s registry can become […]

Over time, your PC will become cluttered with unused programs, temporary files, and deleted items stored in the Recycle Bin. Regardless of their location on your system, all of these files are capable of using up large tracts of your system’s disk space, something which can be detrimental from both a performance and available storage […]

While defragmenting a partition will speed up disk access by placing files in contiguous disk clusters, another key disk maintenance task that should be performed at least monthly is running Check Disk. On a Windows 2000 or XP system, Check Disk is accessible from the Tools tab in the properties of a drive (like C). […]

While handling everything from the installation of programs to the storage of various data files, your PC’s hard disk drive is a workhorse that takes a great deal of punishment over time. As programs are installed and various data files are added and deleted, a hard disk eventually becomes fragmented, leaving bits and pieces of […]