# An Issue With Defragging



## zineeditor (Apr 12, 2008)

Greetings!
There was no section for Windows 8 problems so I figured I'd better include this inquiry in the Windows 7 section. I can't seem to find any answer to my problem on various computer websites nor with Microsoft. 
First off, I don't understand why my Windows software in the defragmentation section seems to be set up differently than anything I've read about how it's supposed to be for Windows 8. There are 3 sections for defragging. One is for drive c, of course, and the other two are for push button reset and recovery. It indicates that all three can be defragged. Everything I've read about the push button reset and the recovery functions indicate that those two should not be in the regular defragmentation section. It indicates that the push button reset is 89% fragmented. I don't understand this since the computer was fresh out the box and supposedly new. I didn't purchased a refurbished computer. Now I certainly don't want to reset the computer nor do I think the computer otherwise indicates that it is needed. I can't find information anywhere that a push button reset or a recovery function require defragmentation in and of themselves. And as I mentioned previously I've read on various computer websites that those two functions should be in another section. 
I hope someone will advise me about this problem. I'm basically a bit lost on this one.:ermm::huh:
Note I have an Acer Aspire E1-571-6680 with Windows 8 but using Classic Shell for Windows 7.


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## Tomken15 (Dec 7, 2011)

The Restore/Refresh/Reset options should be under Recovery How to restore, refresh or reset your PC - Microsoft Windows Help and this is what you should get for the Defrag Optimize your hard drive - Microsoft Windows

I think I would be tempted to take the computer back and have it checked out - 89% Fragmented would normally take some achieving on a new computer.


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## zineeditor (Apr 12, 2008)

Thanks. I already read those two webpages and it doesn't answer my basic question as to if push button reset or recovery need to ever be defragged in and of themselves aside from the fact that these two functions are used to restore the computer to a previous state of optimization. Can't return computer too easily. Ordered it through Newegg. I've already talked with Acer over another issue and they aren't all that knowledgeable. I also talked with Microsoft. They are rather inconsiderate, not much concerned, and when I tried talking to them a second time they wanted me to pay for it. Since I have a lot of their software I wasn't happy about that. :banghead:


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## Tomken15 (Dec 7, 2011)

There should be someone on here who can walk you through - I'm just a Win 7 user - but as Newegg are the vendor then contact them for advice as to whether it requires a RMA.


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

Thread moved to the win 8 forum


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## MNGuy248 (Nov 16, 2013)

Okay - I'm guessing that the reset partition was created by either Windows 8 or by Acer... if it was by Windows 8 - yes, it can be fragmented... as I imagine the OS would keep it up to date. Maybe you don't know what fragmentation is - the others panic'ing and recommending taking back your system obviously do not know what fragmentation is.

Fragmentation (from a 35+ year hardware/computer nerd's description that I've told customers many times):
Imagine your hard drive as a library - and each file on it is a book. Books come in various sizes. Okay - now pull a few random books (files) out of the library... imagine each between 50 and 100 pages. Now, try and fit a 2000 page book (file) on the shelves. Well, it won't fit and the others are existing books(files) and have their places. So the OS breaks up the file into pieces (fragments) and puts 100 pages here, 50 pages there, 100 page there and so on. That book (file) is now fragmented. When you run Windows update for example - Microsoft replaces existing files with new ones - writing the new files to empty spaces on your drive - filling multiple spaces as it writes. then it deletes the old one... so your drive gets more fragmented the longer you own it. 
Defragmentation programs read a file's pieces and write it to an empty location big enough to hold it, so it's all in once place. It then, if it's a good defrag program, moves files starting from the beginning to the end of the drive towards the front, moving files and filling the empty spaces. 
Why defragment? So your operating system can find and read the file faster - that is the Only reason... Fragmented files are not a sign of drive or computer problems - only that there has been a lot of content deleted, replaced, and written to your hard drive...
Oh - a hint too: Before defragmenting - open your browsers and press Control-Shift-Delete together and make sure 'cache', 'delete cached files' or 'remove temporary files' are checked (message depends on browser) and click OK. This will remove temp old files left over from browsing - no reason to keep them on your system unless you have a real slow internet connection and visit unchanging sites often... You could also run Disk Cleanup (Windows key-S and type Disk Cleanup in the box). These help get rid of old files first since you don't need to waste time defragmenting files not used - and it frees up space so defragmenting runs faster.

I set my defrag program (there are some better, and free, than come with Windows 8) to automatically run weekly at 3am, so it is kept low fragmentation percent wise... (I run my system 24/7).

And for those 'take it back' people - Installing a brand new OS, and then all the updates - i.e. Windows 7 I just did on a different system - the resulting fragmentation after 2+ hours of windows updates was in the 80% area... extremely high due to the updates...
If the 'push button reset' area was a literal copy of the installed partition - it could very well be a sector by sector copy of the installed/updated fragmented partition that was the system after the base system was installed and updated - before the manufacturer imaged it to put it on the drive... so it would be fragmented. I Seriously doubt the system builder defragmented a new system before imaging it as an install source... After you have run defrag on a 80% fragmented drive - you will understand - it can take a very, very, overnight like long time...
I would defrag before imaging - I'm a nerd... they likely wouldn't take the time.

Also - if your main windows drive is an SSD (Solid State Drive) - even if it says it is fragmented - do not bother defragmenting it. Reading data from multiple locations on a SSD is very close to the same speed fragmented or not - and to defragment a SSD actually will cut down on it's total life... as reading/writing to it so much will decrease it's lifetime.

I hope this helped... Defragment often on older slower systems or if you do a lot of file writing/reading - once a week maybe... newer OS's like Windows 8 and regular users - once a month is probably fine as the OS speed and HD speed are so fast now fragmentation will not slow it down much, a little, but not much.


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## zineeditor (Apr 12, 2008)

Thanks for that lengthy information. I will have to read it a few times over to digest all of it. I'm fairly knowledgeable about computers but not nearly as much as you are. I've been working with computers since 1995. I've owned about 8 of them. My main expertise is in the area of desktop publishing. I've been a small press publisher since 1983. Mostly zines in various genres. I've had at least 15 different websites, did all the work myself and had at least several hundred contributors to my publications. However, no one can know everything there is to know about computers. Prior to online publications I published them in print. I also did all the layout, the editing, the typing, the design, the printing (owned my own equipment), collating, stapling, mailing, publicity, etc. When all is said and done I prefer the old way and not computers. It somehow takes all the soul out of everything. Thanks again for your response.:smile:


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