Product manual

About optimization
The data storage space on a disk is divided into discrete
units. These units are called clusters. When files are
written to the disk, they are broken up into
cluster-sized pieces. When all of the file pieces are
located in adjacent or contiguous clusters, the file can
be accessed quickly.
Your computer’s hard disk stores all of your files,
applications, and the Windows operating system. The
bits of information that make up your files gradually
spread over the disk. This process is known as
fragmentation. The more that you use your computer,
the more fragmented the hard disk gets.
When a fragmented file is accessed, the disk
performance is slower. The performance is slower
because the drive head locates, loads, saves, and keeps
track of all of the fragments of the file. If free space is
also fragmented, the drive head might have to track
adequate free space to store temporary files or newly
added files.
Optimization rearranges file fragments into adjacent
or contiguous clusters. When the drive head accesses
all of the file data in one location, the file is read into
the memory faster. Optimization also maximizes the
usable free space on a disk by grouping most frequently
used files and infrequently used files. Optimization
consolidates free space to avoid fragmenting newly
added files. It adds extra space after major data
structures so that they can grow without immediately
becoming fragmented again.
You can optimize your boot volume manually by using
the Optimize option in the Performance window.
You can also configure Norton Internet Security to
defragment your boot volume or the local disk that
contains boot volume when your computer is idle.
Norton Internet Security automatically schedules the
optimization when it detects the installation of an
101Monitoring your system's performance
About System Insight