disk fragmentation

Disk fragmentation occurs when files stored on a computer’s hard drive are divided into small, non-contiguous pieces over time. Instead of being stored in a continuous block, parts of a file are scattered across different areas of the disk. This means the drive has to work harder and take more time to access and read these pieces, which can slow down overall system performance. Regular defragmentation reorganizes these pieces to be stored contiguously, making data access more efficient and improving speed.