8 Maintaining your computer
It is important to perform regular maintenance to keep your computer in optimal condition. This chapter provides information about improving the performance of your computer by running tools such as Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup. It also provides information about updating your programs and drivers, instructions for cleaning your computer, and tips for traveling with your computer.
Improving performance
Everyone wants a fast computer and by performing regular maintenance tasks, using tools such as Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup, you can drastically improve the performance of your computer.
Using HP 3D DriveGuard
HP 3D DriveGuard protects a hard drive by parking the drive and halting data requests under either of the following conditions:
●You drop the computer.
●You move the computer with the display closed while the computer is running on battery power.
A short time after the end of one of these events, HP 3D DriveGuard returns the hard drive to normal operation.
NOTE: Because
NOTE: Hard drives in the primary hard drive bay are protected by HP 3D DriveGuard. Hard drives connected to USB ports are not covered by HP 3D DriveGuard.
For more information, see the HP 3D DriveGuard software Help.
Using Disk Defragmenter
As you use your computer over time, the files 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 files, thus slowing down the computer. Disk Defragmenter consolidates (or physically reorganizes) the fragmented files and folders on the hard drive so that the system can run more efficiently.
NOTE: It is not necessary to run Disk Defragmenter on
After you start Disk Defragmenter, it works without supervision. However, depending on the size of your hard drive and the number of fragmented files, 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.
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