Disk Defragment

Dear Sassy: I ran disk defragment on my computer last night. When it was finished, a message said there were 5 immovable files that could not be defragmented. What does this mean? How do I fix this problem?
~Still Fragmented

Dear Still: Sassy is sooo glad that you are running the Disk Defrag! Plus you remembered that it is a long process and ran it at night - great job! Let me start off by explaining a little about the defrag process... See the graphic below? Hypnotizing isn't it? The first image is a fragmented machine, steps are taken to move related files (or parts of files) so that they aren't separated. The ending image is a defragmented machine. Those are the basic steps to "defragging."

Sometimes files just can't be moved - like system files. These files can be moved but that is way above and beyond Sassy and really for our purposes these files can stay where they are.

February 5, 2007

Dear Sassy: Are our computers able to convert Microsoft Works (.wps) files into a format readable by Microsoft Word? If not, can a converter be installed?
~ Would like to Convert

Dear Convert: Sassy is SO glad that you have requested a converter for our computers. Not everyone uses Microsoft Word, and sometimes Sassy forgets to include the Works users. Sassy has added a converter to the 3 networked machines out in the Reference area. You should be able to open the .wps document by going through Word.


Dear Sassy: I overheard someone talking about “defragging” their machine. What is defragging and should I be doing it?
~ Defragged in the Library

Dear Defragged: Ahh, to defrag or not to defrag – that is the question… Defragging is a good thing, but let me explain a little about the process. Disk defragmenter is a System Tool on your machine. This application rearranges the files that are stored on your hard drive so that they are lumped together instead of spread apart. This process can increase the speed of your machine. You can access it by clicking on Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. Once you click on Disk Defragmenter you will have a colorful graph on display. By reading the legend you can determine just how defragmented your files are. If you click Analyze, your machine will perform a quick scan and tell you if your machine needs defragging or not. If your machine does need defragging, try to start the process when you will not need your computer – like at lunch. Defragging can be time consuming depending on the amount of files that need to be moved. Normally after the initial defrag the following defrags will be quicker. Defragging can be done on a monthly or bimonthly basis.