Make no mistake. The most important piece of software on your computer is the operating system. Without an operating system your computer isn’t going to do much computing. But, assuming you do have an operating system, what should come next? A very strong argument can be made that a defragmentation program (also known as defrag software) is among the most important software you can install, and that no Windows-based system or computer should ever be without it.
There are those that would argue that anti-virus and spyware programs should be next on the list when installing software. However, there is a flaw in this logic. Anti-virus and anti-spyware programs are important, make no mistake about it. But, how are you going to run these important programs if your computer isn’t functioning correctly (or perhaps not functioning at all)?
We’ve all experienced it; we run our favorite anti-virus program and then have to wait forever for it to do its job. An anti-virus scan is not a minor job in most instances, and it is not unusual for this process to literally take hours and hours to perform. There is a reason why scans and similar operations take so long.
There is a hidden danger lurking within every Windows-based PC or server in existence. It’s called fragmentation, and it is a dangerous and unavoidable byproduct of every Windows-based operating system.
Fragmentation is the scattering of data and the wiping out of continuous free space on a hard drive. Every time you use your computer, the information that is written to the hard drive is fragmented or scattered into little pieces. These little pieces multiply and exponentially grow in number - relentlessly choking off the ability of the computer to properly perform.
As a result, when you see a computer or network begin to have problems - slow downs, taking forever, slow downloads, freeze-ups, and crashes just to name a few – it’s very likely to be a result of fragmentation.
This is why defrag software is so incredibly valuable and why no Windows-based computer on should ever be without it. Some of the better defrag programs, like those made by industry leader Diskeeper (www.diskeeper.com) for example, will even make the defragmentation process totally and completely automatic.
Research has shown that when a system is fully defragmented, and then kept that way, all other programs tend to run smoother and faster. As a result, lengthy virus scans tend to happen much, much faster, as well as just about every other operation running on a system.
The best thing to do is to see for yourself. Download and install a defrag program and see why it’s among the most valuable software that you now own.
