The amount of time Defraggler takes to defrag depends on several factors.
- The size of the drive and its read/write speed
- The number of fragmented files
- The number of times each file is fragmented
- The amount of free disk space that is available
Here are a few tips that might help speed up the process:
- Run a Quick Defrag. This isn’t as thorough as a full defrag, but it’s a quick way to give your PC a boost.
- Run CCleaner before using Defraggler. This cleans out unnecessary files from your system, allowing Defraggler to run faster. Furthermore, it creates more free space on the drive, making it possible for Defraggler to organize files into a contiguous, non-fragmented block of space more efficiently.
- Stop the VSS service when defragmenting your drive. This ensures that you don't create unneeded restore points when performing a defrag. To do this:
- Open Defraggler > click Settings > Options
- Click on the Advanced tab
- Check Stop VSS when defragmenting NTFS volume > click OK
Note: You can configure Defraggler to be minimized and run silently in the Windows System Tray. This will allow you to use your computer without any interference as Defraggler continues to re-arrange your files in the background:
- Click Settings > Options > Advanced
- Check Minimize to tray > click OK > Minimize Defraggler
You can also set its Priority to Background; this increases the amount of time the operation takes but reduces the number of system resources utilized during the defrag operation.
- Click Settings > Priority > Background
What happens if you use your PC while defragging?
If you decide to use your computer while defragging, the defrag operation might take longer to complete, depending on how many system and drive resources you're utilizing. Furthermore, utilizing the computer could create new files, so there's a possibility the data associated with the newly created files gets placed in a non-contiguous (i.e. fragmented) block of space. This results in new file fragmentation, which might be recognized only after you've completed a defrag operation.
