1. Open the Optimize Drives Tool
- Press Windows Key + S and type: Defragment and Optimize Drives
- Click the matching result to open the app
2. Choose the Drive
- In the window that opens, you'll see a list of drives.
- Look for the drive labeled C: (your system drive) or any other HDD.
- Check the Media Type column — if it says Solid State Drive,
do not defragment it.
3. Analyze the Drive (Optional)
- Click the drive once to select it.
- Click Analyze to see the current fragmentation level.
4. Defragment the Drive
- With the drive still selected, click Optimize.
- Windows will start defragmenting. This may take several minutes to over an hour, depending on the size and fragmentation.
5. Set a Schedule (Optional)
- You can click Change settings to set up weekly automatic optimization.
Note: Defragmentation is only useful for HDDs. SSDs benefit from different optimization (TRIM), which Windows handles automatically.