Hour 19. Managing Your Hard Drives

Everybody seems to need more disk space no matter how much one has. This hour shows you how to get more disk space and use your disk more efficiently with the Windows disk-related system utilities.

Over time, your disk gets cluttered, not only with extra programs and Windows XP components that you don't need, but also with file fragments, small pieces of files that slow down the overall operation of your computer.

In this hour, you will

• Learn how to detect fragmentation problems

• Ensure that your disk is running efficiently by letting Disk Defragmenter clean up potential disk problems

• Use Disk Cleanup to better manage your disk drives

• Learn the importance of developing a backup regime

• Back up your files to protect them from a disk breakdown