User Guide - Windows 7

8 Drives
Using hard drives
CAUTION: To prevent information loss or an unresponsive system:
Save your work and shut down the computer before adding or replacing a memory module or hard drive.
If you are not sure whether the computer is o, turn the computer on by pressing the power button. Then
shut down the computer through the operating system.
Improving hard drive performance
Using Disk Defragmenter
As you use your computer over time, the les on the hard drive become fragmented. A fragmented drive
means data on your drive is not contiguous (sequential) and, because of this, the hard drive works harder to
locate les, thus slowing down the computer. Disk Defragmenter consolidates (or physically reorganizes) the
fragmented les and folders on the hard drive so that the system can run more eiciently.
NOTE: It is not necessary to run Disk Defragmenter on solid-state drives.
After you start Disk Defragmenter, it works without supervision. However, depending on the size of your hard
drive and the number of fragmented les, Disk Defragmenter may take more than an hour to complete.
HP recommends defragmenting your hard drive at least once a month. You may set Disk Defragmenter to run
on a monthly schedule, but you can defragment your computer manually at any time.
To run Disk Defragmenter:
1. Connect the computer to AC power.
2. Select Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter.
3. Click Defragment disk.
NOTE: Windows includes the User Account Control feature to improve the security of your computer.
You may be prompted for your permission or password for tasks such as installing software, running
utilities, or changing Windows settings. Refer to Help and Support. To access Help and Support, select
Start > Help and Support.
For additional information, access the Disk Defragmenter software Help.
Using Disk Cleanup
Disk Cleanup searches the hard drive for unnecessary les that you can safely delete to free up disk space and
help the computer to run more eiciently.
To run Disk Cleanup:
1. Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions.
52 Chapter 8 Drives