Defragmenting Your Hard Disk

Hard disk recording is incredibly demanding on a hard drive, even under the best of conditions! Beyond the normal technical considerations (drive speed, thermal recalibration, phase of the moon, etc.) just the actual process of recording, erasing, editing, and re-recording results in the disk becoming "fragmented". When a disk is fragmented, there are small, discontiguous pieces of files scattered all over the drive, making it difficult for the drive heads to efficiently play back data. As little as 5-10% fragmentation can result in errors, or reduce the ability of the drive to play back multiple tracks (3-4 hours of serious recording and editing can easily result in 5% fragmentation). Disk optimizing software like Norton Utilities can correct fragmentation, as well as a variety of other drive ills. Every computer owner should have (and use) a copy!