You can click Defragment to start the defrag process directly, but before doing so, analyze the condition of the drive first to determine whether defragging is necessary. The defrag process can take a long time, especially for large drives with a lot of files. To launch an analysis, simply select the drive you want to examine, then click Analyze.
If the software determines that defragging isn't needed, a message appears to inform you of that fact. You can click View Report on the message box to see the Analysis Report, which provides a detailed listing of files and their fragmentation status, as Figure 2 shows. Even if the software has deemed it unnecessary, you can click Defragment (either in the message window or in the report window) to defrag the drive—a good idea if you're about to install a large software program. (You should always defrag a drive on which you're planning to install Exchange, SQL Server, or any other humongous application.) If Disk Defragmenter concludes that defragging is warranted, the program displays a message to that effect. Follow the same steps to view the report or start the defragging process.
Regardless of whether you've already performed an analysis, clicking Defragment launches another analysis (the program always analyzes the drive immediately before starting the defrag). During the defragging process, the software's main interface presents a color-coded display, which Figure 3 shows.
You can run other programs during the defrag process, but any open application and the defragger will both run slowly. You're better off closing all other software and leaving these programs closed during the defrag.
A message appears to inform you when the process is completed. Click View Report in the message window to see the new fragmentation status on a file-by-file basis.
Optimizing the Tool—and Your System
When a drive is running low on free space, the defrag process doesn't do a complete job because the system doesn't have enough space to transform all the file fragments into contiguous files. Instead, the process merely reduces the number of existing fragments. (For example, after you run Disk Defragmenter, a file that was in 25 pieces might be in only 8 pieces.)
Although immediately rerunning Disk Defragmenter often improves your defrag statistics, a better tack is to establish as much free disk space as possible before you defrag a drive the first time. In preparation for your defrag tasks, perform some housekeeping and delete obsolete and unused files, especially temporary files. A useful trick is to temporarily move files to another drive, usually on another network computer (unless the computer you're defragging has multiple drives). After you defrag the original drive, copy the files back; they're more likely to be saved contiguously.
I suggest that you keep at least 30 percent of a drive's capacity free so that you have sufficient room to store temporary files, to swap files, and to save files contiguously. When you calculate free space for NTFS volumes, the math isn't straightforward. NTFS sets aside one-eighth of a drive in an area called the MFT zone, which only the MFT can access. Because the MFT rarely uses all that space, it appears to be free, but Disk Defragmenter can't access the space. You must account for the MFT zone when you view an NTFS volume's free space from Windows Explorer or My Computer. Deduct about 12 percent from the statistic to get an accurate figure.
To give Win2K enough room to operate at a decent performance level, run Disk Defragmenter regularly on the systems that you've determined most likely need defragging. Despite Disk Defragmenter's restrictions, you'll enjoy the benefits of this built-in tool.