 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2011) |
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 Microsoft Drive Optimizer in Windows 10 | |
| Other names | Disk Defragmenter |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Type | Defragmentation software |
| License | Proprietary commercial software |
Microsoft Drive Optimizer (formerly Disk Defragmenter) is a utility in Microsoft Windows designed to increase data access speed by rearranging files stored on a disk to occupy contiguous storage locations, a technique called defragmentation. Microsoft Drive Optimizer was first officially shipped with Windows XP.
Defragmenting a disk minimizes head travel, which reduces the time it takes to read files from and write files to the disk.[1] As a result of the decreased read and write times, Microsoft Drive Optimizer decreases system startup times for systems starting from magnetic storage devices such as a hard drive. However, defragmentation is not helpful on storage devices such as solid state drives, USB drives or SD cards that use flash memory to increase speeds, as these drives do not use a head. Doing so may decrease lifespan for these types of devices.
From Windows 8 onwards, the program was renamed to Microsoft Drive Optimizer, with some references changed to say Defragment and Optimize Drives or simply Optimize Drives.
- ^ "How to make a computer faster: 6 ways to speed up your PC". Microsoft at work. Microsoft. Retrieved November 7, 2011.