Disk defragmenter is an application that comes installed with the Windows Operating System. The main function of this software utility is to speed up the performance of your computer and also to maximize storage space utilization of your hard drive. For using this utility, you just have to click on Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. You can also access this utility by clicking on “My Computer” and selecting ‘Manage’ from the available options.

After this, you just have to select the Drive or Drives that you want to defrag and click on the ‘Defragment’ button. After this you just need to sit back and relax while the defragmenter does the job for you. You should do this preferably at night because Defragmentation can take several hours depending on the amount of data that you might have on your hard drive.

Using Disk defragmenter from time to time is necessary because as you continue to add and remove files and folders, your hard drive becomes a virtual war zone, scattered with bits and pieces of data everywhere. This slows down your system obviously because the operating system has to work harder to access the data stored in your hard drive.

Using an un-fragmented drive is like reading a book whose pages are strewn all over the floor. In this context, what Disk defragmenter does is that it picks up all the pages from the floor and arranges them together according to the page numbers. In real terms, the defragmenter rearranges files and folders in such a way that it helps in boosting the computer’s processing speed and maximizing space utilization.

For getting the best results, I would recommend that you close all other running programs before starting the Defragmentation process. This would help the Disk Defragmenter to make the most appropriate file allocations and last but not the least, complete the defrag in the shortest possible time.

No Comments »

The control panel is basically a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that has been there in almost all versions of Windows Operating System. It is quite useful because it makes it easier for both novices and professionals to make all the necessary changes that they might require on their computer systems. Using the control panel, users can perform a wide range of tasks such as those described below:

• Changing program accessibility options
• Adding new hardware
• Adding or removing software programs
• Managing administrative tools and options
• Making changes to the automatic update option
• Setting time and date
• Changing display settings
• Changing folder options
• Managing fonts and graphics
• Changing Internet settings
• Changing mouse and keyboard settings
• Setting up or remove network connections
• Installing or linking printers, faxes, scanners, and cameras
• Managing system tools and settings
• Changing user settings and parameters
• Setting up a wireless network connection
• Making changes in Windows firewall settings
• Changing the taskbar and start menu settings and options

The control panel in Windows is displayed as a separate folder, but you will be surprised to know that it does not physically exist on your system. The page that is displayed when you click on the “control panel” contains only the shortcuts to all the various applets that are available in Windows. The actual applets are in fact .CPL files, all of which are stored in the system32 folder of Windows.

To access control panel, you just have to click on ‘Start’ and select “control panel” from the list. Making changes and managing all the various tools and options is also easy and everything gets done in just a few clicks. However, it’s necessary that you log in as an administrator or a user having administrative rights because some components such as the administrative tools, date and time, firewall settings and others require you to have administrative rights. Just ensure this and you will easily be able to make all the desired changes in your computer.

No Comments »