Note the Used Space and Free Space for the disk. K. Perform disk maintenance regularly. As files are created, they are written to the first available section of the hard disk. If the file is larger than that first available section of the disk, only part of it is written there and the rest is written to other available sections. Files that are fragmented this way cause slower performance than files that are written to a continuous section of the hard disk.
Fragmented files are also more prone to damage if corruption occurs to the hard disk.
To optimize a Windows 98 or Windows 2000 hard disk, use the built-in disk defragmenter. To optimize a Windows NT hard drive, use a utility such as Executive Software DisKeeper or Symantec Norton Utilities. Back up important files before optimizing, since problems such as disk damage or a power outage may interfere with optimizing and cause data loss. L. Run virus detection software regularly. Make sure that you have the latest virus definitions for the anti-virus software you use.