PC Tune Up: Understanding How Your PC Stores Files And How To Use ScanDisk To Remove Them

Did you realize that every time your computer has new information added, a little piece of that information is displace just about anywhere that information will fit? If there is not an area large enough to house the entire file, it will break it up and displace it in multiple locations. This means that when you want to bring up something, it takes a little longer each time to recall it. When the computer has to keep rewriting your files, they usually end up being broken down and spread out all over the memory of the hard disk. After writing to the disk a number of times, your files have a tendency to get broken up into bits and pieces that are spread out all over the disk.

Whenever you need your computer to bring up a file, it turns to the File Allocation Table or FAT (located on the hard disk). Basically, the FAT is your computer's map of all of your files locations. Your computer has to search through the FAT to find out where the file actually is. Once it finds the file, it waits for it to show up under the heading that it should be in. Once it comes up under the headings, it is then transferred into the computer's RAM.

If the computer needs to do this with more than one file, it can really slow the process down. The slowing down of your computer is normal, but isn't always convenient. The good news is that there are things that can be done to take care of the problem. You can quickly download a simple program to help you clean out the problem areas and get rid of items you may not need.

The best program for you to use is something called ScanDisk. It will check your hard disk for problem areas, like such things like chains and lost clusters. This program can detect and correct these kinds of problems for you. ScanDisk is also a program that can detect any physical defects that may be present in your computer's hard disk. If there should happen to be any physical problems on your hard disk, it can prevent you from being able store files in the future. ScanDisk can mark the problems so that the computer won't continue to store files in these locations.

It is very simple to use the ScanDisk program. Don't feel overwhelmed, as even a beginner can catch onto it quite easily! Use the following template of instructions to help make the process move forward a little more quickly. It would be a good idea to print out the instructions so that if you loose your place, then you have something to refer back to.

In order to start ScanDisk, all you have to do is to call out the program from the DOS prompt. This will enable the opening screen to be shown. On the display screen, you can see what programs you can choose to run on the ScanDisk program. It will display its opening screen where you can select any program options to run before the program actually begins.

At the beginning of the ScanDisk program, you will see that there are a couple of options. The very first option will let you save any of your files that you will want in the future. With this option, you can save any files that have no errors onto a floppy disk, too. That way, you'll have access to them if you need to restore your settings back to the original settings. If you prefer to have a backup of your files, this option will allow you to make them at this time. The other option on the display screen will let you make yourself an undo disk.

ScanDisk will look at all the files on your disk and repair any problems that it finds. After the process is complete, it will list the "Problems Found". It will then also tell you what it had to do to take care of the problems.

Once the program is done checking your files, it will give you the option of checking for surface defects. It is a good idea to let ScanDisk do this option. If the program should happen to notice any defective areas on the surface, it will mark the areas so that the computer sees them as unusable.