Best practices to avoid hard disk fragmentation ?

[Chris Spencer]

I have some Windows 98 and XP systems on which I read and write large
datafiles. I am wondering if there are any techniques to avoid or
slow disk fragmentation (as opposed to running a defrag utility after
eventual performance degradation).

For example, if I were to set aside 10% of disk space to remain free
and unused, might that have some beneficial effect?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

There is one way that I know of to avoid disk defragmentation. Never turn
the machine on. I'm not being facetious.

All you have to do is open an MS Word doc and close it. Do nothing else and
that doc will be on the Most fragmented files list.

Setting aside free disk space won't do anything to help.

Also...

[[A volume must have at least 15% free space for Disk Defragmenter to
completely and adequately defragment it. Disk Defragmenter uses this space
as a sorting area for file fragments. If a volume has less than 15% free
space, Disk Defragmenter will only partially defragment it.]]

Why volumes become fragmented
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...all/proddocs/en-us/defrag_why_fragmented.mspx

 

[Ted Zieglar]

Fragmentation is an unavoidable result of using your computer.

Ted Zieglar

 

[Guest]

Purchase third party software that defrags on the fly. Like Disk Keeper