Running the Disk
Defragmenter Program
When Windows® stores files on your hard disk drive, it often divides them into multiple pieces (or fragments) so they fit into available space on the drive. When you attempt to open a fragmented file, it must be retrieved from more than one place, so the process takes more time.
The Disk Defragmenter program groups the fragmented files together on your hard disk drive to improve PC performance. This does not affect the location of files and folders on your PC.
NOTE: The Disk Defragmenter program may take a long time to complete. You can run it unattended overnight.
1Open the Windows Task Manager by pressing the Ctrl key, the Alt key, and the Delete key at the same time.
2On the Applications tab, select all the programs that are listed, and then click End Task. Close the Task Manager.
3Click Start, choose All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.
4In the Volume column, select the hard disk drive you want to defragment (typically C:), and then click Defragment.
If Disk Defragmenter repeatedly starts, a hidden background program is still accessing the hard disk drive. Restart the PC in Safe Mode and run the Disk Defragmenter program again:
1Click Start, Turn Off Computer, and then Restart.
2Press the F8 key as soon as the first logo screen appears.
3On the Windows Advanced Options menu, use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode and press the Enter key.
4Press the Enter key again to select the operating system.
5Log on to Windows. When the Desktop message appears, click Yes to continue in Safe Mode.
6After Windows starts, use the previous procedure to run the Disk Defragmenter program.
Checking for Hard Disk Drive Errors
Perform the following procedure to check the integrity of the hard disk drive in Windows XP. Close all open programs before beginning the disk check.
1Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2In the window that opens,
3In the Properties window, click the Tools tab.
4Under
5If desired, click the check box next to Automatically fix file system errors and
Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.
6Click Start. If prompted to restart, click Yes to restart the PC.
Understanding Hard Disk Drive Space
HP PCs with the Windows XP operating system preinstalled may appear to have a hard disk drive smaller than what is stated in the product specifications, in the documentation, or on the box. Hard disk drives are described and advertised by manufacturers in terms of decimal (base 10) capacity. Windows and other programs, such as FDISK, use the binary (base 2) numbering system.
In decimal notation, one megabyte (MB) is equal to 1,000,000 bytes, and one gigabyte (GB) is equal to 1,000,000,000 bytes. In the binary numbering system, one megabyte is equal to 1,048,576 bytes, and one gigabyte is equal to 1,073,741,824 bytes. Because of the different measuring systems, you may see a difference between the size reported by Windows and the size advertised. The storage capacity of the hard disk drive is as advertised.
2PC Troubleshooting and Maintenance Guide