Quick Reference Guide

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3 Click Check Now, then click Start. Your drive is checked
for errors. This process may take several minutes.
After Windows has finished checking the drive for
errors, it provides a summary of the problems that it
found.
4 Correct any problems that are found by following the
on-screen instructions.
5 Click OK.
Defragmenting the hard drive
When working with files, sometimes Windows divides the file
information into pieces and stores them in different places on
the hard drive. This is called fragmentation, and it is normal.
In order for your computer to use a file, Windows must search
for the pieces of the file and put them back together. This
process slows the hard drive performance.
Disk Defragmenter organizes the data on the drive so each
file is stored as one unit rather than as multiple pieces
scattered across different areas of the drive. Defragmenting
the information stored on the drive can improve hard drive
performance.
While Disk Defragmenter is running, do not use your keyboard
or mouse because using them may continuously stop and
restart the defragmenting process. Also, if you are connected
to a network, log off before starting Disk Defragmenter.
Network communication may stop the defragmentation
process and cause it to start over.
Important
In Windows Vista, error checking cannot scan a drive while the
drive is being used. If you try to check your hard drive for errors, you
see a prompt asking you if you want to scan the hard drive later (the
next time you restart your computer). If you see this prompt, click
Schedule disc check.
Help
For more information about checking the hard drive for errors,
click Start, then click Help and Support. Type checking for disk
errors in the Search Help box, then press E
NTER.
Tip
Because defragmenting a drive may take hours to complete (depending
on the size of the drive being defragmented), consider starting the process
when you will not need the computer for several hours.
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