what is defragmentation of hard disk

Defragmentation is the process of rearranging the data on a storage medium, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), for efficient storage and access. When data is written to a hard drive, it is stored in the first empty portion of the drive that the write head can access. As more data is written, the empty portions become rarer, and the drive has to search for all the information or programs you want it to access in a timely manner. This can cause the data to become fragmented, meaning it is divided into multiple chunks of data that are stored on the hard drive and mixed in with other data files. Defragmentation consolidates these fragmented files so all the related pieces are aligned together, making it easier for the drive to find the information or programs you want it to access in a timely manner. Defragmenting a hard drive can improve a computers or laptops performance and speed, and can solve and mitigate problems such as slow speeds, freeze-ups, and extended boot times of a computer. Disk Defragmenter is a built-in tool in Windows that runs on a schedule, but you can also analyze and defragment your disks and drives manually.