Enable Automated Windows Vista Defragmentation

Vista has automated some of its maintenance tasks, such as defragmenting your hard drive and backing up key system files and documents. To keep your hard drive defragged regularly:

• Click on Start
• Click on Computer
• Right-click on the hard drive you want to schedule
• Open its Properties menu
• Click the Tools tab
• Click Defragment Now
• Check the "Run on a schedule" box
• Use the Modify Schedule button and drop-down menus in the next screen to set your schedule

Using Boot Defragment

A very important new feature in Microsoft Windows XP is the ability to do a boot defragment. This basically means that all boot files are placed next to each other on the disk drive to allow for faster booting. By default this option is enabled but some upgrade users have reported that it isn't on their setup.

1. Start Regedit.

2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction

3. Select Enable from the list on the right.

4. Right on it and select Modify.

5. Change the value to Y to enable and N to disable.

6. Reboot your computer.